How to Fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC: Windows 10 is the latest operating system offered by Microsoft and with each Windows upgrade Microsoft is trying their best to overcome the limitation and shortcomings of various issues found in earlier versions of Windows. But there are some errors that are common to all versions of Windows including boot failure being the major one. Boot failure can happen with any version of Windows including Windows 10.
Automatic repair is generally able to fix the boot failure error, this is a built-in option that comes along with Windows itself. When Windows 10 running system fails to boot, the Automatic Repair option tries to repair Windows automatically. In most cases, automatic repair fixes various issues related to boot failures but like any other program, it also has its limitations, and sometimes Automatic Repair fails to work.
Automatic Repair fails because there are some errors or corrupted or missing files in your operating system installation that prevent Windows from starting correctly and if Automatic Repair fails then you won’t be able to get into Safe Mode. Often a failed automatic repair option will show you some kind of error message like this one:
Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC. Press "Advanced options" to try other options to repair your PC or "Shut down" to turn off your PC. Log file: C:\WINDOWS\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt
In a situation when Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC, Bootable installation media or Recovery Drive/System Repair Disc are helpful in such cases. Let’s get started and see step by step how you can fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC error.
Note: For each and every step below you need to have Bootable installation media or Recovery Drive/System Repair Disc and if you don’t have one then create one. If you don’t want to download the entire OS from the website then you use your friend’s PC to create the disc using this link or you need to download official Windows 10 ISO but for that, you need to have a working internet connection and PC.
IMPORTANT: Never convert a Basic disk that contains your operating system to a Dynamic disk, as it could make your system unbootable.
How to open Command Prompt at Boot in Windows 10
NOTE: You need to open Command Prompt at Boot a lot in order to fix various issues.
a) Put in the Windows installation media or Recovery Drive/System Repair Disc and select your language preferences, and click Next.
b) Click Repair your computer at the bottom.
c) Now choose Troubleshoot and then Advanced Options.
d) Select Command Prompt (With networking) from the list of options.
Fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC
Method 1: Fix boot and rebuild BCD
1. Open the Command prompt and type the following commands one by one & hit enter:
bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd bootrec.exe /fixmbr bootrec.exe /fixboot
2. After completing each command successfully type exit.
3. Restart your PC to see if you boot to windows.
4. If you get an error in the above method then try this:
bootsect /ntfs60 C: (replace the drive letter with your boot drive letter)
5. And again try the above commands which failed earlier.
Method 2: Use Diskpart to fix corrupted file system
1. Again go to Command Prompt and type: diskpart
2. Now type these commands in Diskpart: (don’t type DISKPART)
DISKPART> select disk 1 DISKPART> select partition 1 DISKPART> active DISKPART> extend filesystem DISKPART> exit
3. Now type the following command:
bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd bootrec.exe /fixmbr bootrec.exe /fixboot
4. Restart to apply changes and see if you’re able to fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC error.
Method 3: Use Check Disk Utility
1. Go to command prompt and type the following: chkdsk /f /r C:
2. Now restart your PC to see if the problem is fixed or not.
Method 4: Recover Windows registry
1. Enter the installation or recovery media and boot from it.
2. Select your language preferences and click next.
3. After selecting language press Shift + F10 to command prompt.
4. Type the following command in the Command Prompt:
cd C:\windows\system32\logfiles\srt\ (change your drive letter accordingly)
5. Now type this to open the file in notepad: SrtTrail.txt
6. Press CTRL + O then from file type select “All files” and navigate to C:\windows\system32 then right-click CMD and select Run as administrator.
7. Type the following command in cmd: cd C:\windows\system32\config
8. Rename Default, Software, SAM, System, and Security files to .bak to back up those files.
9. To do so type the following command:
rename DEFAULT DEFAULT.bak
rename SAM SAM.bak
rename SECURITY SECURITY.bak
rename SOFTWARE SOFTWARE.bak
rename SYSTEM SYSTEM.bak
10. Now type the following command in cmd:
copy c:\windows\system32\config\RegBack c:\windows\system32\config
11. Restart your PC to see if you can boot to Windows.
Method 5: Repair Windows Image
1. Open Command Prompt and enter the following command:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
2. Press enter to run the above command and wait for the process to complete, usually, it takes 15-20 minutes.
NOTE: If the above command doesn’t work then try this: Dism /Image:C:\offline /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows or Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows /LimitAccess
3. After the process is completed restart your PC.
4. Reinstall all the windows drivers and fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC error.
Method 6: Delete the problematic file
1. Access Command Prompt again and enter the following command:
cd C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\Srt
SrtTrail.txt
2. When the file opens you should see something like this:
Boot critical file c:\windows\system32\drivers\tmel.sys is corrupt.
