What is BIOS-BOOT-LOOP?
BIOS-BOOT-LOOP is a critical-severity firmware problem. The PC restarts in an endless loop after POST. Problem with UEFI boot records or corrupted BCD. The usual suspects are damaged BCD and bad EFI entry. The steps below are ordered to resolve this efficiently.
Common Causes
- Damaged BCD
- Bad EFI entry
- Bad boot disk in BIOS
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
bootrec /rebuildbcd from USB
bootrec /rebuildbcd from USB is the first thing worth trying, since it resolves BIOS-BOOT-LOOP for most affected systems.
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2
Startup Repair in Windows Recovery
If it comes back, the next steps in the sequence are there specifically for atypical sw-bios instability cases.
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3
Rearrange the boot order in the BIOS
"Rearrange the boot order in the BIOS" targets bad boot disk in BIOS, one of the documented causes of BIOS-BOOT-LOOP.
Commands & Diagnostics
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd
bcdboot C:\Windows
Frequently Asked Questions
BIOS-BOOT-LOOP is most often triggered by damaged BCD. Other reports point to bad EFI entry and bad boot disk in BIOS as contributing factors.
Most BIOS-BOOT-LOOP reports resolve after "bootrec /rebuildbcd from USB". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
Yes — BIOS-BOOT-LOOP is a critical-severity error and can lead to data loss or hardware damage if it's ignored. Don't put off the fix steps above.
Usually. BIOS-BOOT-LOOP is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
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