MASSIVE Windows 10 'Preparing Automatic Repair' Loop Issue!

FireVortex720

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Oct 10, 2011
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Hey guys,
The details of what happened are quite long, so I will try to make it as short as possible.
Last night I updated Windows 10 Pro to some preview build thing(i think) via update center.
Today I also updated my R9 270X driver to the Crimson Driver.

My PC needed a restart after the Crimson update, so that is what I did. However, instead of a normal restart, it booted to this automatic repair stuff.

I then went to BIOS and disabled 'Execute disable bit', but it didn't work.

I tried the 'go back to previous build' option, but that didn't work as well(gave me some other bootloop which lead me back to the automatic repair stuff).

After this, my BIOS is not even working now. the only thing I can get is the update BIOS thing and the select boot drive thingy(gives me two options: boot from hard drive or via PXE e61)

This brings me to my next problem, whilst attempting to get into BIOS, I get an error 'pxe e61 media test failure check cable'

My top priority is to be able to recover my personal files from my current hard drive
I don't care about programs.

In the 'Advanced options' area in the 'choose an option' menu, there is an option to 'Reset this PC'.
According to Windows, I can reset it so that I can keep personal files however programs will be deleted. This is what I want to do
However, will this actually do as it says? Will it delete files I have in my D: drive? Because I have BF4 installed there as well as personal files.

If all else fails, I have a new SSD sitting by. I could swap out my current hard drive for the SSD and somehow install Win 7 on it. I can then install the messed up hard drive on my second SATA port and copy and paste the files onto the SSD - Would this work?
If you took the time to read this, thank you, any help would be appreciated!

UPDATE: I typed in 'dir C:' and according to CMD, C is empty!!! How can that be? And for some weird reason, Cmd is only showing comands from X drive - not C!
 
Solution
Hello FireVortex720

You can always install any other version of Windows on a second hard drive making it primary and then connecting the HDD with the corrupt operating system to the computer as an external drive. This way, as you said, you would be able to access the files form the problematic hard drive and can then copy your important files to some other safe location.

To answer your second question, if you are on X:, it means you have accessed your hard drive externally and therefore the C: letter is alloted to the System Reserved partition.

You can find your files in D: which actually is C: when the computer starts normally. You can get more details about booting a Windows 10 computer in Command Prompt from this...
Hello FireVortex720

You can always install any other version of Windows on a second hard drive making it primary and then connecting the HDD with the corrupt operating system to the computer as an external drive. This way, as you said, you would be able to access the files form the problematic hard drive and can then copy your important files to some other safe location.

To answer your second question, if you are on X:, it means you have accessed your hard drive externally and therefore the C: letter is alloted to the System Reserved partition.

You can find your files in D: which actually is C: when the computer starts normally. You can get more details about booting a Windows 10 computer in Command Prompt from this tutorial.

Also, if you are able to boot your computer in Command Prompt, I would suggest you to Use SFC /SCANNOW to Try Scanning Your Hard Drive for Corrupt System Files and Let Windows Fix Them Automatically for You.

Feel free to reply back if further assistance is needed.

Cheers!! :)
 
Solution

FireVortex720

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Oct 10, 2011
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Thanks mate, that's exactly what i did. I installed Win 10 on my SSD and I used my HDD as a secondary drive and got my important files back :)