You might not yet have experienced this issue but if you’re a heavy or careless Laptop / Desktop PC user then brace yourself. Its one of those warning shots / suicide notes which your PC uses to try inform you that something major might be around the corner, and you’re not helping matters. You would usually get this error message upon boot.
What could cause the Preparing Automatic Repair error?
The most common causes of this error message are:
- Crashed / fried Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- Crashed Operating System (OS)
- Corrupted OS file(s)
- Faulty / incompatible driver(s)
- Peripheral hardware errors
- Rogue processes
- Virus / Malware
I always get “Automatic Repair could not be completed or failed” with a Blue Screen, why?
You would get this in most cases, even if you attempt using a Windows CD/DVD/USB. This scenario mostly points at either a corrupted / missing OS file or a faulty Hard Disk. The blue screen is synonymous with the https://www.hovatek.com/blog/the-blue-screen-of-death-bsod/ .
How can I fix the Preparing Automatic Repair error?
When faced with such, consider the following approaches:
- Force-shutdown the PC > Boot into Safe Mode > Reboot normally
- Do a System Restore in Safe Mode (See https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-do-a-system-restore-on-a-pc/ )
- Run a Hard Disk check in BIOS
- Loosen the Hard Disk and ensure its well seated and in good condition (see https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-546.html )
- Re-install the Windows Operating System (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-install-windows-7-with-and-without-the-operating-system-cd-dvd/ OR https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-install-windows-8-with-and-without-the-operating-system-cd-dvd/ )
- Disconnect all peripheral devices
What precautions can I take to prevent a re-occurrence?
- Scan the PC for any Virus / Malware
- Uninstall any Application that keeps crashing or giving errors
- Run the SFC /SCANNOW command in command prompt (as Administrator) to detect and fix corrupted OS files.
- Disconnect any troublesome peripheral device(s) for some time
- Protect the PC from overheating (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-resolve-the-problem-of-an-overheating-laptop-pc/ )
Hovatek….just a button away!