Not starting up beyond hp logo - says automatic system repair then restart then just in start screen

[Waggawagga]

For the last 5 hours I have been attempting to log in. It worked this morning, and turned off from a flat battery. It now starts and says Automatic System repair for a good while, then says automatic.restart. it restarts and just has the hp logo and the turning waiting circling icon. Ast Diagnostics says nothing...

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Waggawagga,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're stoked to have you on board! 

To help us get started on resolving your issue, could you please share the model name of your device?

Meanwhile, you can try these steps.

Perform a Hard Reset

Disconnect all external devices (USB drives, printers, accessories).

Hold the power button for 15 seconds to fully shut down the laptop.

Plug in the charger and try turning it back on.

Access Advanced Startup Options

Power on the laptop, and as soon as the HP logo with spinning dots appears, press and hold the power button to shut it down.

Repeat this process 3 times.

On the 4th boot, Windows should open Preparing Automatic Repair → Advanced Options.

Run Startup Repair

From the Advanced Options menu, go to Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Repair.

Let the system attempt to fix boot issues automatically.

Try System Restore

If Startup Repair fails, go to Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → System Restore.

Select a restore point from before the issue started (if available).

Boot into Safe Mode

From Advanced Options → Startup Settings → Restart, press 4 (Safe Mode) or 5 (Safe Mode with Networking).

If successful, uninstall recent updates or drivers that could be causing the problem.

Use Command Prompt Repair Tools

From Advanced Options, open Command Prompt.

Run these commands one by one:
sfc /scannow 

chkdsk C: /f /r 

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

These commands repair corrupted system files and check the drive for errors.

Reset the PC (Last Resort)

If none of the above works, go to Troubleshoot → Reset this PC.

Choose Keep my files to reinstall Windows while preserving personal data.

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! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,