If you’re facing the dreaded “Preparing Automatic Repair” loop in Windows, don’t panic. This issue can be caused by various factors, including corrupted system files, incompatible drivers, or even a virus. Fortunately, there are several solutions you can try to get your system back up and running. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to resolve the Preparing Automatic Repair loop and get your PC back on track.
Scan for Viruses and Remove Problematic Files
One of the first steps you should take when encountering the Preparing Automatic Repair loop is to scan your system for viruses. Malware can corrupt system files and cause various issues, including the Preparing Automatic Repair loop. Use a reliable antivirus software to scan your system and remove any detected threats.
In addition to scanning for viruses, you should also identify and delete any problematic files that may be causing the issue. These files could be corrupted system files or files associated with incompatible software or drivers. To remove these files, you can boot into Safe Mode and use the Command Prompt to navigate to the problematic files and delete them.
Uninstall Suspicious Software and Update Drivers
If you recently installed any new software or drivers, it’s possible that they are causing compatibility issues and leading to the Preparing Automatic Repair loop. In this case, you should uninstall the suspicious software or drivers and see if the issue persists.
If the issue started after a driver update, you can try rolling back the driver to the previous version. To do this, open Device Manager, locate the problematic driver, right-click on it, and select “Roll back driver”.
Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection
Early Launch Anti-Malware (ELAM) protection is a feature in Windows that scans drivers during the boot process to detect potential threats. However, in some cases, ELAM can misinterpret essential boot drivers as malicious, causing the Preparing Automatic Repair loop. To resolve this issue, you can disable ELAM by booting into Safe Mode and using the Command Prompt to execute the necessary commands.
Rebuild Boot Configuration Data and Run CHKDSK
A corrupted Boot Configuration Data (BCD) or problematic drive errors can also trigger the Preparing Automatic Repair loop. To address this issue, you can rebuild the BCD and run CHKDSK (Check Disk) to scan and repair any errors on your drive. To do this, boot into Safe Mode and use the Command Prompt to execute the necessary commands.
Reinstall or Roll Back Graphic Drivers
Incompatible or buggy graphic drivers can contribute to the Preparing Automatic Repair loop. To resolve this issue, you can try reinstalling the graphic driver or rolling back to the previous version. To reinstall the driver, open Device Manager, uninstall the graphic driver, and scan for hardware changes to allow Windows to reinstall the driver automatically.
If the issue started after a driver update, you can roll back the driver to the previous version by accessing Device Manager and selecting the “Roll back driver” option.
Restore Your PC Using System Image Recovery
If the Preparing Automatic Repair loop started after a third-party program or Windows update, restoring your system to a previous state using System Image Recovery might help resolve the issue. To do this, boot into Safe Mode and use the System Image Recovery option to restore your PC to a previous state before the issue occurred.
Remember to always create a backup of your important data before attempting any system recovery or restoration procedures.
In conclusion, the Preparing Automatic Repair loop can be a frustrating issue, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can resolve it and get your PC back up and running. By scanning for viruses, removing problematic files, uninstalling suspicious software, updating drivers, disabling ELAM, rebuilding BCD, running CHKDSK, reinstalling or rolling back graphic drivers, and restoring your system using System Image Recovery, you can effectively address the Preparing Automatic Repair loop and get your system back on track.