IT help Windows 10- Preparing Automatic Repair

[adc82140]

A bit of a headscratcher here. I've been given a theoretically fairly decent laptop, on the proviso that if I can fix it, I can have it.

On boot up, there is a screen that says "preparing automatic repair" and that's where it gets stuck. I've even left it on overnight to see if it gets any further, and it doesn't.

The plan had been to format the HDD and reinstall Windows from a USB stick, but it won't boot from the USB either. Same message.

I've tried the restart three times trick to bring up the reset menu, but that doesn't work, the menu never appears.

I've tried disabling secure boot from the bios menu, but again no difference.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Shrewbly]

You may have already done this, but in BIOS is USB the first item in the boot sequence? If not, move USB to the top of the list and try it again. Best of luck!

 

[adc82140]

You may have already done this, but in BIOS is USB the first item in the boot sequence? If not, move USB to the top of the list and try it again. Best of luck!

Yep, checked that!

 

[johntea]

Did you create the USB using the official media creation tool?

Download Windows 10

Also might be worth trying another USB stick as certainly older BIOS can be a bit 'picky' in what they choose to recognize as a USB boot device and some will confuse certain ones (particularly of a larger capacity) as if they are a external hard drive!

 

[Crossover]

If the laptop has a HDD, change it for an SSD (at least 128GB, depending on how much you want to store on it)

With regards to the USB stick, how did you create it? Did you have an ISO and extract it to the USB or use the media creation tool?

 

[adc82140]

The USB was created using the media creation tool on a working Win 10 PC. Good point about the USB capacity though- it's a 128GB stick. I'll give it a go with a smaller one.

 

[Crossover]

The USB was created using the media creation tool on a working Win 10 PC. Good point about the USB capacity though- it's a 128GB stick. I'll give it a go with a smaller one.

Definitely worth a try with a smaller USB stick - I think I have only ever installed from one up to 32GB. Anything larger would have a different file system which I am unsure it would boot from.

 

[etr221]

Question to OP: are all the BIOS type tools - which you get at before trying to boot Windows - working ok? giving the laptop a cleanish bill of health? These are the 'pass go? collect £200?' checks, that let you see - at the most basic level - if the laptop is working.

Then I suggest trying a non-Windows system (put on USB or CD (if there is a CD drive)) - apart from (ordinary) Linux (many flavours), see https://www.digitalcitizen.life/best-system-rescue-discs-windows-pcs-no-longer-work-well/ for various 'rescue systems' - including 'System Rescue', 'Hiren’s BootCD', and 'Ultimate Boot CD' (some are Linux based, some (original Hiren's ?) Windows based). Reading up on these will give you advice, as to what they do and how to use them. They do tend to have drive formatting tools and the like, to get you back to a clean slate.

Something I found (the hard way) is that some versions of Windows have not well documented or well determinable requirements that can just stop them getting anywhere....

 

[adc82140]

The laptop itself is in good health. The bios menus load up and function without a hitch. Now you come to mention it, this could be a good opportunity to have a play with Linux. This is a slightly older laptop, so it does have a dvd drive.

New post below:

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

Tried booting from a Hiren's Dvd. Looked encouraging at first, but the laptop restarted itself and went to a blank screen, where it has been ever since. I think the hard drive is shot.

 

[yorksrob]

That "preparing automatic repair" function is one of the biggest piles of ordure Microsoft has come up with.

There's a way to disable it, which I did at the first opportunity.

 

[py_megapixel]

Yes, I think at this point I'd have given up on Microsoft entirely and installed an operating system that works properly.

 

[david1212]

The laptop itself is in good health. The bios menus load up and function without a hitch. Now you come to mention it, this could be a good opportunity to have a play with Linux. This is a slightly older laptop, so it does have a dvd drive.

New post below:

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

Tried booting from a Hiren's Dvd. Looked encouraging at first, but the laptop restarted itself and went to a blank screen, where it has been ever since. I think the hard drive is shot.

