Quick answer: “Your PC did not start correctly” (or “Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC”) means Windows failed to start and opened its repair tools. Select Restart first; if the same screen comes back, select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. If that fails, use Uninstall Updates or System Restore from the same menu to undo the change that broke startup. Your files are not deleted by any of these steps.
Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10. The menus below are in the Windows Recovery Environment (the blue Choose an option screens), which look the same in both versions.
In this guide
What this screen means
When Windows fails to start several times in a row, it starts Automatic Repair instead. If the repair can’t find or fix the problem, you see a blue screen titled Automatic Repair with the message that your PC did not start correctly, plus two buttons: Restart and Advanced options. Many people describe it as “my PC couldn’t start properly”; older versions of Windows used similar wording.
Common causes are a power cut or forced shutdown while Windows was writing files, an update that didn’t finish, a new driver or piece of hardware, a damaged system file, or a problem with the drive. The message itself doesn’t say which, so work through the fixes in order; the early ones are quick and don’t change anything on your PC.
If the PC shows a stop code such as CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED before this screen, also see “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart”.
Fix 1: Restart once
Select Restart. If the failed start was a one-off, for example after a power cut, Windows usually starts normally on the next try. Unplug USB drives, memory cards and new devices before you restart, because Windows may be trying to start from one of them or getting stuck on its driver.
If you land on the same screen again, select Advanced options and continue below.
Fix 2: Run Startup Repair
- On the Automatic Repair screen, select Advanced options.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
- Choose your account and enter its password if asked, then let the repair run. It can take a while; don’t turn the PC off.
Startup Repair checks the files Windows needs to start and fixes what it can. If it reports that it couldn’t repair your PC, move on to the next fix.
BitLocker: if the PC asks for a BitLocker recovery key at any point, you’ll need it to continue. Our guide to finding a BitLocker recovery key shows where it’s usually saved.
Fix 3: Uninstall the latest update
If the problem started right after Windows installed an update, remove it:
- Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
- Choose Uninstall latest quality update first. These are the regular monthly updates.
- If the problem began after a bigger version upgrade, choose Uninstall latest feature update instead.
Restart and see whether Windows starts. You can install the update again later, after Microsoft has had time to fix any problem with it.
Fix 4: Start in Safe Mode
Safe Mode starts Windows with only the basic drivers, so it often works when a normal start doesn’t:
- Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and then Restart.
- When the list appears, press 4 or F4 for Enable Safe Mode, or 5 / F5 if you need the internet.
If Windows starts in Safe Mode, the cause is usually a driver or app that loads at startup. Uninstall anything you installed just before the problem started (Settings > Apps > Installed apps), roll back a recently updated driver in Device Manager, then restart normally. If the PC also struggles to start from a full shutdown, turning off Fast Startup can help.
Fix 5: Use System Restore
System Restore takes Windows back to an earlier restore point without touching your documents and photos. Apps and drivers installed after that point are removed.
- Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
- Choose your account, then pick a restore point from before the problem started.
- Select Next and Finish, and let it complete.
If it says there are no restore points, System Protection was turned off on this PC; skip to the next fix.
Fix 6: Check the disk and system files
Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt. In the recovery environment, the drive Windows is installed on doesn’t always have the letter C:, so check it first:
dir C:\WindowsIf that shows File Not Found, try dir D:\Windows, and so on, and use that letter in place of C: below. Then check the drive for errors and repair system files:
chkdsk C: /f
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\WindowsThese can take a long time on a big drive. If chkdsk reports many bad sectors, the drive itself may be failing; copy your files off it as soon as you can. Type exit and select Continue to try starting Windows again.
Fix 7: Reset this PC
If nothing else works, select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Reset this PC and choose Keep my files. Windows is reinstalled and your apps and settings are removed, but your personal files stay. Make sure you know your Microsoft account or local account password before you start.
If the recovery menus won’t open at all, or Reset fails, start the PC from a USB drive made with Windows installation media and choose Repair your computer to reach the same tools. A message that the recovery image can’t be found is covered in “Windows RE image was not found”.
Related guides
- Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart: how to fix it
- How to disable Fast Startup in Windows
- How to create Windows 10 installation media
- Windows RE image was not found: how to fix it
- How to find your BitLocker recovery key
Official sources: for more detail, see these Microsoft pages:
- Microsoft Support: Windows recovery environment
- Microsoft Support: Startup Repair
- Microsoft Support: How to uninstall a Windows Update
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my files if my PC did not start correctly?
No. The message doesn’t delete anything, and Restart, Startup Repair, Uninstall Updates, Safe Mode and System Restore all keep your personal files. Only Reset this PC with Remove everything deletes them.
Why does my PC keep going to Automatic Repair?
Something stops Windows from starting every time, so it keeps returning to the repair screen. Undo the last change (an update, driver or new device) with the fixes above; if nothing changed, check the drive with chkdsk.
How do I get to Advanced options if the screen doesn’t appear?
Turn the PC on, and as soon as Windows starts loading, hold the power button to turn it off. After two or three interrupted starts, Windows opens Automatic Repair. You can also start from Windows installation media and choose Repair your computer.
Is it safe to keep selecting Restart?
Yes, it does no harm, but if the screen comes back twice in a row, restarting again won’t fix it. Use Advanced options instead.
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