When Windows won’t boot and you’re stuck in that maddening cycle—“Diagnosing your PC” → “Automatic/Startup Repair” → reboot → repeat—it’s easy to feel like the computer is basically bricked. The good news: in many cases, you’re not dealing with “dead hardware,” but with a broken boot process (BCD/boot records), a failed update, or file system corruption that Windows can’t automatically untangle.
This tutorial walks you through a safe, step-by-step escalation path—starting with the least risky fixes and moving toward deeper repairs. We’ll also tackle the confusing “Windows Resume Loader” message (commonly associated with hibernation/resume or boot-loader issues) and show how to stop Windows from endlessly looping into recovery.
Summary
- Start with WinRE Startup Repair, then move to System Restore / Uninstall Updates before command-line repairs.
- Many endless repair loops are caused by corrupted boot configuration data (BCD) or boot records—often fixable with BOOTREC and BCDEDIT.
- If you suspect hibernation/resume problems (“Resume Loader”), disabling hibernation can help once you regain access.
- BitLocker may block repairs until you enter the recovery key (be ready for it).
- If you see disk errors or repeated corruption, prioritize checking the drive health—software fixes won’t stick on failing storage.
What “Windows Resume Loader” Usually Means (in plain English)
“Windows Resume Loader” typically shows up when Windows is trying to resume from hibernation (or a hibernation-like state), or when boot configuration points to resume components incorrectly. If the hibernation file or boot data is corrupted, the machine may fail to resume, fall back to repair, and then loop.
The key idea: this is still a boot problem, and the same WinRE tools (Startup Repair, BCD rebuild, etc.) are the right place to start.
Before You Fix Anything: Two Quick Safety Steps
1) Unplug “extras”
Disconnect external drives, docks, printers, and nonessential USB devices. A surprising number of boot issues come from firmware trying to boot from the wrong device.
2) If BitLocker is enabled, find your recovery key
Startup Repair and command-line fixes may require the BitLocker recovery key. Microsoft warns you’ll need it to complete certain WinRE recovery tasks if the device is encrypted (BitLocker) (Microsoft Support – Startup Repair).
Step 1: Get Into Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
If you’re already seeing “Automatic Repair,” you’re basically there. Otherwise:
- Boot from Windows installation media (USB) → Repair your computer (not “Install”)
- Or, if Windows repeatedly fails to boot, WinRE usually appears automatically after a few failed attempts.
Once inside WinRE: Troubleshoot → Advanced options
Step 2 (Least Risk): Run Startup Repair Properly
In WinRE: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair → Restart
Microsoft describes Startup Repair as a tool that scans for startup problems (damaged system files, corrupted BCD/MBR, registry issues, etc.) and attempts automated repair (Microsoft Support – Startup Repair).
Important tip: If it fails once, run it one more time. It sometimes fixes things in passes.
If Startup Repair reports it can’t fix your PC, don’t panic—move on.
Step 3: Undo the Change That Started the Loop (Restore or Uninstall Updates)
Back in Advanced options, try these in order:
Option A: System Restore
If you have restore points, System Restore can roll back drivers/registry/system files without touching your personal files.
Option B: Uninstall updates
If this started after Patch Tuesday or a feature update:
- Uninstall latest quality update (smaller, more common culprit)
- If needed, Uninstall latest feature update
These are often the fastest “get me booting again” options when the loop began right after an update.
Step 4: Break the Endless Recovery Loop (if WinRE keeps forcing itself)
Sometimes Windows is configured to keep entering recovery automatically. Microsoft’s boot troubleshooting guidance notes you can disable automatic recovery from the command prompt in WinRE with:
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled no
This can “break the cycle” of repeatedly booting to recovery options (Microsoft Learn – Windows boot issues troubleshooting).
How to do it: WinRE → Advanced options → Command Prompt → run the command → reboot.
If it boots, great. If it still fails, come back to WinRE and continue below.
Step 5: Repair Boot Records and Rebuild BCD (Most Common Real Fix)
When you’re stuck in a repair loop, the boot loader phase is a usual suspect. Microsoft’s guidance for boot loader problems includes using BOOTREC to repair MBR/boot sector and rebuild BCD (Microsoft Learn – boot issues troubleshooting).
A) Repair the MBR and boot sector
In WinRE → Command Prompt, run:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
Microsoft notes that /FixMbr overwrites only the master boot code (not the partition table), and it’s used for MBR corruption scenarios (Microsoft Learn – boot issues troubleshooting).
(Also see Microsoft’s Bootrec overview for what each option does: /FixMbr, /FixBoot, /ScanOs, /RebuildBcd (Microsoft Support – Bootrec.exe).)
B) Scan for Windows installations
bootrec /scanos
C) Rebuild the BCD store (the big one)
If you’re still stuck, rebuild BCD. Microsoft provides this common sequence:
bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup
attrib c:\boot\bcd -r -s -h
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Then reboot. This comes directly from Microsoft’s boot troubleshooting steps for BCD-related errors (Microsoft Learn – boot issues troubleshooting) and aligns with their Bootrec documentation as well (Microsoft Support – Bootrec.exe).
If you get “Access is denied” on /fixboot: that’s a known snag on some configurations. At that point, it’s often an EFI/partition setup issue and the repair path becomes more system-specific. (If you tell me whether your system is UEFI/GPT or Legacy/MBR and what exact error you see, I can tailor the next step safely.)
Step 6: Check the Disk and System Files (If Repairs Don’t “Stick”)
If Windows boots once and then breaks again, or repairs keep failing, suspect file system issues or disk problems.
From WinRE Command Prompt, you can run:
chkdsk c: /f
If it reports lots of bad sectors or repeats corruption frequently, take that seriously—software repairs won’t be reliable if the drive is failing.
Step 7: After You Boot: Reduce the Chance of “Resume Loader” Problems Returning
Once you’re back in Windows, consider these cleanup steps:
- Disable and re-enable hibernation (helps if resume state was corrupt)
- Disable:
powercfg /h off - Optional later:
powercfg /h on - Run Windows Update again (sometimes the “failed update” finishes cleanly after boot issues are resolved).
- Back up your data—boot loops are often an early warning that you need a safety net.
When to Stop Repairing and Switch Strategy
If you’ve tried:
- Startup Repair
- System Restore / Uninstall updates
- BOOTREC + BCD rebuild
…and you still can’t boot, you’re likely in one of these scenarios:
1) Storage failure (SSD/HDD)
2) Severe OS corruption
3) UEFI/EFI partition problems that require more advanced steps
4) BitLocker/TPM complications blocking changes
At that point, a Reset this PC (keep files) or a clean reinstall may be the practical move—after you’ve recovered your data.
Conclusion: Your Next Best Move
Boot loops feel dramatic, but most are fixable if you approach them logically:
1) Use Startup Repair in WinRE
2) Roll back the triggering change with System Restore / Uninstall Updates
3) Fix the boot chain with BOOTREC and BCD rebuild
4) If it keeps happening, check the disk and plan for backup/recovery
If you want, paste the exact message you see (including whether it says Automatic Repair, Windows Resume Loader, 0xc000… error codes, or SrtTrail.txt mentions) and tell me whether your PC is Windows 10 or 11—I can narrow this down to the most likely fix for your specific loop.