3. Delete the problematic file by entering the following command in cmd:
cd c:\windows\system32\drivers
del tmel.sys
NOTE: Don’t delete drivers which are essential for windows to load the operating system
4. Restart to see if the issue is fixed if not continue to the next method.
Method 7: Disable Automatic Startup Repair Loop
1. Open Command Prompt and enter the following command:
NOTE: Only disable if you are in Automatic Startup Repair Loop
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No
2. Restart and Automatic Startup Repair should be disabled.
3. If you need to again enable it, enter the following command in cmd:
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled Yes
4. Reboot to apply changes.
Method 8: Set correct values of device partition and osdevice partition
1. In Command Prompt type the following and press enter: bcdedit
2. Now find the values of device partition and osdevice partition and make sure their values are correct or set to correct partition.
3. By default value is C: because Windows comes pre-installed on this partition only.
4. If by any reason it is changed to any other drive then enter the following commands and press Enter after each one:
bcdedit /set {default} device partition=c:
bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=c:
Note: If you have installed your windows on any other drive make sure you use that one instead of C:
5. Reboot your PC to save changes and fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC error.
Method 9: Disable driver signature enforcement
1. Put in the Windows installation media or Recovery Drive/System Repair Disc and select your language preferences, and click Next.
2. Click Repair your computer at the bottom.
3. Now choose Troubleshoot and then Advanced Options.
4. Choose Startup Settings.
5. Restart your PC and press the number 7 (If 7 isn’t working then relaunch the process and try different numbers).
Method 10: Last option is to perform Refresh or Reset
Again insert Windows 10 ISO then select your language preferences and click Repair your computer at the bottom.
1. Choose Troubleshooting when the Boot menu appears.
2. Now choose between the option Refresh or Reset.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Reset or Refresh.
4. Make sure you have the latest OS disc (preferably Windows 10) in order to complete this process.
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By now you must have successfully fix Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC but if you still have any questions regarding this guide please feel free to ask them in the comment section.
Thank you for your helpful article.
There is a small error in the “Method 1” section where you write:
“bootsect /ntfs60 C: (replace drive letter with your boot drive letter)”
It should be “bootsect /nt60 C:” …
Thanks again.
Hi and thanks, your number 6 method worked for me but the downside is that i have to keep doing it anytime i restart my laptop which is annoying and when i try to restart my laptop, i get a freaking blue screen of death and i get the automatic repair loop again. Even windows customer care couldn’t help me, they need to fix their sh!t. as always. I am using some microsoft apps like visual studio so i needed windows 10, if i can have my way, i’ll go back to windows 7.
Anyway what i did was go into the local disk drive/volume “D:” by pressing “D:” and enter, this was where all my program files and all my files where, i don’t know why they where moved from “C:” to “D:”, you can check where yours is by typing “C:” and pressing enter then type “dir” and press enter, if you don’t see your progam files and windows, then just try other letters of the alphabet.
Next i typed cd “windows\system32\logfiles\srt” and hit the enter key.
After that i typed “SrtTrail.txt” and hit enter then a notepad poped up, look for any file that is corrupted and copy it, mine was “d:\windows\system32\drivers\nldrv.sys” and it says that it was corrupt.
After that i typed “D:” and typed the location of the file “cd windows\system32\drivers” and hit enter.
Then i typed del nldrv.sys and hit enter and restarted my system and it booted up fine.
How do I know what drive letter I have to use? And how do I restart the computer after using one of the methods?
Thanks for the help. Method 4 was the key for me. To help identify my registry was the issue, I disabled autorepair which gave me a new message when I restarted saying my registry was corrupted. However, step 10 has an omission. It reads:
copy c:\windows\system32\config\RegBack c:\windows\system32\ where it should have “\config” at the end, or else you are copying to the wrong destination. Your screenshot shows the correct copy location. Thanks again, I spent several hours slogging through this until I found your site, and Method 4 fixed it.
Thank you for pointing that out, have fixed the article and glad I was able to help 🙂
Nothing has worked!!! Still in this same blue screen …can’t fix loop!!! HELP PLEASE
can i know.. how to fix Registry is corrupt? i didnt have cd windows 8..can u help me to fix this one
Wow, thank you so so much! Method 1 did it for me.
You made my week!
None of these Solutions worked out for me.
“Impossible determine cause of rebooting “, some kind of rootkit, i just unistalled 2 software without rebooting between them, fatal mistake. One of them was malwarebytes..
