I left my ASUS Windows 11 PC unused for about a month. When I turned it back on, I could enter my PIN, but afterward I only got a black screen with a visible mouse pointer. I tried using the recovery option to restart the computer while keeping my files, but now it is stuck in a loop. It alternates between "Preparing Automatic Repair" and a message saying that the device encountered a problem and needs to restart. The stop code is 0xC000021A. I need the computer for class and would like to recover my files if possible. What should I try?
1 Answer
The quickest fix may be to reinstall Windows using a bootable USB installer. Before doing that, make sure you recover any important files first by booting from a Linux USB or another file-recovery environment. A reinstall can erase the Windows partition, so don’t proceed until you’ve confirmed your data is backed up.
I tried booting from an installer, but the internal drive doesn’t appear there. What should I check next?