Question Switching Boot Drives Causing “Preparing Automatic Repair” loop

[Caleb_Z]

I recently installed a MX500 SSD to my PC that has a 1.5 TB hard drive for Windows 10. Everything went well when I installed it. I could switch the boot from the SSD to the Hard drive after I finished. Today, I wanted to boot back to the SSD to download something. When I went into BIOS to select the SSD to boot, the system went into the “Preparing Automatic Repair” loop. I restarted and tried booting from the hard drive and it did the same thing. I tried about everything to boot my computer from the original hard drive that was working fine right before this happened. Nothing is working.

 

[USAFRet]

You had the OS on a 1.5TB HDD.
You then installed a MX500 SSD.
Did you install another OS on this SSD?

If so, why?

 

[Caleb_Z]

Yes, because I wanted my HDD as a storage with Windows while having Windows in my SSD for gaming.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, because I wanted my HDD as a storage with Windows while having Windows in my SSD for gaming.

Unless you're deliberatily doing a dualboot, (Win 7 and 10, perhaps), you only need and want a single instance of Windows in a system.

Having that OS on the secondary drive leads to issues.
Such as you're seeing.

 

[USAFRet]

When you installed this second OS, were both drives connected?

 

[Caleb_Z]

When you installed this second OS, were both drives connected?

No. I disconnected the HDD when installing the Windows 10 on my SSD. I plugged the HDD back in after powering off. I have Windows 10 on both SSD and HDD.

 

[USAFRet]

No. I disconnected the HDD when installing the Windows 10 on my SSD. I plugged the HDD back in after powering off. I have Windows 10 on both SSD and HDD.

OK, then the two drives and OS's should not conflict with each other.

Unplug all but the affected drive.
Power up
It gives this Repair message?

 

[Caleb_Z]

OK, then the two drives and OS's should not conflict with each other.

Unplug all but the affected drive.
Power up
It gives this Repair message?

Yes. It will not complete repair or complete a reset.

 

[USAFRet]

What is the specific reasoning for this second OS?

 

[Caleb_Z]

What is the specific reasoning for this second OS?

So I can do school work and keep my phone and camera files on my HDD and play video games on my SSD

 

[USAFRet]

So I can do school work and keep my phone and camera files on my HDD and play video games on my SSD

And you can do that within a single OS. Working with multiple drives is no problem, and very common. My system has 7 drives, and a single OS.

 

[Caleb_Z]

Do you have any idea how to fix what I’ve done?

 

[USAFRet]

Do you have any idea how to fix what I’ve done?

Either a full wipe and reinstall of the OS on this problematic drive.
Or,
Wipe the drive completely, and just use the one OS. (recommended)

In either case, save any personal data to elsewhere first.

 

[Caleb_Z]

I do not want to lose all of my files on the HDD. How do I save those files if I cannot boot?

 

[USAFRet]

I do not want to lose all of my files on the HDD. How do I save those files if I cannot boot?

Booting up from the SSD, the HDD will be seen as just another drive letter.
D or E probably.
Unless that drive is physically messed up.

But, you WILL run into permissions issues when trying to locate files within your /User/ locations. Documents/Video/Pictures, etc.
It can be done, but a pain.

 

[Caleb_Z]

If I uninstall windows from the SSD, will this fix any issues? I feel like this has to do with disk partitioning

 

[USAFRet]

If I uninstall windows from the SSD, will this fix any issues? I feel like this has to do with disk partitioning

There is no "uninstall" for Windows.

Which OS 'works'? The SSD or HDD?

 

[Caleb_Z]

When I boot up from the SSD, the resolution is not formatted correctly and Microsoft says “we can’t sign in to your account” and gives me a temporary profile.

 

[USAFRet]

When I boot up from the SSD, the resolution is not formatted correctly and Microsoft says “we can’t sign in to your account” and gives me a temporary profile.

And from the HDD?

 

[Caleb_Z]

And from the HDD?

I cannot boot from the HDD. I’m in “This PC” on my SSD right now. I cannot see my hard drive under “devices and drives”.

 

[USAFRet]

So, both dries and their OS's seem to have issues.

HDD - Completely inaccessible, Either on its own or as a secondary drive from the SSD OS.
Correct?

SSD - Broken profile, at the least.
Correct?

 

[Caleb_Z]

So, both dries and their OS's seem to have issues.

HDD - Completely inaccessible, Either on its own or as a secondary drive from the SSD OS.
Correct?

SSD - Broken profile, at the least.
Correct?

Correct for both, except I can see my HDD in BIOS but not when booted in my SSD.

 

[Caleb_Z]

Correct for both, except I can see my HDD in BIOS but not when booted in my SSD.

I have a dvd with Windows ISO I can boot from, FYI.

 

[USAFRet]

I have a dvd with Windows ISO I can boot from, FYI.

Attempt to 'fix' the OS on the SSD?
Disconnect the HDD
Boot from your DVD, and see what the Repair function does for you.

 

[Caleb_Z]

Attempt to 'fix' the OS on the SSD?
Disconnect the HDD
Boot from your DVD, and see what the Repair function does for you.

It started diagnosing and now it’s on a black screen with a jumpy curser that has the “thinking ring” pop up