Get the fix for the endless recovery console loop for Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.
This error prevents you from accessing anything on your computer and presents an endless loop of loading Recovery Console without end.
Contents
About “Recovery console in endless loop”
The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.
Symptom 1: Computer attempts to enter Recovery Console continuously
Each time the PC is booted, the option known as “Repair Your Computer” from the Advanced Boot Options menu is always automatically selected and the PC will attempt to enter the Recovery Console but is unable to do so.
Symptom 2: The recovery console keeps launching in a loop
Every time an attempt is made to boot up Windows, the recovery console is started and attempts to solve the problems with the PC. The repair either exits unsuccessfully or claims to have succeeded but in reality the PC continues to not work and attempts to start the Recovery Console once more the next time it is booted.
Causes of this Error
This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:
Cause 1: Failed Automatic Update
Failed Windows Updates or Automatic Updates that involve an update or upgrade of the core Windows bootloader files (in particular, BOOTMGR) may result in the PC being unable to boot.
Cause 2: Out of date recovery console
On Windows 7 and above, the recovery console can be installed to the local partition by Microsoft Windows setup or by your PC’s computer manufacturer/OEM.
An out of date recovery console installed to the local disk may be unable to correct errors with a Windows installation that has been updated (either manually with hot fixes or automatically by Windows Update).
As a result, each time the recovery console is started, it cannot fix the issue and the infinite recovery console loop is presented.
Cause 3: Blue Screen of Death on reboot
It is possible that every other time Windows attempts to boot, a BSOD occurs. Recent versions of Windows are configured to hide this fact from the user and silently reboot.1
A BSOD during boot up will trigger a version of the Advanced Boot Options menu to be shown on next reboot, and if the recovery console is installed to the local disk, the default will be to highlight/select “Repair Your Computer” causing the endless loop of the recovery console.
Fix Infinite Loop of Recovery Console on Windows
Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials
Easy Recovery Essentials is guaranteed to fix the “endless repair computer loop” error automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.
- Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, or Windows 11) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed.
- Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick/drive.
- Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
- Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue.
Choose “Automated Repair” in Easy Recovery Essentials
- After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.
- Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.
- Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.
- The “endless repair computer loop” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:
You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here.
Fix #2: Run Startup Repair from the Windows DVD
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
The copy of the Recovery Console installed to your hard disk may be damaged or out of date and unable to fix your PC. It is possible to attempt the recovery from the copy of the recovery console on the Windows setup DVD instead.
Startup Repair is an automated diagnosis and repair tool that is available from the Windows setup disc and can be used to find and repair some common problems. More information about how Startup Repair operates and what it does can be found in our knowledgebase. The following steps will initiate Startup Repair from the Windows setup disc:
Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.
- Insert your Windows installation DVD into your PC’s CD-ROM drive,
- Fully power down your PC, and make sure it has fully shut off,
- Power up your PC,
- Press any key when you see “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD..”
- Click the link titled “Repair your computer” in the bottom-lefthand corner, after first selecting your language and keyboard options.
- Wait for Startup Repair to scan your PC for Windows installations, then select your install from the list it shows:
- Choose “Startup Repair” from the list of available recovery options to begin:
- Startup Repair will begin scanning your installation for known issues and will attempt a repair, if possible.
Fix #3: Disable Automatic Restart
This option lets you get the exact and complete error message accompanying the Blue Screen of Death by disabling the Automatic Restart option of Windows. Note: this will not fix the boot error you are experiencing in and of itself, but should provide more information that may prove critical in solving the underlying problem.
The option to disable automatic restart on system failure is available from the Advanced Boot Options menu at startup. The instructions below will trigger this behavior, more detailed instructions on disabling automatic restart on system failure are also available in our knowledgebase.
- Restart your computer
- Wait for your BIOS to complete POST (the screen with your manufacturer logo and/or system information)
- Quickly begin tapping F8 repeatedly, until you see the list of boot options
- Choose “Disable automatic restart on system failure”
- Press Enter and wait for your PC to boot.
More Information
Linked Entries
Support Links
- Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
- The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
- Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
- Windows Vista (all editions)
- Windows 7 (all editions)
- Windows 8 (all editions)
- Windows 8.1 (all editions)
- Windows Server 2008 (all editions)
- Windows Server 2012 (all editions)
-
In the experience of the researchers at NeoSmart Technologies, there is almost never a good reason for doing this. Microsoft is hoping that a reboot will fix your PC and so Windows decides to hide the blue screen and reboot, endlessly and in vain. A much more intelligent solution would be for Windows to keep track of whether or not this blue screen resulted in a silent and automatic reboot last time, and if so, show it so the user can see what’s going on. ↩