[SOLVED] Why is my windows 10 drive locked?

[Alberto_x86]

Hi everyone!
My system:
I7 8700k,
16gb RAM @2666mhz,
256 gb SSD
32gb Intel Optane +2tb HDD
RTX 2080 XC Ultra gaming

Some days ago I had to switch my motherboard from Asus Z370 E-Gaming to Gigabyte Z390 Ultra gaming because the first one just broke down (working since 2017). So I bought the Ultra gaming. After I assembled it I didn't format the SSD everything worked fine, I could activate Windows 10 again and I was playing, later I shut down the PC I realized the Power Supply was still working so I turned it off and went to sleep. 2 days ago when I wanted to play something, the PC had a delay to start, like many reboots before I'd do it, after that it send me to the Repairing System Menu , when I try to repair it it displays the "windwos 10 drive is locked" and I cannot start Windows. So I wonder what do you think have happened? Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Colif]

Normally if you swap Motherboards its advisable to reinstall win 10 as it can lead to complications. PSU staying on might have been a result of install having drivers for old PC on new one and it was not talking to bios properly.

its possible that the simple act of turning off power may have corrupted the BCD file.

Do you have a win 10 installer usb?? If anything its useful for recovering files
On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

anything on ssd you want to rescue?
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type notepad and press enter
in notepad, select file>open
Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd

Here are a few suggested fixes - https://neosmart.net/wiki/the-drive...ere_Windows_is_installed_is_locked_on_Windows

if none work, I would clean install win 10 as you might get better performance as well on a new install on new motherboard - follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

 

[Alberto_x86]

Normally if you swap Motherboards its advisable to reinstall win 10 as it can lead to complications. PSU staying on might have been a result of install having drivers for old PC on new one and it was not talking to bios properly.

its possible that the simple act of turning off power may have corrupted the BCD file.

Do you have a win 10 installer usb?? If anything its useful for recovering files
On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

anything on ssd you want to rescue?
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type notepad and press enter
in notepad, select file>open
Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd

Here are a few suggested fixes - https://neosmart.net/wiki/the-drive...ere_Windows_is_installed_is_locked_on_Windows

if none work, I would clean install win 10 as you might get better performance as well on a new install on new motherboard - follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

Hi! Actually I have started to re-install windows 10 . About the BCD File is there any way to fix it? Is it normal get damaged when you turn off the PSU? Because at least for me it wouldn't make sense it got damaged every time you unplug your PC to clean it... Thanks for your comments!

 

[Alberto_x86]

The installation was completed and only to test what you said about the BCD file damaged , I turn off the PSU again and... my god! it's locked again ! ¬¬

 

[Colif]

win 10 by default uses a mode called Fast Startup. In this mode, instead of shutting down when you turn PC off, it goes into a hibernate mode, leaving pc in a powered on state and allowing ram to stay active enough to allow windows to store a copy of all drivers + the kernel into it and making startup much faster on systems with hdd.

Downside is if you unplug it in this mode, it can corrupt boot files.

If you are in a habit of unplugging PC, I would turn it off - its no use on ssd systems anyway - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-turn-off-fast-startup-windows-10-a.html

Now it seems unusual that it locked drive twice in a row.

The BCD (Boot config data) should have been rewritten when you reinstall it. Makes me wonder about the health of the drive you are using.

What brand ssd is it?

wonder if windows put anything on the optane, is it used as storage or ram in system.? is it a cache or just more free storage? I ask as the intel rapid storage tech used to be used to make ssd into fast speed cache, so I was curious if its doing same in your system? If it were, it might be putting BCD there.

 

[Alberto_x86]

This worked, I had to reinstall windows and then disable Fast Startup.
Thank you very much!