Question EMMC memory can't save any changes and I can't load new Windows 10 install from new SSD ?

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Kiboune

May 8, 2024
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Hi.

Laptop model: Acer TravelMate B1

Internal 64gb memory can't save any changes I make. If I delete files or even if I just change Windows 10 settings, everything goes back as it was, after restart. So I decided to install new SSD and new Windows 10. No problems with Windows 10 installation, but I can't launch it. It keeps launching Windows installed in default memory, because new installation can't change UEFI files on EMMC. Any tips? Can I somehow just disable internal memory?

Also I tried to format it, but it doesn't work. It doesn't show any errors, goes as if it didn't encounter any problems, but everything is intact. I tried to clean it with diskpart, by using cmd from bootable flash drive, and after clean, EMMC volumes disappear, but they comeback after restart.

I can't change to legacy mode in BIOS, because this Acer BIOS doesn't support this. I tried to Select another UEFI file in BIOS, but it only shows EMMC, even though on "information" page, it does show new SSD.
 
Sounds like the integrated eMMC is indeed bad. If your SSD is recognized by the firmware but not bootable and the BIOS won't read the ESP for the Windows Boot Manager EFI then my guess is that it is not recognized as having a valid UEFI/GPT scheme or is missing the ESP partition entirely somehow.

The nuclear option is to clean it, ensure it is formatted with GPT, and reinstall Windows with custom partitioning to verify. You can also go to diskpart, select your SSD, enter both "list partition" and "list volume", then post the output here if you'd like since I'm curious.
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
Sounds like the integrated eMMC is indeed bad. If your SSD is recognized by the firmware but not bootable and the BIOS won't read the ESP for the Windows Boot Manager EFI then my guess is that it is not recognized as having a valid UEFI/GPT scheme or is missing the ESP partition entirely somehow. The nuclear option is to clean it, ensure it is formatted with GPT, and reinstall Windows.
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I tried cleaning it and reinstalling again. Did clean with diskpart and than "convert gpt", and reinstalled Win10 again and nothing changed. It's still don't ask me which Win10 to load and loads one on EMMC
 
And you are unable to select an EFI file from the SSD in the BIOS? It's typically right in the boot order menu to add a new entry, not sure if you can delete the eMMC one or not.

Try going into diskpart, selecting the SSD, and sending the output of the "list partition" and "list volume" commands. Assign the ESP a drive letter and browse around to ensure that \EFI\Microsoft\boot\bootmgfw.efi exists and such.

Additionally, might there be a way to get into a "one-time boot menu"? If it's not showing up in the main BIOS setup menu then it probably wouldn't be there either, but still worth a shot to see if anything is different. Do you have an InsydeH2O BIOS?
 
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CodeConnoisseur said:
And you are unable to select an EFI file from t
Click to expand...

CodeConnoisseur said:
he SSD in the BIOS? It's typically right in the boot order menu to add a new entry, not sure if you can delete the eMMC one or not.

Try going into diskpart, selecting the SSD, and sending the output of the "list partition" and "list volume" commands. Assign the ESP a drive letter and browse around to ensure that \EFI\Microsoft\boot\bootmgfw.efi exists and such.

Additionally, might there be a way to get into a "one-time boot menu"? If it's not showing up in the main BIOS setup menu then it probably wouldn't be there either, but still worth a shot to see if anything is different.
Click to expand...
No, I can't select it. It only shows EMMC.
IMG20240509083130.jpg

And about ESP - I check and I only have one, which is from EMMC. Can it be what Windows Installer doesn't create another if one already exists? And it can't change it, because it's on bad EMMC
 
The SSD will not be bootable without an ESP partition. There is definitely some strangeness going on there, as the Windows installer should automatically add one on a disk with no partitions.

If you pre-partition your disk with a 100 MB ESP then leave the rest unallocated and have Windows install on that remaining space then you might have some success? Again, not sure why it wouldn't have been created automatically.
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
The SSD will not be bootable without an ESP partition. There is definitely some strangeness going on there, as the Windows installer should automatically add one on a disk with no partitions.

If you pre-partition your disk with a 100 MB ESP then leave the rest unallocated and have Windows install on that remaining space then you might have some success? Again, not sure why it wouldn't have been created automatically.
Click to expand...
I cleaned SSD again, created 100mb efi partition and during creation of partition in Windows Installer, it's for some reason made another 100mb partition with 95mb free space. This didn't happen before. But now I can't install win10 to ssd, it says "we couldn't create a new partition or find existing one"
 
Forgot to mention that you need to ensure the partition you pre-create is marked with the ESP type code. This can be done in diskpart by selecting the partition you created then running
Code: 
set id=c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b

What probably happened is the Windows installer saw your partition but didn't see it marked with that ID so it assumed it was some random thing and tried to work around it. Weird that it now suddenly decided to make one though, and this isn't something you should ever have to do but perhaps the eMMC is in fact conflicting somehow.
 
