My computer was working normally until a recent Windows update, but now it blue-screens during startup and displays "Your PC/Device needs to be repaired." I created a Windows 11 installation USB, and setup loads successfully. However, when I choose "Repair your computer" and select Continue, the display goes black and the computer restarts instead of opening the recovery tools. Secure Boot is already disabled, and I don't see options for Command Prompt or Troubleshoot—only "Press Esc for UEFI Firmware Settings." What steps should I try to repair the boot process without risking my files?
3 Answers
Check the firmware settings for the drive and boot configuration. Confirm that the system drive is detected and that the correct Windows Boot Manager entry is first in the boot order. Secure Boot can sometimes be involved after firmware or certificate updates, but if it is already disabled, that probably isn’t the cause here. If the drive is missing in UEFI, investigate the drive connection or possible hardware failure before attempting Windows repairs.
If you can boot into Windows or Safe Mode later, look in C:WindowsMinidump for crash logs. Those files can help determine whether the problem is a driver or hardware issue rather than just corrupted startup files. Since the built-in recovery environment is failing, consider using the installation USB’s troubleshooting tools, or create a backup of your files from another bootable environment before reinstalling Windows as a last resort.
Since this started after an update, the update may have damaged the boot or recovery environment. If you can reach a recovery Command Prompt from the USB, first identify the Windows partition with DiskPart, then try the appropriate boot-repair commands such as bootrec or rebuilding the boot configuration. Be careful not to run commands that erase or reformat partitions, and back up important files first if possible.
The recovery screen doesn’t show Command Prompt or Troubleshoot. It only offers the option to enter UEFI firmware settings, so I’m not sure how to reach those tools.