Windows in restart loop and stuck in recovery screen

[KJ95]

Hi everyone.

I open this thread in the hope that someone will help me with this problem. I've been looking for a non-stop solution for two days, I've watched lots of videos and searched everywhere but nothing. Then I found a user on this forum who had a similar problem and fixed it.

The problem is as follows:
After using a regedit file that changed the GPU priorities for a game on the PC, upon rebooting I was met with the recovery screen and Windows telling me it didn't boot properly. I've already tried the most basic things found in tons of online videos, but I haven't solved anything. Windows at every solution used and every reboot continues to show me the "diagnostics in progress" screen and then always goes to the blue recovery screen where the only options are restart or advanced options.

Some solutions I've tried are:

- Windows startup repair, in the advanced options of the recovery screen.

- used a previous restore point: I have two of them but neither of them, despite the success of the operations, manages to start windows correctly.

-sfc/ scannow and chk disk, yielded no results.

- regback it didn't contain registry backups because I have an up-to-date version of windows that no longer creates such backups.

- i tried rebuild cbd, to no avail (if i followed all the steps correctly)

- I tried to uninstall the quality and feature updates, from the blue screen recovery in advanced options, but an error won't let me do it.

- finally, I used ShadowCopiesExplorer (if it's called that) to manually access the shadow copies and replace the sam, security, default, etc... files, from the Windows\system32\config folder of the shadow copy to the same folder currently in use in windows . those files must have contained the old registry files if I'm not mistaken (?). I also kept the old sam, security, sytem, default, etc... (I replaced only 5 files to be precise, the same ones that would be in regback) renaming them OLD at the end.

I'm desperate right now and don't know what else to do. If anyone could help me find a solution I would be immensely grateful. I don't want to have to reset windows even if it keeps my files, because I have tons of apps and customizations I don't want to lose.

Thanks in advance.

Edit:

- I also tried disabling the graphic drivers on startup, via a 3rd party program, but that didn't work either.

my pc is an HP laptop with integrated and dedicated graphics cards.

note: when turned on the PC, after the HP logo, initially the message "attempting recovery" appears under it, then the screen goes black and appear a very fast pop-up of a window, which closes immediately. I think is a service that fails to start and this probably does not allow windows to start. then another screen starts which leads to the writing "diagnostics in progress" to finally arrive at the fateful blue recovery screen.

 

[Corday]

First and formost, always backup the registry manually when making changes. Try pulling the graphics card and see if you can get into windows with the built in graphics.

 

[KJ95]

First and formost, always backup the register manually when making changes. Try pulling the graphics card and see if you can get into windows with the built in graphics.

Yes, thanks for reminding me. I had already created a manual backup of the registry.

I just disabled the AMD dedicated graphics card, keeping the integrated one (that too it's AMD, as for the processor), but the result is the same. The automatic recovery blue screen always appears.

 

[Corday]

How To Start Windows 10 In Command Prompt

 

[xrobwx71]

- regback it didn't contain registry backups because I have an up-to-date version of windows that no longer creates such backups.

Here's how to re-enable auto backups of registry - How to enable automatic Registry backup on Windows 10 - Pureinfotech

Yes, thanks for reminding me. I had already created a manual backup of the registry.

Did you or did you not create a registry backup before you made the change?

Also, System Restore effectively "backs up" the registry but it's often corrupted or not current enough.

 

[KJ95]

How To Start Windows 10 In Command Prompt

I haven't done this yet and I've never tried it before, but essentially in the article, he use an operating system installed on a USB to be able to access windows?

small question: will my data, programs, etc... be preserved if I do this?

If the question is affirmative then I just have to figure out how to install a bootable version of windows on a USB stick. I think I've seen videos around on how to do this.

 

[KJ95]

Did you or did you not create a registry backup before you made the change?

yes, i created it. At the moment I have a backup of the windows\system32\config folder inside the same folder, renamed "backup". I created this as one of the steps of the many videos I've watched on how to fix this booting problem.

Here's how to re-enable auto backups of registry - How to enable automatic Registry backup on Windows 10 - Pureinfotech

if I activate it now wouldn't I go to backup a damaged registry? Or are you recommending it to me for the future?

Also, System Restore effectively "backs up" the registry but it's often corrupted or not current enough.

if I understood correctly, regedit is located in the windows\system32\config folder, represented by the files "sam", "system", "software", "security" and "default".

what I did was copy the homonymous files that are in the same address of the shadow copy and I copied it to the same windows address in use.

the files that were in the shadow copy were dated May 16, 2023, while the boot problem I had on May 22

maybe there were some other files I missed to copy? Should I try to redo the same operation with the other shadow copy as well?

 

[DR M]

I used a previous restore point: I have two of them but neither of them, despite the success of the operations, manages to start windows correctly.

I believe that using a previous restore point should work. Can you take a screenshot of what you get when you choose to get the computer to a previous restore point?

 

[DR M]

** Just to clarify: of course you can't take a screenshot now. But you can take a photo and attach it in your next reply.

 

[xrobwx71]

if I activate it now wouldn't I go to backup a damaged registry? Or are you recommending it to me for the future?

For future reference.

yes, i created it. At the moment I have a backup of the windows\system32\config folder inside the same folder, renamed "backup". I created this as one of the steps of the many videos I've watched on how to fix this booting problem.

Thanks. See DR M's advice above.

 

[KJ95]

I believe that using a previous restore point should work. Can you take a screenshot of what you get when you choose to get the computer to a previous restore point?

This is what I see. I've already tried applying both of these restore points but the Windows boot is still corrupted