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- HP Community
- Notebooks
- Notebook Boot and Lockup
- preparing automatic repair

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11-03-2026 05:56 PM
Hi @angelnole,
"Preparing Automatic Repair" means Windows failed to start correctly and is trying to fix itself. Let's get it booting again:
Option 1 – Hard reset
- Turn the laptop off, unplug the charger and disconnect all USB devices.
- Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds.
- Connect only the charger and turn it on.
Option 2 – Windows recovery options
- If it reaches "Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC", click Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
- Try Startup Repair first.
- If that fails, try System Restore (pick a date before the problem), or Uninstall Updates > Uninstall latest quality update.
If it keeps looping, please share your exact model (label underneath or Fn + Esc) and any error code shown, so we can check the hardware with HP diagnostics (power on, tap Esc, then F2).
I am proudly Mexican, a Computer Systems Engineer and an HP Community volunteer (not an HP employee).
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