Automatic Repair, also known as Startup Repair, is a built-in troubleshooting feature in Windows 10 and 11 designed to detect and fix common startup issues. When your computer fails to boot properly three times in a row, Windows will automatically launch this tool to diagnose and attempt to repair problems such as corrupted system files, faulty boot configuration data, or disk metadata corruption.
However, there may be times when you want to disable Automatic Repair, either to troubleshoot startup issues manually or to prevent the feature from causing unexpected loops. In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to disable and re-enable Automatic Repair in Windows 10 and 11.
Disabling Automatic Repair Before Boot Failure
If your computer is currently booting normally but you want to disable Automatic Repair to avoid triggering it accidentally, follow these steps:
Open the Start menu and search for “Command Prompt”. Right-click on the result and select “Run as administrator”.
In the Command Prompt window, type bcdedit and press Enter. This will display the current Boot Configuration Data (BCD) settings.
Under the “Windows Boot Loader” section, note down the “identifier” value and make sure the “recoveryenabled” setting is set to “Yes”.
To disable Automatic Repair, type bcdedit /set {current} recoveryenabled no (without the quotes) and press Enter.
In this command, `{current}` specifies the target operating system option in the boot loader, and “no” is used to disable the Automatic Repair feature.
Disabling Automatic Repair in the Recovery Environment
If your computer is stuck in the Automatic Repair loop and you can’t boot into Windows normally, you can disable the feature from the recovery environment:
When the Automatic Repair screen appears, click on “Advanced options”
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Select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt”
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In the Command Prompt window, type bcdedit and press Enter. Locate the “identifier” value for the target operating system and note it down
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To disable Automatic Repair, type bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled no (without the quotes) and press Enter
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In this command, `{default}` refers to the identifier value you noted down in step 3.
After completing these steps, Automatic Repair will be disabled, and your computer should boot normally without triggering the feature.
Re-enabling Automatic Repair
If you want to re-enable Automatic Repair after disabling it, follow these steps:
Open the Start menu and search for “Command Prompt”. Right-click on the result and select “Run as administrator”.
In the Command Prompt window, type bcdedit and press Enter. Confirm that the “recoveryenabled” setting is set to “No” under the “Windows Boot Loader” section.
To re-enable Automatic Repair, type bcdedit /set {current} recoveryenabled yes (without the quotes) and press Enter.
After completing these steps, Automatic Repair will be re-enabled, and your computer will attempt to diagnose and repair startup issues automatically if it encounters problems during the boot process.
It’s important to note that while Automatic Repair can be a useful tool for resolving common startup problems, it may not always provide detailed information about the specific issues it’s trying to repair. In some cases, disabling the feature and troubleshooting manually may be necessary to identify and resolve more complex startup problems.
If you’re experiencing persistent startup issues or the Automatic Repair feature is causing an endless loop, it’s recommended to seek further assistance from Microsoft Support or a qualified IT professional.