I got an endless loop of automatic repair after a power trip

Long story short, it was storming and the power trip, luckily nothing got fried but the OS seems to have been corrupted from an improper shutdown.

This was on ​Windows 10 1809

What's happening:

• Bios splash screen loop (probably from trying to load up the os, which then disappeared)
• Automatic Repair loop

I've tried the following but it keeps coming back to the repair screen

• Normally continuing to Windows 10 startup
• Booting into safe mode (with networking, with elevated cmd prompt)
• Restoring a previous restore point (most recent May 16th, failed too)
• Restoring to a previous version of Windows (failed)
• Resetting the PC (both keeping files & without files)

So far all of these options that I've tried have failed and instead brought me back to the repair options
I'm already downloading a linux USB installer to grab my files and a fresh Windows 10 installer to start again but I was very much hoping to save it to not go through a fresh install

Any recommendations will be highly appreciated, thanks!

You can backup files using Ubuntu/Linux or Kyhi boot rescue (uses Windows enterprise).

Kyhi has options to copy and paste users folders or make images.

With Ubuntu and Kyhi you can test the drive: (free or trial versions)
HD Tune
HD Sentinel
Sea Tools for Windows

It may be possible to perform a reset save files equivalent with a Windows 10 iso.
This requires the re-installation of drivers and applications.

Another option is to perform troubleshooting steps with the Windows 10 iso
(repair boot, fix operating system, etc.)

Does this mean there might be no chance to restore the OS to what is was previously and instead having to go through a reinstall?

zbook said:

You can backup files using Ubuntu/Linux or Kyhi boot rescue (uses Windows enterprise).
Gotcha, I'm checking Kyhi out now.
Kyhi has options to copy and paste users folders or make images.

With Ubuntu and Kyhi you can test the drive: (free or trial versions)
HD Tune
HD Sentinel
Sea Tools for Windows

It may be possible to perform a reset save files equivalent with a Windows 10 iso.
This requires the re-installation of drivers and applications.

Another option is to perform troubleshooting steps with the Windows 10 iso
(repair boot, fix operating system, etc.)

The windows operating system can be tested and fixed using Windows RE.
If there are problems in the registry they cannot be fixed until a bug in Windows is fixed.
If there are problems with the boot sector it may be able to be fixed using Windows RE.
If there are problems related to windows updates they may be able to be fixed using Windows RE.


These are options:

1) troubleshoot using a windows 10 iso
2) Use macrium boot rescue

3) If the above fail then the files can be saved by:
Ubuntu > copy and paste
Kyhi > copy and paste and images
reset save files equialent

Thanks, I'll try the first 2 out then resort to the last one if all else fails, will report back

These are some links:

Download Windows 10 ISO File
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk
Create a bootable USB stick on Windows | Ubuntu tutorials

Run SFC Command in Windows 10
Windows 10 Won't Boot? Fix it with Startup Repair and BootRec Commands
Custom Install Windows 10

I once had a power outage which corrupted the BIOS. You could try re-flashing the BIOS then load the BIOS defaults.

You could also try using a Macrium boot disk to fix boot problems - Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues

Did you have a system backup to recover from? If not, it seems you might a clean install.

You can work your butt off trying to fix it ... or just reinstall much faster.

Okay this has been resolved now, I booted into a linux first to back-up some files onto a external hdd but when I restarted the PC it booted normally afterwards. I suspect booting into linux from a flash drive got it unstuck from the loop, what could have happened?