Question BCD corrupted, cannot repair in Advanced Recovery Mode ?

[Kyroix 74]

Hi, i recently did a Windows quality update and i got several pop ups after a reboot saying ‘We couldn’t complete the updates, undoing changes’. This kept coming up. But one time i booted up my pc and it did not start up, instead giving me the screen to the advanced repair mode. I did all the options in the troubleshoot section, nothing worked. I did the command prompt, and ran a couple commands including BCD. It appears my BCD is corrupted. So i did the BCD repair commands, but they didn’t work. So i was stuck.

I clicked "Continue to Windows", but didn’t go back to the same screen, instead the horrible ‘Your device/pc needs to be repaired’. And the 4 options to boot on the advanced recovery, BIOS, and 2 others i forgot. I tried pressing F1 which was the allocated button for booting into the Advanced recovery again, but it didn’t work instead yakking me back to the same screen.

So currently i am stuck on the repair screen, not able to do anything on it except use the button to go into BIOS, but i don’t think i can do anything in that to get into Windows. So i think, 99% my BCD being corrupted is what caused my Windows to not boot up. I need some help because Resetting the PC is my last resort. I hope this massive oarsgraph makes sense to you.

 

[Kyroix 74]

Hmm.
Execute from elevated command prompt:
(single line)

copy c:\windows\system32\bootstr.dll d:\windows\system32\​

(another single line)

bcdboot d:\windows /s h: /v​

Show screenshot.

https://ibb.co/xDF5bzt YES. Boot files successfully created. You legend. What do i do now

 

[SkyNetRising]

Now reboot your pc and you should have an option to boot either old windows or new windows.
They'll be named both windows 10. You'll have to figure out, which one is what.

 

[Kyroix 74]

Now reboot your pc and you should have an option to boot either old windows or new windows.
They'll be named both windows 10. You'll have to figure out, which one is what.

What if i click the wrong one? Do i have to guess them?

 

[Kyroix 74]

I chose Volume 3 and it came back with the Repair screen, going to choose volume 4 now. See if it does the same.

 

[Kyroix 74]

Ok so Volume 4 is the new windows, so there is still something wrong with the Old one, takes me back to the repair screen. Should i try to go back to it and tell you what it says so maybe we can fix it in the new one?

 

[Kyroix 74]

Ok so i rebooted and the problem with the old windows is:

The application or operating system couldn’t be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors.

File: \windows\system32\winload.efi

Edit: I don’t know if i did this right but i copied the winload.efi file from C Drive to D Drive (new to old)
Now i’ve rebooted and a new file destination and message has appeared:

The OS Couldn’t be loaded because the system registry contains errors.

File: \windows\system32\config\system

 

[SkyNetRising]

You can try copying missing file. Execute from elevated command prompt (in new windows).
(single line)
copy c:\windows\system32\winload.efi d:\windows\system32\

But it seems to me, old windows is seriously damaged, lot of files missing. May not be possible to fix it.

 

[Kyroix 74]

You can try copying missing file. Execute from elevated command prompt.
(single line)
copy c:\windows\system32\winload.efi d:\windows\system32\

But it seems to me, old windows is seriously damaged, lot of files missing. May not be possible to fix it.

Just copied that file. Please see my recent message, i’ve edited it.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Now i’ve rebooted and a new file destination and message has appeared:
The OS Couldn’t be loaded because the system registry contains errors.
File: \windows\system32\config\system

That is corrupted registry.
Can be fixed from System restore or from backup only.

I don't think your old windows is recoverable.

 

[Kyroix 74]

That is corrupted registry.
Can be fixed from System restore or from backup only.

I don't think your old windows is recoverable.

Ahh <Mod Edit> . So what do i do now

 

[USAFRet]

Ahh <Mod Edit> . So what do i do now

For future reference, "or from backup only " is the proper way to handle this.
A good backup routine, and you could have been up and running in an hour.

But that backup needs to happen before the system goes bad.

 

[Kyroix 74]

For future reference, "or from backup only " is the proper way to handle this.
A good backup routine, and you could have been up and running in an hour.

But that backup needs to happen before the system goes bad.

So, what is this backup routine. Backing up all the files in my Drive, and pasting them into a spare usb flash drive that i can later on put back in when it’s reset?

