These days, laptops are a need in our everyday existence. But just like any other electrical item, they might have issues. A frequent problem encountered by numerous laptop owners is the laptop becoming stuck on the “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen when it first boots up12. Although you may find this to be quite annoying, there are a few possible ways you can try to fix the problem.

1. Perform a Hard Reboot
- Remove the battery and AC adapter.
- Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds.
- See if it will boot up normally.
2. Boot into Safe Mode
The second option is to boot your computer into safe mode if you experience any problems. A computer operating system’s safe mode is used for diagnostic purposes. Additionally, it can relate to an application software’s mode of operation.
3. Use Windows 10 Installation Media
4. Refresh or Reset PC
To get out of an infinite loop of “Preparing Automatic Repair,” the official Microsoft remedy is to simply restart or refresh the computer1. They say: “To violently shut down the machine, press and hold the Power button three times when the ‘Preparing automated repair’ window appears. After two or three reboots, the system will visit the boot repair page. Select Troubleshoot, then Refresh PC or Reset PC.
5. Check for Viruses and Malware
If your system has been compromised by malware or viruses, your laptop can be stopped at the “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen. Thus, scan your whole Windows system for viruses.
6. Update Your Graphics Card Driver
The missing or outdated graphics card driver in your laptop can cause the black screen issue. To rule it out as the cause for your problem, you should update your graphics card driver to the latest version