Automatic Repair Started on Boot?

Steve C · 24 Jun 2016

I updated to Windows 10 about 2 weeks ago. Today on starting the PC, the initial BIOS splash screen displayed a while longer than usual then Windows decided to enter an Automatic Repair. I had this happen about a year ago in Windows 8 so repeated what I did then - I just turned of the PC, switched off at the mains and restarted and all appears fine now. There are no errors running SFC /SCANNOW and the boot configuration looks OK (see enclosed file).

What might have been the problem and what should I check to ensure my PC is properly configured?
Attachment 86571

Slartybart · 24 Jun 2016

Any number of causes Steve.

I'd like to see your Disk Management

Download this zip file (contains dmDskmgr-vd.mmc)

dmDskmgr-vd.zip
Double click dmDskmgr-vd.zip to open the compressed folder
Double click dmDskmgr-vd.mmc to launch the custom Disk Management console
Press Alt+PrtScn to grab a snapshot of just the Disk Management window
Open Paint and Ctrl+V to paste it, then save the image
Attach the image to a new post

Also check your disk for errors

Command Prompt (Admin)

chkdsk C: /spotfix

If prompted to run at next start - answer Yes
If you are not prompted to run at next start, let Chkdsk finish (/spotfix runs fairly quick), then restart your machine.

Thanks

Steve C · 24 Jun 2016

I enclose the "Disk Map". There are several Recovery Partitions on Disk 0 since this was originally a Windows 8 installation updated to Windows 8.1 then Windows 10.
Attachment 86645

I also enclose the Mini Tool Partition Wizard "Disk Map" which has additional information.
Attachment 86652

I ran the normal chkdsk report before receiving your post which did find some errors and fixed them as shown in the enclosed report.

Attachment 86646

I've also just run the chkdsk C: /spotfix command which I haven't used before. This ran through a disk check when I restarted the PC but didn't report any errors and I can't find an entry in the Event Log for the scan so I presume this second scan was clear? I ran the normal chkdsk command again ( from Drive/Properties/Tools/Error Checking) and this is clear as shown by the enclosed report.

Attachment 86649

I hope this helps advising what caused the PC to start Automatic Repair - maybe it was that disk error? I also remember last night I turned the mains on/off switch to the PC on and off quickly since I turned it on by mistake and that may have affected the following power up in some way.

I had this problem a couple of times before in Windows 8. When I see Automatic Repair starting I just turn the power off, hold down the PC ON button for a while then power on the PC again and it usually works.

Slartybart · 24 Jun 2016

I don't think the filesystem error in the first chkdsk (ssd) log caused the Automatic repair - the file repaired by Chkdsk was not a system file.

More likely is this partial boot:
I also remember last night I turned the mains on/off switch to the PC on and off quickly since I turned it on by mistake and that may have affected the following power up in some way.

Windows 10 is fairly good at self healing - I've learned to let it do what it needs to do, take a look at the logs and event viewer to try adn figure out what happened, but often I just accept that Windows knows more about Windows than I do. If the symptom becomes chronic, then I dig deeper.

If your machine repeatedly goes into Automatic repair, then you might have reason to be concerned.

It shouldn't be necessary to run chkdsk on a SSD, but sometimes it does clean up a file system error. Chkdsk is more important on a HDD where physical bad spots develop.

Could you post one more screen shot - your machine has a GPT disk and I'd like to see what diskpart shows. I was helping another member and their disk schema looked a bit off. I don't have a machine with UEFI/GPT to compare against.

If you would ...

Command Prompt (Admin)

diskpart
lis dis
sel dis 0
lis par
lis vol
exit

Post a screen shot for me - thanks

Bill
.

Steve C · 25 Jun 2016

Here is the diskpart listing:
Attachment 86713

What is the definition of a 'partial boot' and how would this cause Automatic Repair to be started?

Slartybart · 25 Jun 2016

Steve C said:

What is the definition of a 'partial boot' and how would this cause Automatic Repair to be started?

Thanks for the diskpart screen shot - I can use it to compare with the other member's disk.

'partial boot' : I turned the mains on/off switch to the PC on and off quickly
Depending on where it was in the loading process, Windows might set a flag to check things on the next boot. It's normal in this case and generally a good thing.

topgun: Thanks, PW uses slightly different labeling. It's easier for me to compare two of the same output. Besides that, the other disk layout is not standard, by any means. I suggested a clean install with Win10 1607 (Anniversary) when it becomes available.

Par 1	450	MB	Recovery	(WinRE)
Par 2	100	MB	System	(EFI)
Par 3	16	MB	Reserved	(MSR)
Par 4	###	GB	Primary	(C: )

Steve C · 25 Jun 2016

"Besides that, the other disk layout is not standard, by any means. I suggested a clean install with Win10 1607 (Anniversary) when it becomes available."

Do you mean Disk 0 is non-standard due to those extra recovery partitions? These were installed by Windows 8 > 8.1 > 10 upgrades so they should be 'standard'.

I'm aware I can clean up at least one of these recovery partitions - see https://www.tenforums.com/installatio...0-upgrade.html

I'll wait until after the Anniversary Upgrade in case another recovery partition appears! I'm loath to do a clean install when the PC is working fine due to the sheer time & effort required.

My PC is booting fine now - may be it was that quick on/off power cycle which triggered something. However, that would only have provided +5V standby power to the motherboard since I never pressed the PC ON button to start it booting. How could this cause a flag to be set requiring Automatic Repair to be launched?

Slartybart · 25 Jun 2016

Steve,

I was referring to the other member's disk, not yours.

Sorry to add confusion in your thread.

You said you turned it on/off quickly, so that's all I had to go on ... I don't know how fast quickly is, or how far the boot process went, so I can't answer if it only powered the Mobo, finished POST, or began booting Windows.
I turned the mains on/off switch to the PC on and off quickly

Before your thread heads down different paths of discussion, run the machine as is until you make a decision on Win10 1607. I think we both agree on that, right?

Leave your thread unsolved and if the issue occurs again, update your thread with new information.

Bill
.

Steve C · 25 Jun 2016

Thanks - yes I don't plan changing anything until the 1607 upgrade. I switched the PC PSU on at the mains then off again in about 2 seconds. That would send a burst of +5V standby power to activate the motherboard. I didn't press the PC power on button to initiate a boot might this have set a 'flag' in the BIOS?

Slartybart · 25 Jun 2016

Understood ... and perhaps that was long enough to flag the boot as incomplete. It's nearly impossible to tell from here.

You'll have to see if it happens again without flipping the mains. Then investigate deeper.

If something happens once, or infrequently, on my machine, possibly caused by me, I wait for another occurrence before thinking Windows needs attention. But that's my approach ...

I can't think of anything else to add, others might offer some insights..

Bill
.