 

[SkyNetRising]

So what do i do now

Backup user files from old windows.
Reinstall windows.
Restore files.
Reinstall apps.

 

[USAFRet]

So, what is this backup routine. Backing up all the files in my Drive, and pasting them into a spare usb flash drive that i can later on put back in when it’s reset?

A proper full drive backup can include everything needed to recover and boot from.
But not just a simple copy/paste.

I use Macrium Reflect, and create an Image. This is the whole drive....boot partition, OS, applications, personal files, etc, etc. Everything.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

Free software and an external drive or two. Cheap and easy.
Backups are kinda like car insurance. Pretty much a required thing.

 

[Kyroix 74]

Backup user files from old windows.
Reinstall windows.
Restore files.
Reinstall apps.

Is there not anything else you can think of to repair these damaged registry files?

 

[Kyroix 74]

A proper full drive backup can include everything needed to recover and boot from.
But not just a simple copy/paste.

I use Macrium Reflect, and create an Image. This is the whole drive....boot partition, OS, applications, personal files, etc, etc. Everything.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

Free software and an external drive or two. Cheap and easy.
Backups are kinda like car insurance. Pretty much a required thing.

A proper full drive backup can include everything needed to recover and boot from.
But not just a simple copy/paste.

I use Macrium Reflect, and create an Image. This is the whole drive....boot partition, OS, applications, personal files, etc, etc. Everything.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

Free software and an external drive or two. Cheap and easy.
Backups are kinda like car insurance. Pretty much a required thing.

So you’re saying i can backup everything on that Drive and just paste it back in to the new windows i have after i reset?

 

[Kyroix 74]

Backup user files from old windows.
Reinstall windows.
Restore files.
Reinstall apps.

What about if i set my boot to ‘Last Known Good Configuration’? Will that work or will it not in my case

 

[USAFRet]

So you’re saying i can backup everything on that Drive and just paste it back in to the new windows i have after i reset?

Not quite "paste".

You create an Image, or series of Images. This is the WHOLE drive contents.
You also create a RescueUSB

If the system ever goes south, you boot from the RescueUSB.
Find the Recover function.
Tell it where the Image is, and what drive to apply it to.
It will recover that Image, and overwrite everything on the indicated drive.
Bring the system back to exactly the condition is was when you created the Image. Yesterday, last week, whenever...

 

[Kyroix 74]

Not quite "paste".

You create an Image, or series of Images.
You also create a RescueUSB

If the system ever goes south, you boot from the RescueUSB.
Find the Recover function.
Tell it where the Image is, and what drive to apply it to.
It will recover that Image, and overwrite everything on the indicated drive.
Bring the system back to exactly the condition is was when you created the Image. Yesterday, last week, whenever...

I get what you’re saying but i have no clue what an ‘Image’ is, in this case, and how to execute all of this

 

[USAFRet]

I get what you’re saying but i have no clue what an ‘Image’ is, in this case, and how to execute all of this

Once you get this system back up and running, read that link I posted above.
The software indicated in there, Macrium Reflect, will mostly guide you through the whole process.
And of course, you can come here and ask all the questions you want if anything is still unclear.

 

[Kyroix 74]

Once you get this system back up and running, read that link I posted above.
The software indicated in there, Macrium Reflect, will mostly guide you through the whole process.
And of course, you can come here and ask all the questions you want if anything is still unclear.

I mean i know what apps i want to get back, so i might just go with the reset

 

[USAFRet]

I mean i know what apps i want to get back, so i might just go with the reset

Your current system seems to be too far gone for a "reset".

A full reinstall and then reinstallation of all your applications.

After that, consider this backup routine thing.

 

[Kyroix 74]

Backup user files from old windows.
Reinstall windows.
Restore files.
Reinstall apps.

Ok so can you take me through the process of resetting the pc please

 

[Kyroix 74]

Your current system seems to be too far gone for a "reset".

A full reinstall and then reinstallation of all your applications.

After that, consider this backup routine thing.

Why is it too far to reset? What’s the difference between a reset and a full reinstall, i mean both fully reset windows to its original state

 

[USAFRet]

Why is it too far to reset? What’s the difference between a reset and a full reinstall, i mean both fully reset windows to its original state

A "reset" would require you to be able to boot from the OS.
Which apparently does not happen.