Your Acer laptop keeps returning to Preparing Automatic Repair, and Windows never opens. Start with a power reset, then work through the recovery tools that repair startup or undo a recent change. Leave resetting Windows until you've tried the options that preserve your files and installed apps.
Start with a power reset
A power reset addresses power-controller freezes without erasing your data; it does not repair Windows files.
- 1.Hold the Power button for 10 seconds or until the laptop shuts down completely.
- 2.Unplug the charger and disconnect USB devices, external drives, monitors, docks, and SD cards.
- 3.With the charger disconnected, hold Power for at least 30 seconds.
- 4.Check the charger connections and outlet, then reconnect AC power. For a deeply discharged battery on the Aspire models covered by Acer's power troubleshooting instructions, charge for at least 30 minutes.
- 5.Turn the laptop on to check whether Windows starts.
Open Windows recovery if the loop continues
Acer's Alt+F10 shortcut opens recovery on Windows 11 and Windows 10 computers with working recovery facilities. Opening this menu does not reset Windows.
Hold Power for five seconds to shut down.
Turn the laptop on.
Press Alt+F10 together when the Acer logo appears.
At Choose an option, select Troubleshoot to access the repair tools below.
If recovery requests a BitLocker key, record the recovery-key ID displayed on the screen.
On another device, open Microsoft's recovery-key page.
Sign in to the Microsoft account associated with the laptop.
Find the saved entry matching the recovery-key ID.
Enter its 48-digit key on the Acer. A saved printout or USB text file is another place to find it. For a work or school laptop, contact your IT department if you don't have the key.
If Alt+F10 fails, use interrupted startup to trigger recovery. Use this procedure only to enter recovery, never during an active reset or Windows installation.
At the Acer or Windows logo, hold Power until the laptop shuts down.
Repeat that interrupted startup once.
Start the laptop a third time.
At Automatic Repair, select Advanced options.
If neither route opens recovery, use the Windows installation USB method below.
Give Startup Repair a manual attempt
Startup Repair fixes certain startup-file and boot-configuration problems, but cannot resolve every Windows failure or hardware fault.
From recovery, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
Select Restart.
Enter your BitLocker recovery key if requested.
Let the diagnosis finish before trying another repair.
For known widespread boot failures, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Quick machine recovery if that option is available. It requires Windows 11 version 24H2 build 26100.4700 or later.
Connect through Ethernet or supported password-based Wi-Fi so Windows can search Windows Update and apply an available fix.
Undo an update or restore an earlier configuration
If the loop began after an update or system change, reverse that change from recovery.
- 1.For a recent Windows update, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates > Uninstall latest quality update.
- 2.Complete the confirmation prompts. This option works only for an update that supports removal.
- 3.If removing the update does not help, or the problem followed another system change, open Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore. You need an existing usable restore point.
- 4.Choose a restore point from before the failure. Select Show more restore points for additional choices or Scan for affected programs to review affected software. System Restore reverses system changes without reverting personal files.
- 5.Select Next > Finish, then select Restart after restoration finishes.
Use Safe Mode to address a recent app or driver
Open Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
Select Restart.
Press 4 or F4 for Enable Safe Mode. This starts Windows with minimal components so you can investigate a recent driver or software change.
For a recently installed app on Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Open the app's menu.
Select Uninstall. Some uninstallers cannot run in Safe Mode.
For a driver that changed just before the failure, open Device Manager from the right-click menu on Start. Driver recovery requires administrator access.
Expand the relevant device category.
Open Properties from the affected device's right-click menu.
Select the Driver tab.
Select Roll Back Driver. This requires an available earlier driver.
Choose a reason for the rollback.
Select Yes.
Restart the laptop to check whether normal startup works.
Tip: Focus on the app or driver that changed just before the loop started.
Try a recovery USB or reset Windows when repairs fail
If built-in recovery won't open, Windows installation media provides another route to the repair tools. Create it on a working computer using a USB whose contents you can erase.
The media must match your Acer's architecture. Microsoft's Windows 11 Media Creation Tool creates x64 media for compatible Intel or AMD laptops. Arm-based Acer laptops require Arm64 media.
For an x64 Acer, open Microsoft's Windows 11 download page on a working PC.
Select Download Now under Create Windows 11 Installation Media.
Run the downloaded tool to create the installation USB. This erases the USB's contents.
For an Arm-based Acer, use Microsoft's Windows 11 Arm64 download page and follow its media instructions instead.
Connect the installation USB to the Acer.
Turn on the laptop.
Press F2 at the Acer logo to open firmware settings.
On notebooks that offer the boot-device menu, select Main > F12 Boot Menu > Enabled.
Press Enter to confirm.
Press F10 to save.
Press Enter to confirm.
During the next startup, press F12.
Select the recovery USB. Some Acer models lack this menu; use your exact model's manual for its boot procedure.
In Windows Setup, choose your language and other preferences.
Select Next.
Select Repair my PC to enter recovery. Some installation media labels this option Repair your computer instead.
Try the repair tools above from this recovery environment.
If those repairs fail, Keep my files reinstalls Windows while retaining personal files. It removes applications and settings.
Back up important files before starting a reset. If you cannot access files you need to preserve, get help recovering them before proceeding.
From recovery, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Keep my files.
Choose Cloud Download or Local Reinstall. Cloud download requires internet access and is useful when local installation files are damaged.
Connect AC power before starting.
Select Reset.
Let the reset finish without interruption, including during prolonged black screens. The separate Remove everything option deletes personal files, applications, and settings.
If resetting fails, recovery cannot run reliably, or storage or memory diagnostics report faults, open Acer Support and select Repair My Acer to request a hardware assessment. Windows recovery tools cannot repair physically failing storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can reach the sign-in screen?
Hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart to enter Windows recovery. You don't need to reach the desktop.
How do I see the error if my Acer keeps restarting?
In recovery, open Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings. Select Restart. Press 9 or F9 for Disable automatic restart on system failure. This prevents Windows from automatically restarting when an error causes it to fail; if a stop code appears, record it. It exposes the error; it does not repair its cause.
Should I disable Automatic Repair to stop the loop?
Disabling automatic recovery only bypasses recovery. It does not repair corruption. That setting is an advanced diagnostic workaround, not a general fix for a laptop that won't boot.
Can I repair Windows while keeping my apps too?
Yes, once you have a working desktop. On eligible Windows 11 installations, open Settings > System > Recovery. Under Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. Choose your restart preference, then select OK. Restart after installation finishes. This preserves apps, files, and settings and requires internet access. It requires the Windows 11 2022 annual update with the February 2024 optional update or later, and is unavailable on some devices whose updates are managed by an organization.
