A black screen, a spinning dots loop, or an endless "Preparing Automatic Repair" message means you cannot reach the one place that fixes a broken Windows 11 install: the Advanced startup menu, also called the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). The repair tools you need are sitting right there on your drive, behind a menu you cannot open because Windows will not finish loading. The good news is there are several reliable ways into WinRE, and once inside, a clear order of repairs gets most machines booting again.
This guide covers every official door into Advanced startup, from the quick Settings shortcut to the three-interrupted-starts trick for a PC that will not boot, then the WinRE repair tools in Microsoft's recommended order. The steps apply to Windows 11 and largely to Windows 10, with the Windows 10 path noted where it differs.
The Quickest Way In When Windows Still Loads
If your PC reaches the desktop or sign-in screen even briefly, you do not need any tricks. Go to Settings > System > Recovery and, next to Advanced startup, select Restart now. The PC reboots into the blue "Choose an option" screen, which is WinRE.
On Windows 10 the path is slightly different: Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, then Restart now under Advanced startup. Either version drops you into the same recovery menu.
There is an even faster shortcut. From the Start menu or the sign-in screen, press and hold the Shift key while you select Power > Restart. Holding Shift through the restart jumps you straight into Advanced startup without touching the Settings app.
Forcing WinRE on a PC That Will Not Boot
When Windows refuses to load entirely, you can force the recovery menu open by deliberately interrupting startup. This is the single most useful trick for a machine stuck before sign-in.
- 1.Turn on the PC.
- 2.As soon as you see the Windows logo, press and hold the power button until the device shuts off (do this before Windows finishes loading).
- 3.Turn it on again and repeat the forced shutdown at the logo.
- 4.On the third start, let it run. Windows detects the repeated startup failures and boots into Automatic Repair, the Recovery Environment, instead of into Windows.
- 5.From the Automatic Repair screen, select Advanced options to open the "Choose an option" (WinRE) menu.
This works because the Windows loader sets a boot-status flag at each start and clears it only after a successful boot. When it sees a flag that was never cleared, it treats the previous attempts as failed and launches WinRE. The procedure applies to both Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Other Doors In: Recovery Drive, Repair Disc, or Install Media
Sometimes WinRE itself is damaged. A corrupt master boot record, a missing boot manager, or a broken Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store can stop the on-disk recovery environment from starting, so the three-restarts trick never reaches it. In that case you boot recovery from external media instead.
Microsoft documents several options. Boot from a USB recovery drive you created earlier on a working PC; boot from a CD or DVD Windows Repair Disc; or use the Media Creation Tool to build bootable installation media and choose Repair your computer on the setup screen rather than installing. Some devices also ship with a dedicated recovery button or button combination set by the manufacturer, so check your hardware maker's own instructions for that.
Any of these routes lands you in the same "Choose an option" menu, so the repair steps below are identical no matter how you got there.
Start With Startup Repair
Once you are in WinRE, the first thing to try is the automated repair. From the "Choose an option" screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair, then let it restart.
Startup Repair automatically fixes many of the problems that commonly stop Windows from loading, including missing or damaged system files, multiple failed boot attempts, and disk errors. It runs on its own and reports whether it found and fixed anything.
One caution: if your device is encrypted with BitLocker, you may be asked for your recovery key before the repair can continue. Have that key handy before you start.
Boot Into Safe Mode From Startup Settings
If Startup Repair does not fix the problem, Safe Mode starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers so you can undo whatever is breaking a normal boot. From WinRE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
After the reboot, the Startup Settings list appears. Press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode (a basic state with a limited set of files and drivers), 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking (which adds the network drivers and services you need for internet access), or 6 or F6 for Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
The same screen offers other toggles: enable debugging (1 or F1), enable boot logging (2 or F2), enable low-resolution video (3 or F3), disable driver signature enforcement (7 or F7), disable early launch anti-malware protection (8 or F8), and disable automatic restart after failure (9 or F9). That last one is handy when a stop error keeps rebooting too fast to read.
Undo a Bad Update Without Loading Windows
If the trouble started right after a Windows update installed, you can remove it from inside WinRE without booting into Windows. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates, then choose Uninstall latest quality update. The screen may also offer an option for the latest feature update.
This pulls the most recent update so you can get back into Windows. Microsoft notes one caveat: understand the risk before removing a security update, since doing so can leave the machine exposed until you reinstall a fixed version.
Roll Back Changes With System Restore and Related Tools
WinRE also includes System Restore, reachable through Troubleshoot > Advanced options. It returns Windows to an earlier restore point, undoing recent system changes such as a driver or program that destabilized the machine, without touching your personal files.