I see you are typing from drive “x”. Why is this x? Please explain. I am not using a disk or external source, yet my drive letter is also “x”. I am stuck in “x”. I cannot change to “c” using commands like “CD”. They don’t work. There seems to be some mixup with the letters. Someone with this issue used external software to look at their device and found the c drive had become a ” g” drive, and other drive lettets were jumbled up also. This just happened to me today and I’m lost. This is a good guide bit need checking as typing the wrong thing in cmd prompt can go bad real quick.
your methods to stop the loop locked worked . this allowed a new error to appear. The operating system couldnt be loaded because the system registry file is missing or contains errors. I will try the reg fix method once I get a disk and otp hub. Be aware once you switch the loop off and get the reg error you cannot get back to dos to switch the loop back on again unless you “press the windows key”. I don’t have that key on my tablet so had to buy a USB keyboard and plug it in the otg device. Lol. I’m now going to switch looping back on till I get a disk. Apparently you might need a disk for the original instal, even if you upgraded! Also when you are doing the methods and fixing the loop make sure you have a good charge as you cant see the battery meter. I’ll update once I get my Windows 8 disk..thank you. PS. I might have caused this error by powering off as the tablet was already powering down…was it quietly upgrading? Overheating? I don’t know but that was the last thing I did..
What does this mean please?
IMPORTANT: Never convert a Basic disk that contains your operating system to a Dynamic disk, as it could make your system unbootable.
Does this mean a normal instal disk won’t do a repair like the old days with xp?
Being old school I went into bios to see what letters for drives were showing. The tablet bios only showed uefi or “windows boot manager”. Its a basic americanmegatrends bios. I’m stuck.
2.After completing each command successfully type exit.
That reads like you exit after each command. I think it might read better to say:2.complete each command, then type exit.
Or something like that?
Dear adityafarrad!!!
Your article is very useful to me, I am Vietnamese should speak English is not good, although to use google to translate your post to follow but very easy to understand and repair my machine. When my computer broke down I went to google search many sites only repair ways including microsoft help page, but absolutely no help to me at all. I see so many people do that without doing anything. Can I copy your posts to help them? Thank you very much. Good luck to you always come !!!
number 4 fixed it! cheers mate!
in tablet bios the boot order wouldnt select the usb stick with win8.1 on it so i had to go to the section called “boot override” and select the usb stick there.
Wow, thank you so so much! Method 8 did it for me.
Can’t open my laptop
Hi,
Im struggeling to start up my windows 10. When I type in bootrec.exe/fixboot it says access is denied.
What should I do? Any help?
Hi thanks for ur support when I was trying the first method the first two commands executed perfectly but commingled to the third it paid access is denied
Do not do this, i killed my omen 15 way better go to a service center and get fixed youll pay but you have assurance you pc get repaired not like this.
Hello,
I used Method 7 “Disable Automatic Startup Repair Loop”
And now my laptop doesn’t start and I can’t open command prompt to disable it
How can i fix it?
Thanks a ton for all the methods. However, I had to refresh my PC for it to come on.
Nouf, to get the startup loop back after you switch it off, hold down the windows key.
the dskck method worked thanks I needed you command prompt instructions to get to dskck from a rescue disk and the parameters to get dskck to fix it thanks again
Hello All,
Thank you for trying to help all of us dumb computer folks but I tried all 10 methods and NOTHING worked. I get the dreaded “your pc did not start correctly” and trust me, I went through the entire options of repairing. Couldn’t restart, repair, restore, reset, All Advanced options which brought me back to “your pc did not start correctly.” After a week of this, I will be calling Microsoft for a tech, even if I have to pay for the service. I thought Method 1. the bootrec /rebuild method would work. But, the last entry of bootrec.exe /fixboot – access was denied.
I do have the Sfcfix application on a USB to run a fix of the system but, and here’s my question to all of you experts: How do I run the application if the computer won’t boot?
After trying all 10 methods, I’m exhausted!!!!! Please help.
Thank you
Hello everybody,
I tried all of the methods and nothing worked to get the windows 10 to start correctly. Please tell me: What can I type at the command prompt to let me use a rescue USB that has the Sfcfix application on it? I have the application but if the system won’t boot, how can you use the application to get the computer up and running? Also, the computer won’t enable safe mode (tried f4 and f5) or any of the re-set 1-9 codes. I get the dreaded: boot critical file C:\windows\boot\resources\custom\bootres.dll is corrupt. and srt\srttrail.txt.
HELP
thanks much
Method 9 worked for me. Thanks
I am glad I was able to help 🙂
thank you for this article
log file e /windows/system32/logfiles/srt/srttrail.txt Windows 10
Problem
Please help me
Instructions are unclear
Threw my pc out the window
I found a way to save your files before doing a full reinstallation of windows. When all methods don’t work.
Go to Command Prompt.
Type your os drive C: then Enter
Then type cd then Enter
Then type cd then Enter
Then type notepad then Enter
Your notepad will open then on the File click Open.
On the Files of type: change it into All Files to be able to view all kinds of file types.
*When moving your files put it in a usb.
*You can’t open the file even if it is an image
Nothing works. Just says preparing automatic repair. Win10 disc, boot disc, remove batt/ac push start button for verious seconds, bios to dvd boot, new ssd for os, nothing changes. What next?
This page has helped me to repair my PC and keep all my apps and personal data.
Thank you ever so much!!!