Solved: Windows Server 2019 Keeps Booting to Recovery

User case: Server 2019 keeps restarting

“ I restarted my one Windows Server 2019 last night, and this morning I saw it hasn't booted back up. Keeps restarting to recovery again and again and I have tried all the option here, but it does not work. I have a cloud backup solution in place but it’s around 380GB compressed to recover my computer. Would really like to try to avoid having to go that route. Anything else I might try to fix Windows Server 2019 boot issues? I'm desperate. ”

Like this user, maybe you just restarted your Windows Server 2019, but unfortunately you have encountered the issue where your Windows Server 2019 keeps booting to Recovery Mode, or other annoying issues similar to the above. If you find yourself in this situation, don't panic. In this guide, we will show you how to easily fix this error. Carefully read the following instructions to learn more.

Why Windows Server 2019 keeps booting to recovery?

There could be several reasons why Windows Server 2019 keeps booting to Recovery Mode, including:

☂ Corrupted system files: If system files become corrupted, it can cause the server to boot into Recovery Mode.
☂ Hardware issues: Faulty hardware components such as hard drives, RAM, or motherboards can cause the server to fail to boot normally.
☂ Incompatible hardware: If new hardware is installed that is not compatible with the server, it can cause booting issues.
☂ Misconfigured settings: Changes to system settings or configurations can also cause the server to fail to boot properly.
☂ Malware or viruses: Malicious software or viruses can infect the system, causing it to fail to boot normally.

To resolve these issues and prevent the server from booting into Recovery Mode, you may need to perform actions such as repairing system files, checking hardware components, updating drivers, and removing malicious software.

Use Command Prompt to repair Windows Server 2019 keeps booting to recovery (3 ways)

In this part, we will outline three simple methods to resolve the issue of Windows Server 2019 keeps booting to Recovery Mode. These methods involve using a Windows Server 2019 installation media to run various commands in Command Prompt.

To enter Command Prompt mode, you will need to:

Step 1. Prepare a Windows Server 2019 installation media and insert it into your PC, setting it as the first boot option in the BIOS.

Step 2. Press a key when prompted with Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.

Step 3. Choose your preferred language, time and currency format, keyboard or input method, and click Next.

Step 4. Select Repair your computer in Windows Server 2019, and then click Next.

Step 5. In the Advanced Options window, choose Command Prompt.

Step 6. Once you have opened the Command Prompt, you can proceed to try the following solutions to begin resolving the Windows Server keeps booting into recovery error.

• 1. Restore system registry files
• 2. Launch bootrec.exe to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR)
• 3. Execute the System File Checker tool

1. Restore system registry files

If the Windows Server 2019 keeps booting into recovery issue is caused by missing or corrupted system registry files, you can follow the steps below to restore the system registry files from a backup.

After opening the Command Prompt window, execute the following commands:

Step 1. Confirm your system drive. For instance, if you're not sure whether C is your system drive, you can run dir c: to check if it contains folders such as Program Files, Users, etc.

Step 2. Type copy d:\windows\system32\config\RegBack\* d:\windows\system32\config and press Enter. (Replace d with the corresponding disk letter based on your system's configuration.)

2. Launch bootrec.exe to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR)

To scan and repair the MBR, execute the following commands:

• Bootrec.exe /fixmbr (This command will repair the MBR by writing a new Windows-compatible MBR while leaving the existing partition table intact.)
• Bootrec.exe /fixboot (This command will write a new boot sector to the hard disk if Windows detects any damage.)
• Bootrec.exe /scanos (This command scans your operating system.)
• Bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd (This command rebuilds the BCD, which contains boot information and partition parameters.)

Next, you can run chkdsk to check and repair any file system corruption on the hard drive. Enter the following command with the partition drive letter:

• chkdsk/r c:

Finally, restart your server, and it should load properly now. This method is also useful for Windows Server 2019 boot repair.

3. Execute the System File Checker tool

You could attempt to run System File Checker to detect and repair any corrupted system files. Simply enter sfc/scannow and press Enter.

Backup Server 2019 in advance to prevent data loss

Before attempting any of the solutions mentioned above to fix the Windows Server 2019 boot into Recovery Mode error, it is recommended that you back up your current OS to prevent any potential data loss. To do this, we recommend using a reliable third-party backup and restore software for Windows Server, such as AOMEI Backupper Server. Here are some of its outstanding features:

❂ Multiple backup types and destinations: AOMEI Backupper Server allows you to create system backups, disk backups, file backups, and partition backups to various locations, such as USB drives, local disks, external hard drives, network shares, cloud, and more.
❂ Three backup methods: You can choose from full, incremental, and differential backup methods to improve your backup efficiency.
❂ Schedule Backup: You can automate your backup tasks on a Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event-triggers, or USB plug in basis.
❂ Bootable rescue media/recovery environment: You can create a recovery environment or a bootable device to recover a crashed system in case of any issues with your server.

To try out AOMEI Backupper Server, click the button below to download the 30-day free trial.

Step 1. Launch the software and then click on Backup followed by System Backup.

Tip: Choose the appropriate backup option based on whether you want to back up the entire disk, a specific partition, or files and folders.

Step 2. By default, the system data is selected for backup. Next, select a destination path to store the backup image.

Step 3. Verify that all the settings are correct, then click Start Backup to begin backing up your Windows Server 2019. 

🔥Bonus: How to fix the blue screen caused by CrowdStrike issue

Microsoft has identified an issue impacting Windows endpoints that are running the CrowdStrike Falcon agent. These endpoints might encounter error messages 0x50 or 0x7E on a blue screen and experience a continual restarting state. If you encounter this error on your physical server, follow the instructions below to fix it.

1. Navigate to Virtual Media in the Remote Console section of the management console.

2. Locate the option for mounting an ISO or inserting virtual media. This option might be labeled as Virtual Media, Virtual DVD, or so on.

3. Select the option to mount or attach an ISO image. You will be prompted to browse for the ISO file on your local system.

4. Browse and select the ISO file which is of the same version as the affected server version.

5. Confirm the selection and wait for the management console to upload and mount the ISO to the server.

6. Once the ISO is mounted, open the server’s operating system or management interface.

7. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.

8. If your system drive is different than C:\, type C: and then press Enter. This will switch you to the C:\ drive.

9. Type in the following commands and then press Enter after each to locate the file matching “C-00000291*.sys” and permanently delete the file(s) found:

• CD C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike
• dir C-00000291*.sys
• del C-00000291*.sys

10. Restart your device.

👉For more details, please visit this page from Microsoft.

Summary

In this article, we learn why Windows Server 2019 keeps booting to recovery issue arises and know how to fix this problem. Before that, we recommend you the best backup software AOMEI Backupper Server to backup your Windows Server 2019 system to avoid system crashes, data loss and other inconveniences. This software is powerful and easy to use. It can also create Windows Server 2019 recovery disk, so why not try it now?