Windows 10 stuck on recovery menu | Linus Tech Tips | Page 1

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 9:45 PM

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My windows 10 won't boot, startup repair fails

I'm not sure what's going on

I can get to the recovery menu or bios but not sure what I can do here

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 10:03 PM

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Was working just fine a week ago, then it started making me manually select the boot drive every time from bios, now it gets stuck going to the recovery menu

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 10:05 PM

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I'll try and help. Do you have any recovery media at all?

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Like an ISO

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:12 PM

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vale yoke I'll try and help. Do you have any recovery media at all?

I have a usb yes

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 11:13 PM

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If you boot into it there should be a repair my pc option I believe

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:13 PM

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Yes, on that at the moment actually

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 11:13 PM

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Try it. If not I'm afraid it'll be a fresh install

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:14 PM

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Just brings me to the repair/recovery menu with no options that seem to be working

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 11:14 PM

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Is this a W10 iso you're bottling into?

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:15 PM

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Yes

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Well not iso persay, but the w10 media creation tool usb

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 11:16 PM

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Trying the start up repair using that possibly. It could be the files are damaged and it just needs to get it from it

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:16 PM

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Start up repair fails

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 11:17 PM

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Is there anything like system image recovery?

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Or have to made any system restore points?

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:19 PM

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I'll go through the list lol

Start up repair = fails instantly

System restore = wants me to specify a windows installation by restarting (but doesn't actually work)

Cmd = maybe?

System image recovery = empty

vale yoke Feb 22, 2026, 11:20 PM

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Well with those options

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You could try doing something like

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Using cmd

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Or

sfc /scannow

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With any other option unless you made a backup drive or recovery point. That's the options

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I'm surprised there is no reset pc option

blazing ingot Feb 22, 2026, 11:32 PM

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Sfc wasn't working, had to use a different dism command, let's see what happens

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Nothing different so far but looks like at some point in my tinkering my drive is not even listed on the boot list anymore

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Like it'll show on bios as a drive that's there but not in boot order

nocturne dune Feb 23, 2026, 1:10 AM

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blazing ingot Like it'll show on bios as a drive that's there but not in boot order

Did the problem occur suddenly?... Or something happened like windows update or you did something?...

blazing ingot Feb 23, 2026, 3:57 AM

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To my knowledge it was pretty sudden, I got it back working. Atleast enough to boot

But still think it won't boot without me manually selecting the drive in bios

nocturne dune Feb 23, 2026, 3:56 PM

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blazing ingot To my knowledge it was pretty sudden, I got it back working. Atleast enough to b...

so no further issues?...

blazing ingot Feb 23, 2026, 11:01 PM

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Still won't boot without me manually selecting it in bios

nocturne dune Feb 24, 2026, 5:05 PM

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blazing ingot Still won't boot without me manually selecting it in bios

show me the boot options in bios..

blazing ingot Feb 24, 2026, 5:06 PM

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Not at my desktop at the moment but can do when I get home later

blazing ingot Feb 24, 2026, 10:03 PM

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Of course it booted up just fine 🤦

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How do I mark this as resolved?

south shuttle Feb 24, 2026, 11:05 PM

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blazing ingot Of course it booted up just fine 🤦

Windows:

#Windows 10 stuck on recovery menu