What is the CPU - Intel 'i' series, a bottom end Celeron / Pentium or something AMD? Regardless unlikely to only be 32-bit not 64-bit. How much RAM Memory? How many modules? If two modules swap the positions.
A memory fault is a possibility plus now rare for a laptop to have separate memory rather than share the main memory so could explain the graphics freezing.
If two modules and not a matched pair that could cause issues. So long as 4GB each try just one. Unless the hardware / BIOS does not allow try one in both slots.

As you have a working DVD drive download the live version of Linux Mint Mate or XFCE as less demanding than Cinnamon. Mint is now 64-bit only but that I recall worked back to Core2 CPU's with only Atoms and older Celeron / Pentium being 32-bit. To eliminate USB issues create a DVD from the ISO and try to live boot. The condition of the hard drive will make no difference.
Presuming it boots to the desktop load the partition editor, in Mate it is GParted. Within this you can read the SMART data of the hard drive and I recall run at least a quick/basic fitness test.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

That "preparing automatic repair" function is one of the biggest piles of ordure Microsoft has come up with.

Yup. It is more likely to work if both Bitlocker and Fast Startup are disabled yet the default is enabled ....
Fast Startup must be disabled for dual boot to work correctly too.

 

[Bevan Price]

Can you fit more memory ?

Microsoft updates, downloads, etc. create loads of temporary files that eat memory space and can make everthing painfully slow if you don't have lots of spare memory. .

 

[tomuk]

You need to bring up the boot menu. With the laptop switched off plug the USB stick in then switch on the laptop. As it starts press Esc or F9 or F10 or F12 repeatedly to get the menu then you can select the usb drive and bot off it.
What make and model is it?

 

[jumble]

A bit of a headscratcher here. I've been given a theoretically fairly decent laptop, on the proviso that if I can fix it, I can have it.

On boot up, there is a screen that says "preparing automatic repair" and that's where it gets stuck. I've even left it on overnight to see if it gets any further, and it doesn't.

The plan had been to format the HDD and reinstall Windows from a USB stick, but it won't boot from the USB either. Same message.

I've tried the restart three times trick to bring up the reset menu, but that doesn't work, the menu never appears.

I've tried disabling secure boot from the bios menu, but again no difference.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

I have found by far the best way of getting USB sticks to boot is to
ignore the windows USB creator as this does in my experience not work very well
Use a new 16Gb USB3 stick
Download the windows 10 iso
Burn iso to USB using Rufus

 

[Puffing Devil]

Try creating a bootable version of Linux on a USB stick, I suggest Mint as it's very beginner friendly. If that works, you can dig into the hardware a bit more. That will give you a view on the viability of the laptop.

Echo the suggestions to get in an SSD if the machine can be made to boot.

 

[Energy]

Look in the BIOS first and see what hardware is being picked up.

Agreeing with others on SSD swap, 128GB one is now about £10. Nowadays they are cheaper than a hard drive for 1tb or bellow.

 

[adc82140]

Thanks for all the above. A bit of a busy weekend ahead, but I'll explore the Linux route next week.

 

[D365]

Agreeing with others on SSD swap, 128GB one is now about £10.

I've seen some for £6 now!

 

[contrex]

If the laptop has a HDD, change it for an SSD (at least 128GB, depending on how much you want to store on it)

With regards to the USB stick, how did you create it? Did you have an ISO and extract it to the USB or use the media creation tool?

Flash storage prices have really dropped. I bought a Patriot 128 GB SATA 3 SSD for £9.69 a couple of weeks ago from Ebuyer in Howden near Goole They still advertise that price today. Delivery extra of course.

I also bought a clear plastic external case with a USB-3 lead for £4.98 and using the two together I now have a very fast and useful USB device for about the same price as a 128 GB pen drive cost me 6 months ago. I have put a Debian Live USB image on it, (with persistence), and it's becoming a handy little tool for running e.g. Gparted. Hopefully won't run out of memory cells as fast as a flash drive would.

 

[adc82140]

Update: Linux Mint successfully installed from an iso on DVD. Now the fun starts....

Next challenge- install some specialist software the claims.to be Windows only. Will try Wine first, and if that doesn't work a Windows VM.

 

[36270k]

For a VM, try downloading VMware Player.
Have been using it for a long time, very reliable.