Forum Discussion
Why does my computer always boot into "Preparing Automatic Repair" after installing Kubuntu?
Why can't I boot into either Windows or Kubuntu after finishing the Kubuntu install? I flashed the latest LTS version to a USB with Rufus, and it ran fine live—but after the installer asked me to reboot, I got stuck on "Preparing Automatic Repair" and never made it past it. I've already disabled everything except Windows Boot Manager in UEFI, but it still won't load.
I tried forcing Advanced Startup by powering it off repeatedly, but that screen won't come up either. I have a large project on that drive I never backed up, so I really don't want to lose my files. My specs are an i7-12650H, RTX 4060 laptop GPU, and 16GB DDR4. Is there any way to recover the Windows boot entry without wiping the disk?
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You need to recover a Windows boot path after the Kubuntu installation. Avoid repeated repair attempts or reinstallations until the data is copied somewhere safe. From a Windows installation or recovery USB, choose Repair your computer, then Troubleshoot and Advanced options; do not choose Reset this PC. First use Startup Repair once. If it cannot fix the boot entry, open Command Prompt from Advanced options and identify the Windows and EFI partitions before making boot configuration changes. Keep partitions intact and do not format, repartition, or reinstall either operating system while the project is only on that disk. If possible, use a live environment to copy the project to external storage. The problem may involve boot entries or the EFI system partition, but the layout matters after a dual-boot installation. Once files are safe, use Windows Recovery Environment tools or obtain model-specific assistance with the partition layout and error details.
