System stuck in Windows 11 recovery loop at boot-up

[Stuart269]

System seems locked in a recovery loop at boot-up. Will not repair from cloud-based option or external recovery drive. No difference if I choose to retain personal files or wipe them. Laptop is HP Pavilion 16, is 10 months old and still under warranty.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Stuart269,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding the Windows 11 recovery loop!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Fully Power Reset

Turn the laptop OFF.

Unplug all accessories (USB, charger, external drives).

Press and hold the Power button for 15–20 seconds to drain residual power.

Plug the power adapter back in → Power ON → See if it boots normally.

Boot into BIOS, Check Boot Order

Sometimes corrupted boot order keeps it looping.

Turn ON → Immediately tap ESC repeatedly → then press F10 for BIOS.

In BIOS, find Boot Order / Boot Options.

Make sure the internal hard drive/SSD is set as 1st priority.

Save changes → Exit BIOS → Reboot.

Try Safe Mode (Advanced Startup)

On the recovery blue screen, choose Advanced Options → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings → Restart.

When Startup Settings appear, press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode.

If it boots, back up important files → run System Restore or uninstall problematic updates.

Use Command Prompt in Recovery

If Safe Mode doesn’t work, try fixing boot files manually:

Back in Advanced Options → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Command Prompt.

In Command Prompt, type these commands one by one:

bootrec /fixmbr 

bootrec /fixboot 

bootrec /scanos 

bootrec /rebuildbcd

When done, close Command Prompt → Restart.

If all else fails, Fresh Windows Reinstall

Since recovery and cloud reset failed:

Download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool on another PC.

Create a bootable USB installer (8GB+).

Plug it into the Pavilion → Power ON → tap ESC → F9 for Boot Menu → select USB.

Follow prompts → choose Custom Install → delete the Windows partition → install clean.

This will wipe your data if you haven’t backed up!

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

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Best regards,