Solving the "Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC" issue in Windows 10/8/7/Vista

On this page, we have gathered for you six solutions, in a step-by-step tutorial guide, to help you fix the 'Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC' error on Windows 10/8/7.

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"Automatic Repair could not repair your computer."

"Startup Repair" is a built-in Windows tool that checks for and replaces missing or damaged system files on your computer. You're supposed to use it when your computer won't start up properly, but many users have encountered the issue where the tool fails, displaying the message "Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically." This is an error message seen in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. The corresponding error in Windows 10 is "Automatic Repair couldn't fix your PC."

Figure 1: "Startup Repair cannot repair your computer" error

If you're running Windows 7/Vista and click “View problem details,” you'll see something like this (on other operating systems, the Problem Signature may vary).

Issue Event Name: StartupRepairOffline Problem Signature 01: 6.1.7600.16385 Problem Signature 02: 6.1.7600.16385 Problem Signature 03: Unknown Problem Signature 04: 21200442 Problem Signature 05: AutoFailover Problem Signature 06: 65 Problem Signature 07: CorruptFile Operating System Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1 Locale ID: 1033

So why didn't the fix work? Often, when you get an error message like this, it means that something is wrong with the software that runs the site.

• You have a problematic device connected to your computer
• Your system disk has a corrupted file system
• The MBR (Master Boot Record) of your hard drive is damaged
• There could be issues like virus attacks, disk write errors, or power failures

Read more: How to Fix 'Your PC Did Not Start Correctly' | 8 Ways.

6 Ways to Fix "Automatic Repair Couldn't Repair Your PC" in Windows 10/8/7

If you can't identify the reason for the failed Windows Boot Repair, try some simple fixes first, and then use some Windows 10 Boot Repair tools.

Method 1: Disconnect peripheral devices

According to Microsoft, if you recently connected a device – such as a camera or a portable music player – to your computer, try disconnecting it and restarting your PC. Sometimes a connected device can prevent Windows from fixing your machine automatically.

If that doesn't work, don't be discouraged; there are many other approaches to try.

Method 2: Run Bootrec.exe

Bootrec, also known as Bootrec.exe, is a utility provided by Microsoft within the Windows Recovery Environment. Bootrec.exe helps repair the Master Boot Record (MBR), boot sectors, Boot Configuration Data (BCD), and boot.ini. If the issue is caused by a damaged MBR or BCD, the solution is to use Bootrec to fix the MBR or BCD entries. By the way, this method requires the use of a Windows Recovery Disk. Since you'll be using it during a startup repair, you can run Bootrec.exe following these steps: 1. Insert your Windows Recovery Disk or USB and restart your computer. 2. Enter your computer's BIOS or UEFI settings by pressing the appropriate key during startup (usually F2, F10, F12, or Delete, depending on your system). 3. Set the boot order to prioritize from the CD/DVD drive or USB port and save the changes. 4. Exit the BIOS or UEFI, and your computer should boot from the recovery media. 5. Choose your language preferences and proceed to the "Windows Setup" screen. 6. Click on "Troubleshoot" and then "Advanced options." 7. Select "Command Prompt." 8. Once the Command Prompt window opens, type the following commands, one at a time, pressing Enter after each: - `bootrec /fixmbr` - This command repairs the Master Boot Record. - `bootrec /fixboot` - This command writes a new boot sector to the system partition. - `bootrec /rebuildbcd` - This command scans for all installed operating systems and attempts to add them to the BCD store. If the `/rebuildbcd` command finds an operating system, respond with 'Y' when prompted to add it. 9. After executing these commands, restart your computer and remove the recovery media. 10. Your computer should now attempt to boot normally. If the issue persists, you might need to consider other troubleshooting methods or seek professional assistance. Remember that these steps may vary slightly depending on your specific computer model and version of Windows.

In Windows 7:

Step 1: Restart your computer and press “F8” when you see the Windows logo.

Step 2: In the Advanced Startup options, choose Repair your computer.

Step 3: In the System Recovery Options, choose Command Prompt.

Step 4. Enter the following commands in order:

Repair the MBR (Master Boot Record)
Repair the boot sector

If the bootrec command fails, don't panic; you can follow this guide: Bootrec /Fixboot Access Is Denied: Solutions List.

Method 3: Run CHKDSK

As mentioned above, bad sectors on the hard drive and file system errors can cause the “Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC” issue. Running CHKDSK checks and repairs disk errors, including bad sectors and file system errors.

Step 1: Restart your computer and press the "F8" key immediately as you see the Windows logo.

