Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery

How to Recover from an Infinitely Looping Startup Repair Loop without Reinstalling Windows​

If you've ever experienced a Startup Repair that continously loops and fails to fix the problem of not being able to load windows, even in safe mode, then you'll know that usually the only way to recover from this when System Restore does not work is to do a clean install of Windows.

Until now.

This tutorial will show you how to use the System Recovery Options provided by Windows to recover your system to a working state so that you don't have to risk losing data by performing a clean install.

   Warning

The instructions presented withing this tutorial must be followed correctly, or you can damage your Windows 7 installation even further. This tutorial is designed to help recover from a bad registry that is causing the startup repair loop. You should note that there may still be some issues remaining that cannot be fixed by manually restoring the registry.

Recovering Your System

1. Boot to the System Recovery Options screen.
   • If Windows automatically opens Startup Repair, and subsequently fails to fix a problem, you can skip ahead to step 4 below.
2. In the System Recovery Options screen, click Startup Repair:
   
   
   
   
3. Windows will search for an attempt to repair startup problems:
   
   
   
   
4. If startup problems could not be repaired, you will receive the message Windows cannot repair this computer automatically. Click View advanced options for system recovery and support:
   
   
   
   
5. Click View advanced options for system recovery and support, which which bring you back to the main System Recovery Options screen.
6. Click Command Prompt:
   
   
   
   
7. Command Prompt should open to X:, which is an internal ram disk use by System Repair:
   
   
   
   
8. Now you need to find your system drive. Depending on how your system is setup, this could be either C: or D:.
   • Type C: and press <ENTER>.
   • Verify that this is your system drive by typing DIR and pressing <ENTER>. If you see the Program Files, Users and Windows folders, then you have found your system drive, and can continue to step 9 below.
   • If the drive is not your system drive, repeat steps I and II above, changing the drive letter to D, E or some other letter until the system drive is located.
     
     
     
9. When you have located your Windows system drive, type CD \windows\system32\config and press <ENTER>:
10. Type DIR and press <ENTER>, and verify that the following files and folders exist in the config folder:
    • RegBack (which is a folder)
    • DEFAULT
    • SAM
    • SECURITY
    • SOFTWARE
    • SYSTEM
      
      
      
11. Type MD mybackup and press <ENTER> to create a backup folder that you can use incase this procedure does not work as expected.
12. Type copy *.* mybackup and press <ENTER>.
    • If you are prompted to overwrite existing files, press A to allow all backups to be overwritten.
      
      
      
13. Now you need to check if you can use the automatic Windows backups to restore your registry:
    • Type CD RegBack and press <ENTER> to go to the RegBack folder.
    • Type DIR and press <ENTER> to view the contents of the folder. All the following files must exist:
      • The DEFAULT, SAM and SECURITY files should each be about 262,000 bytes in size.
      • The SOFTWARE file should be about 26,000,000 bytes.
      • The SYSTEM file should be about 9,900,000 bytes.
      • The file sizes presented here are approximate estimations, and may vary depending on your system. If any one of them are 0 bytes, then you should stop what you're doing now and seek an alternative method of recovering your system, because Windows cannot function with a 0-byte size registry hive.
    • If the hive files listed in RegBack are ok, then proceed to step 14 of the tutorial.
      
      
      
      
14. Type copy *.* .. and press <ENTER> to copy the backup hive files to \Windows\System32\config.
    • If you are prompted to overwrite existing files, press A to allow all file to be overwritten.
      
      
      
15. Type exit and press <ENTER> to close the command prompt.
    
    
    
    
16. Click the Restart button to reboot your computer. If all goes well, your system will boot normally.
    
    
    
    
    

Reference Information
This tutorial was made possible after learning how to manualy replace the Windows 7 Registry Hives after reading the Recovering Windows 7 Registry Hives/Files article on Microsoft Technet.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable Automatic Repair in Windows 10
• Advanced Boot Options
• System Recovery Options
• System Repair Disc Create
• How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7
• Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times to Repair Boot Issues

 

[el7]

It doesn't work

Hi guys,

Thanks for this helpful post but while trying to follow the instruction I ran into another problem.

When I try to access the drive where the windows is installed (first shows as 0MB when you have to choose from repair) it says '' the request could not be performed because of an I/O device'' I cant do anything after that.

I pulled the HDD out and tried to access thru a USB from another PC. Two folders showed up, one says temp and has some log files the other the main one where windows is installed says "this disk is not formatted do you want to format it now.
Oh BTW I tried to restore a backup too and it didn't work either.
​

 

[el7]

Continuation...

Sorry I forgot to mention:

Repair your computer command shows up but after that there is no recovery options screen. In order to get that I made a usb drive with an windows bootable repair iso. Booting from the usb was the only way I could do the steps I said above and see the options screen. Please help.

