How to Stop Your PC from Booting into Automatic Repair in Windows 8.1

If your Windows 8.1 PC keeps booting into Automatic Repair, you can try several methods to resolve this issue. In this guide, we will walk you through a series of steps to help you overcome this problem and ensure your PC functions smoothly.

1. Perform a Hard Reboot

Before diving into more complex procedures, a simple hard reboot might be all you need to reset your system.

Power off your PC completely by pressing the power button.

Disconnect all peripherals, including the mouse, keyboard, and any external drives.

Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds to ensure it is completely off.

Reconnect the power and peripherals, then turn your PC back on.

2. Boot into Safe Mode

If a simple reboot doesn’t work, try booting into Safe Mode, which is a specialized mode that starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services.

Restart your PC and interrupt the boot process by pressing the power button when you see the Windows logo. Repeat this 2-3 times until you see the Advanced Startup Options screen.

Select Advanced options.

Choose Troubleshoot, then Startup Settings.

Restart your PC.

After your PC restarts, press the appropriate key (usually F4 or 4) to start in Safe Mode.

3. Run Startup Repair

Startup Repair is a built-in tool that automatically attempts to fix issues that prevent Windows from booting properly.

Boot into the Advanced options menu as described above.

Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options.

Choose Startup Repair.

Follow the prompts to complete the process. If the issue is related to registry entries, this might resolve it.

4. Use Command Prompt

If Startup Repair doesn’t work, you can use the Command Prompt to run specific commands that automatically fix common issues.

Boot into the Advanced options menu.

Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options.

Choose Command Prompt.

In the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each:

bootrec /fixmbr

bootrec /fixboot

bootrec /scanos

bootrec /rebuildbcd

These commands address Master Boot Record (MBR), Boot Configuration Data (BCD), and system files.

After running these commands, restart your PC.

5. Check Disk for Errors

If the problem persists, it might be due to a damaged file or a corruption on the hard drive. Running a disk check is a good idea to identify and fix these issues.

Boot into the Advanced options menu and open Command Prompt.

Type the following command and press Enter:

Replace C: with the correct drive letter if Windows is installed on a different drive. This process can take some time.

6. System Restore

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, restoring your system to a previous restore point might be your best option.

Boot into the Advanced options menu.

Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options.

Choose System Restore.

Follow the prompts to restore your system to a previous date.

7. Reinstall Windows

As a last resort, if none of the above methods works, you may need to reinstall Windows. Ensure you back up your data if possible before proceeding with this option.

Note: If your PC is still under warranty or if you’re uncomfortable performing these steps, consider seeking professional help to avoid potential data loss or further issues.