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Windows install couldn't finish after last stage, but I just checked BIOS uefi file selection and now it looks like this. Two are empty, one has folder for boot, but no files
IMG20240509093402.jpg
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
Forgot to mention that you need to ensure the partition you pre-create is marked with the ESP type code. This can be done in diskpart by selecting the partition you created then running "set id=c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b".

What probably happened is the Windows installer saw your partition but didn't see it marked with that ID so it assumed it was some random thing and tried to work around it. Weird that it now suddenly decided to make one though, and this isn't something you should ever have to do but perhaps the eMMC is in fact conflicting somehow.
Click to expand...
Assigned ID and it's still created another one 100mb partition with 95mb free. Also now when I try to install windows, it shows me warning "The partitions on the disk selected for Installation are not in the recommended order"
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
Hm, well, we seem to be making some progress at least. Were you able to see what the issue with the last steps of the Windows installation was?
Click to expand...
It said "Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation"

Just now finished installation, now without any problems. But I checked BIOS and in new esp it's still only empty folders EFI - Microsoft - Boot
 
I guess just try installing normally without pre-allocating the ESP again? Like I said, the installer should always create one for you if one doesn't exist. Perhaps the first time was a fluke?
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
I guess just try installing normally without pre-allocating the ESP again? Like I said, the installer should always create one for you if one doesn't exist. Perhaps the first time was a fluke?
Click to expand...
Without pre-allocation it doesn't create 100mb ESP, only small 16mb MSR partition
 
Okay, and you said that just before when the installation succeeded the ESP had no Windows Boot Manager. You can try running
Code: 
bootrec /rebuildbcd
after mounting and changing directory into the ESP on your SSD to hopefully make bootmgfw.efi. If that fails you can create a new BCD altogether with
Code: 
bcdboot <Windows volume letter>:\Windows /s <ESP volume letter>:
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
Okay, and you said that just before when the installation succeeded the ESP had no Windows Boot Manager. You can try running bootrec /rebuildbcd after mounting and changing directory into the ESP on your SSD to hopefully make bootmgfw.efi.
Click to expand...
So I need to preallocate again, reinstall and use rebuildbcd on ESP partition with empty folders?

Also, can I maybe somehow copy boot files from ESP on EMMC? I can't save anything on it, but I can copy files from it
 
To the first question, yes. Sorry, this is quite the annoying situation. You can try copying over the boot files from the ESP on eMMC if the commands I gave don't work.
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
To the first question, yes. Sorry, this is quite the annoying situation. You can try copying over the boot files from the ESP on eMMC if the commands I gave don't work.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's annoying, thank you for trying to help. I guess I can copy files by using cmd Notepad and explorer from it, but how would I make eMMC ESP visible?
 
You should just be able to mount it by selecting the volume in diskpart and running "assign". That should give it a drive letter that will allow you to browse the file system.
 
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CodeConnoisseur said:
Okay, and you said that just before when the installation succeeded the ESP had no Windows Boot Manager. You can try running
Code: 
bootrec /rebuildbcd
after mounting and changing directory into the ESP on your SSD to hopefully make bootmgfw.efi. If that fails you can create a new BCD altogether with
Code: 
bcdboot <Windows volume letter>:\Windows /s <ESP volume letter>:
Click to expand...
Bootrec didn't work. Bcdboot worked, files created successfully, I checked through Notepad explorer and it showed in BIOS, so I set it to launch. It's started to launch, but windows installation showed erorr "can't finish installation process" and it's just on a reboot loop

Tried msoobe and it's stuck on "just a moment"
 
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Would you mind uploading C:\WINDOWS\PANTHER\setupact.log from your SSD to a cloud storage service and sharing the link here or simply pasting it all in here as a code block?
 
CodeConnoisseur said:
Would you mind uploading C:\WINDOWS\PANTHER\setupact.log from your SSD to a cloud storage service and sharing the link here or simply pasting it all in here as a code block?
Click to expand...
I don't think it's possible. I only have this notebook and my phone, so I don't know how I could get file from SSD. I think maybe I'll try to reinstall Windows without doing clean in diskpart to save EMC on SSD
 
If you force shutdown (hold down the power button) three times as Windows is starting it should boot into recovery where you can access a shell to get the file and then just take a few pictures. This is unideal for obvious reasons though, I don't know why Windows is being so problematic.
 
Seems like the BCD is corrupt despite the fact that it should have just been freshly created. What is the output of the command bcdedit? Can also try bootrec /rebuildbcd while in the root of the ESP.
 
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