Question Restore EFI Bootloader after GPT Partition Resizeing

[Pirmin]

Hey Frens

Currently I am desperately trying to restore my Bootloader. I have a GPT + EFI system.

Story Time:

When my Windows Partition was crying for more storage I thought I could just steal some of my Data Partition and give it to my Windows Partition. I found out it's no so easy with the Windows partitioning tool since it doesn't allow enlargement of system partition. So I installed Aoemi Partition Assistant. I also found out, that the disks are Bitlocker encrypted, so I decrypted my System Drive BUT I was too lazy to decrypt my Data Drive. Aoemi rebooted and moved the partitions around. Afterwards it rebooted. Then I had a Black Screen with a very Slow cursor that seemed to be constantly doing something. Research has concluded that Aoemi must have changed the Bootloader to MBR on a GPT UEFI system.

After countless hours of nonsense MBR related tutorials, of various Software Tool Manufacturers that want to sell their product, I finally found this Thread with someone having a similar Problem:

According to @SkyNetRising one should shrink the partition, install another windows and copy all the files from the Boot Folder to the original one and to then finally be able to run bcdboot.

xcopy /e /h /y c:\windows\boot d:\windows\
bcdboot d:\windows /s h: /f uefi /v


I still get errors though...


To note is also, that I do not have the Bitlocker Key saved in my Microsoft account. So the only way to save my files from my data drive would be to get the windows running again...


Any idea of what I can do next?
This is the output:

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Well, your first big mistake was not backing up all your data first and verifying that back up was good. You’re probably screwed. I don’t think there’s anything you’re going to be able to do at this point don’t try to resize partitions give windows at least 500 GB or more don’t ever limit its partition size like that.

Good luck, but I have a feeling you’re going to have to format and reinstall

 

[Pirmin]

Yes that was stupid. But I think that the bitlocker key is inside the broken Windows somehow. Probably in the registry somewhere... If I could get it just back to work... There's got to be a way...

 

[SkyNetRising]

Research has concluded that Aoemi must have changed the Bootloader to MBR on a GPT UEFI system.

This is highly unlikely.
If you did that, result would not be bootable.

According to @SkyNetRising one should shrink the partition, install another windows and copy all the files from the Boot Folder to the original one and to then finally be able to run bcdboot.

Did you manage to shrink windows partition and
install another instance of windows?

Copying of boot files (in topic you mentioned) was necessary, because bcdboot command was not working properly.
If bcdboot command is working, then there's no need for copying.

 

[Pirmin]

Thanks for replying 🙏

Yes, I was able to shrink down the partition using Aomei bootable drive, then installed windows. Also did I copy using the command above.

Before, Bcdboot gave me an error 193 and c00001 I believe... I don't have screenshot... it was a long night lol 😆

 

[Pirmin]

... this was the error message I was getting at the time., like here...


BFSVC Error: BCD strings MUI load failure c:\windows\System32\bootstr.dill (2).
BFSVC Error: Failed to initialise global state. Status = [c0000001]

I'm not too sure if within the brackets it was a 193 instead of a 2 but the one in the square brackets was like that definitely.

 

[Pirmin]

What is funny is that I turned secure Boot off to be able to boot into Aomei or easeus partition master. Now that I turned it back on, it is showing me the old login screen and asking me for the old password of my broken Windows, when I enter it, it boots into the newly installed one.

Is it possible that the bitlocker keys are in The TPM but because the location of the partition changed, it thinks it is not the same partition and therefore does not unlock?

 

[Pirmin]

With secure boot enabled, bcdboot gives better results… he now only complains that he cannot find the second volume…



I feel reaffirmed that the TPM doesn’t recognize the second file partition because its physical location got moved on the SSD and it also got shrinked … what do you guys think?
Is there any way we can convince the TPM that this is the data volume is the volume it knew before? Or is there a way to extract all saved passwords from the TPM?


The Key ID of the drive i could extract out of the old windows’ registry…