Transform and Repeat Pattern ?

Do your initial transform by pressing Control+Alt+T, which creates a transformed copy, but leaves the original unchanged. Then do your Shift+Control+Alt+T to do the repeats.

It is impossible to tell what you have done.  What you posted looks like part of a screen capture of Photoshop UI in  Microsoft Paint programs what we see in this capture is you have a background layers and the info palette covering  the history palette so we can not tell what you have done in Photoshop to create the three circles.  Since you stated you were using Free transform you must have flattened you document since then for Free Transform is not a tool you can use on a background layer for its transparency is locked so free transform is not available for use.

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1. Open a new file, and add a transparent layer

2. Create a marching ants circle and Edit > Stroke with black. (Fig 1)

3. With marching ants still showing hold down Cmd+Opt+Shift and choose Edit > Free Transform. Be sure to release the mouse before releasing the keyboard keys. (Fig 2)

4. Hold down the Shift key for alignment and drag the framed image to the right. Do not use the center mark in the image when dragging. (Fig 3) Then key Return. The second image wlll still display marching ants. (Fig 4)

5. Hold down Cmd+Opt+Shift and strike the T key repeatedly. Each time you do, another duplicate will appear, following the spacing you designated. (Fig 5)

Note that all the circles are on one layer.