Step Two: In the Advanced Boot Options, choose “Repair Your Computer.”

Step 3: In the System Recovery Options, choose Command Prompt.

Step 4: Type the following command: chkdsk C: /f /r

"C" is the drive letter of your Windows installation drive.

Method 4: Run the Windows System File Checker

The Windows System File Checker tool can scan for and repair missing or corrupted system files on your computer, and you don't need the Windows installation disc to use it. You just need to boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

Step 1: Restart your computer. As it boots up, tap "F8" once per second until you see the Windows logo.

Step Two: You'll then see the “Advanced Boot Options” menu. Below it, select “Safe Mode with Command Prompt.”

Step 3: At the command prompt, type the following command: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=d:\ /offwindir=d:\windows

Step Four: Restart your computer.

Read more: There is a system repair pending - SFC scannow

Method 5: Perform a System Restore

If you created a System Restore Point on your Windows 10/8/7 computer as a system backup, you can totally revert it back to its original or previous state. System Restore is a feature in Microsoft Windows that allows users to roll back the state (including system files, installed applications, Windows Registry, and system settings) of a computer to an earlier point in time. Thus, it can be used to recover from system failures or other issues.

Step 1: Recover Essential Data from the Unbootable Computer

When you receive the "Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC" or "Automatic Repair couldn't fix your PC" error on your Windows computer, don't rush to perform System Restore. System Restore will revert your computer to an earlier state, called a restore point. Restore points are created automatically when you install new apps, drivers, or Windows updates, and you can also create them manually. A system restore won't affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates installed after the restore point was created. That's why we highly recommend trying powerful data recovery software – the Data Recovery Wizard with Bootable Media – to retrieve your data from the unbootable computer first:

Caution: This will require a second, healthy computer to provide assistance.

Step 2: Perform a system restore

If you have System Restore enabled on your computer and created a System Restore point, you can fix the “Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC” issue in Windows 10/8/7/Vista by performing a System Restore:

For Windows 10/8/8.1 users:

Step 1: Restart your Windows 10/8 PC to Advanced Boot and click on Troubleshoot.

Step 2: Select “Advanced options” and then choose “System Restore.”

Select System Restore to fix the error that Boot Repair failed to repair your computer.

Step 3: Click “Manage another account” and enter the password, then click “Continue.”

Step 4: Select the System Restore point you created earlier, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

For Windows 7/Vista users:

Step 1: Insert the Windows installation CD or DVD.

Step 2: When you see the Press any key to boot from CD or DVD message, press any key to start from the CD or DVD.

Step 3: Choose your language, time and date, currency, and keyboard or input method, then click Next.

Step 4: Click Repair Your Computer.

Step 5: Select your Windows installation drive, usually C:\, and click “Next.”

Step 6: In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click System Restore.

Step 7: Follow the System Restore Wizard's prompts to choose an appropriate restore point.

Step 8: Click “Finish” to restore your system.

Finally, restart your computer and copy back the recovered data to your PC. You should be up and running with both your machine and your data.

Method 6: Repair Boot Errors Without a System Backup

If you don't have a System Restore point, fixing the “Startup Repair can't repair your PC” error is more complicated. You could:

Step 1: Fix the Problem Computer

You can use the Bootable Media Recovery Wizard tool to salvage your data as per the above-detailed guide. It lets you retrieve all your data when your Windows 10/8/7/Vista computer fails to boot.

Step 2: Clean Install/Reinstall the Windows Operating System

If you don't have any restore points, your best bet is to perform a clean install of Windows 10/8/7. You can seek online assistance directly from Microsoft (recommended for Windows 7/Vista users) or follow our guide on how to do a clean install of Windows 10.

How to Stop the "Startup Repair Cannot Repair This Computer Automatically" Error

Bringing your computer back to life and saving all your precious data does not mean that your computer and data are now safe. Virus attacks, system failures, crashes, data loss, and all sorts of unknown problems can still happen. How do you prevent these? Not easily! Is it possible to protect your system and data safely from such disasters? Absolutely!

A powerful Windows system backup software - Todo Backup can help. It offers system backup, file backup, disk/partition backup, system clone, and more advanced features to help you comprehensively protect your computer from these issues. It will help you prevent and protect your computer from "Startup Repair Failed" errors or similar issues. Creating backups is always the best way to avoid complete data loss.

Ultimately

"Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC" is a relatively complex issue related to Windows, and while there are fixes for it, they might be difficult to implement since they aren't actions you regularly take on your device. If you're not comfortable trying them, you can have a professional manually fix the issue with your computer.