The same area lists System Image Recovery, which restores a complete system image from an external drive, and Reset this PC. Reset reinstalls Windows, so treat it as a later resort and only after you have backed up anything you can reach.
Repair Corrupted System Files: DISM First, Then SFC
If Windows boots but behaves badly, or you have reached a Command Prompt, you can repair damaged system files directly. Open Command Prompt from WinRE (Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt) or, in a working session, by typing cmd in Search, right-clicking Command Prompt, and selecting Run as administrator.
Microsoft's recommended order is DISM first, then SFC. Run this command to repair the component store using Windows Update as the source:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
If you have a known-good source and want to block Windows Update from being used, the optional form is Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows /LimitAccess, where the source path points to your own known-good image.
Then run System File Checker, which scans all protected system files and replaces corrupted ones with a cached copy:
sfc /scannow
Do not close the window until verification reaches 100 percent. Both commands work on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Check the Drive for Errors With chkdsk
If you suspect a failing or error-ridden drive, run Check Disk from an elevated Command Prompt. To fix file-system errors, use chkdsk d: /f and replace d: with your target drive letter; the /f switch requires the drive to be locked.
For a deeper pass, add /r to also locate bad sectors and recover readable information (/r includes /f), or use /x to force the volume to dismount first if necessary (/x also includes /f). If the drive cannot be locked because it is in use, chkdsk offers to run on the next restart instead. An exit code of 0 means no errors were found, while 1 means errors were found and fixed.
Rebuild the Boot Records With Bootrec.exe
When Startup Repair cannot fix the boot configuration, you can rebuild the boot records by hand from the WinRE Command Prompt. Type Bootrec.exe and press Enter to list the options. Microsoft documents Bootrec on a page scoped to Windows Vista and Windows 7; the commands still run in the modern WinRE Command Prompt, and the option syntax below is what Microsoft documents.
The documented options are: Bootrec /FixMbr writes a compatible MBR to the system partition without overwriting the existing partition table; Bootrec /FixBoot writes a new boot sector to the system partition; Bootrec /ScanOs scans all disks for compatible Windows installations and shows entries not currently in the BCD store; and Bootrec /RebuildBcd scans for installations and lets you add them to the BCD store.
If Bootrec /RebuildBcd does not help, Microsoft documents exporting the BCD store, renaming the old one, and rebuilding it. The export in step one is your safeguard: it backs up the current BCD before you change anything, so you can restore it if needed. Run these commands in order:
- 1.
bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup - 2.
c: - 3.
cd boot - 4.
attrib bcd -s -h -r - 5.
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old - 6.
Bootrec /RebuildBcd
Reserve this advanced step for cases where the boot files are clearly damaged and the automated tools have already failed.
Let Windows 11 Try Quick Machine Recovery
Windows 11 adds a cloud-based safety net called Quick Machine Recovery (QMR), designed to start automatically when a device hits repeated startup failures. It applies remediations that Microsoft delivers through Windows Update from within WinRE.
When it triggers, the PC enters WinRE, connects to the internet, and applies the available remediations. If no fix is available, it falls back to the normal recovery options described above. QMR is a Windows 11 feature, so older versions rely on the manual tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open Advanced startup if Windows will not boot at all?
Use the three-interrupted-starts method. Turn the PC on, and when the Windows logo appears, hold the power button until it shuts off; repeat, and on the third start Windows boots into Automatic Repair. From there, select Advanced options to reach the WinRE menu.
What should I try first once I am inside WinRE?
Run Startup Repair via Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. It automatically scans for and fixes many common boot-blocking issues, including missing or damaged system files, failed boot attempts, and disk errors.
Do I need to download a separate repair tool?
No. Startup Repair, Safe Mode, Uninstall Updates, System Restore, Command Prompt, and the command-line tools sfc, DISM, chkdsk, and Bootrec.exe are all built into Windows and WinRE. The only external item you might need is recovery media (a USB recovery drive, a repair disc, or install media) if the on-disk WinRE is itself damaged.
Will I lose my files using these recovery steps?
Startup Repair, Safe Mode, Uninstall Updates, System Restore, and the sfc, DISM, chkdsk, and Bootrec commands are repair tools, not erasers. The heavier options to watch are System Image Recovery and Reset this PC, so back up anything you can reach before choosing those.
Why do I get asked for a BitLocker recovery key during repair?
If your drive is encrypted with BitLocker, WinRE may need your recovery key to unlock the volume before Startup Repair and similar tools can continue. Locate that key in advance so a repair attempt is not stopped partway through.