 

[Shad0wFa1c0n]

This Didn't Work
Any Ideas On What I Should Do Now?

 

[Graygem]

Thank you

Here's an easy fix I found!

Go through all the steps listed until you get to the command prompt. Once you do type in the following.

bootrec /fixmbr

press enter then type

bootrec /fixboot

press enter and then restart your computer! So far it's been a week without any more Startup repair loops!




Glen

First of all I'm new here and don't usually post like this but it had to be said. I even registered just to say this thank you.
Thank you to both Dzomlija for the great tutorial and Glenh2nd for the end fix that worked for me. Thanks. I appreciate it a lot.

 

[Potterdb]

Help

My computer likes to go into a startup repair loop quite often. This tutorial came in handy a couple of times but my computer has now gone into another startup repair infinet loop and unfortunatly this tutorial does'nt work

Plz help

 

[fireguy]

I had this problem: StartUpRepairOffline too, and the tutorial worked!
I'm glad my computer is working now!

 

[Maestro96]

I hv similar kinda problem dat is due to sudden power cut my pc wass directly switched off. Nd when i switched it on loop of startup repair goes on unable to load windows but here the main problem is even the advanced boot options cant be loaded. It directly starts up repair before i could open advanced boot menu nd use repair my computer

 

[Brink]

Hello Maestro,

You might see if you may be able to boot to your Windows 7 installation DVD or a System Repair Disc instead to see if you are able to go to the System Recovery Options screen with.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[imkhat]

Can't get past step 4....

HI, and thank you for posting a solution that helped many others. I am hoping it will help me also.

I, too, am stuck in this endless loop. I have followed the listed directions, and get as far as step 4, with the exception of the dialogue box. This has been as far as I get with any other solutions, including the standard start-up repair on initial boot. I get as far as the desktop screen, with no user log-on option, nor any dialogue box for a next step. I have even left the laptop alone overnight and all day on this screen to see if it is just a long process, with no luck.

I would really like to find a solution and maintain my data. In fact, the day this happened I had just purchased a new external HD, as my old one failed with all my back ups on it, and I was all set to make new.

If anyone has a suggestion, I would be grateful.

Thank you!

 

[Royi7]

enterign copy comamnd

Is there a certain format the copy command has to be for:


18. Type copy *.* .. and press <ENTER> to copy the backup hive files to \Windows\System32\config.

If you are prompted to overwrite existing files, press A to allow all file to be overwritten.

 

[SURFERON]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

YOU ARE A GOD OF ALL COMPUTER GODS. I SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW ON HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM UNTIL I CAME ACROSS YOURS. IT WORKED PERFECTLY STEP BY STEP AND YOUR INSTRUCTIONS ARE THE BEST. IT'S NICE TO SEE SOMEONE WHO TAKES THE TIME TO DO THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME INSTEAD OF DOING IT HALF AZZED AND THEN HAVE TO DO IT OVER. THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. YOU SAVED MY PC AND ALL MY KIDS PICTURES. FIRST PRIORITY. DO A BACK UP OF ALL FILES AFTER THIS MESSAGE. THANK YOU.

CHEERS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

 

[Dave76]

Glad to hear it worked for you.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[Parga]

Do you reccomend a guide to do when the files at step 17 have ZERO bytes? Tried MANY methods but none have worked.

ALSO, now the COMMAND PROMPT option does not show up!

 

[Brink]

Hello Parga, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If doing a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before this started doesn't help, then you may be looking at having to reinstall Windows 7.

 

[darrowo]

Thanks

I just used this fix and it worked great and my system is up and runningnow. on the phone with tech support at Norton and Toshiba today and they were no help at all Thanks Again
Don

 

[Dave76]

Welcome to Seven Forums darrowo.

Glad to hear Dzomlija's tutorial helped you get your system running again.

Let us know if you have any other issues or questions.

 

[kallan187]

Hi i have tried every option listed and am still unable to get out of the repair loop, I am not really that good with computers and would appreciate some help with my problem.

Nothing seems to work have also tried every restore point available


any ideas???????

 

[llckll]

Hi All,

I was able to follow the instructions but it's still in a loop. I also tried the fix /bootrec method and it's not working as well.

Some says to try booting in Safe mode but when I press F8 nothing happens.

Any ideas?

 

[Parga]

Hello Parga, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If doing a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before this started doesn't help, then you may be looking at having to reinstall Windows 7.

Hi Brink thankyou for the fast reply, Is there a guide to reinstalling windows? I have no problem seeing as i have my needy files on my USB, also the disc that it came with is labeled "Utilities & Drivers" so i do not know if that helps, i dont think so.

 

[Brink]

Parga,

It sounds like you have a OEM (store bought) computer. What brand is it, and is it a notebook/laptop or desktop?