Boot Config Data Missing or Errors - Aspire (Z1620-UR31P) All-In-One

For this Windows 10 Home 64-bit PC (originally Windows 7 Home) I am trying to fix Error Code 0xC000000f that specifies, "The boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors." Booting failure occurred following an unsuccessful upgrade to Windows 10 Creators Update. Using several Acer Community solutions plus those from Microsoft, I receive, "The requested system device cannot be found." My latest initial commands in elevated Command Prompt were:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanOs
bootrec /rebuildbcd

Following is a recreation of those latest results, with red type showing where issues occur.

X:\Sources>bootrec /fixmbr
The operation completed successfully.

X:\Sources>bootrec /fixboot
The operation completed successfully.

X:\Sources>bootrec /scanOs
Scanning for all disks for Windows installations.

Please wait, since this may take a while...

Succcessfully scanned Windows installations.
Total identified Windows installations: 1
[1] \Windows
The operation completed successfully.

X:\Sources>bootrec /rebuildbcd
Scanning for all disks for Windows installations.

Please wait, since this may take a while...

Succcessfully scanned Windows installations.
Total identified Windows installations: 1
[1] \Windows
Add installation to boot list? Yes (Y) / No (N) / All (A): Y
The requested system device cannot be found.

Before resuming a Web search heavy with suggestions but so far lacking an effective solution, I wanted to check with fellow Acer owners. If there's an official Acer Incorporated / Acer America solution I've been unable to locate it. Also, does anyone know why the Command Prompt is giving me "X:\Sources>" and not "X:/Windows/System32>"? Or how I can switch to the latter if desirable? Thanks.

FYI, following is the exact text of the Blue Screen being addressed above.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Recovery
Your PC/Device needs to be repaired.
The boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors.
File: EFI/Microsoft/Boot/BCD
Error code: 0xC000000f
You'll need to use recovery tools. If you don't have any installation media (like a disk or USB device), contact your PC administrator or PC/device manufacturer.Version:1.0 StartHTML:000000241 EndHTML:000002108 StartFragment:000001968 EndFragment:000002072 StartSelection:000001968 EndSelection:000002072 SourceURL:http://community.acer.com/t5/forums/editpage/board-id/allinone/message-id/2509

------------------------------------------------------------------

Accepted answers

IronFly

have you created a windows 10 USB flash drive installation media and try to repair your installation using it?

First of all try to check if ALT+F10 at boot take you to windows 8.x-10 recovery and you can reach command prompt from there:
troubleshoot-advanced options- command prompt (if this works, go to point 4, if not point 1)
1. create a vanilla Windows 8.1 or 10 installation media from this link:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
2. Once you boot using the Windows installation disc, on the Windows 8.x-10 installation window, click on Repair your computer.
3. Click on Troubleshoot and in the Advanced options. First thing you may try is the Automatic Repair.

All comments

IronFly

have you created a windows 10 USB flash drive installation media and try to repair your installation using it?

First of all try to check if ALT+F10 at boot take you to windows 8.x-10 recovery and you can reach command prompt from there:
troubleshoot-advanced options- command prompt (if this works, go to point 4, if not point 1)
1. create a vanilla Windows 8.1 or 10 installation media from this link:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
2. Once you boot using the Windows installation disc, on the Windows 8.x-10 installation window, click on Repair your computer.
3. Click on Troubleshoot and in the Advanced options. First thing you may try is the Automatic Repair.

doughjohn

Hi

X: is the (in my case) the DVD drive. So when you are doing bootrec you are using ram and the install media.

If you went to

C: or or whatever then do a DIR you should see you windows and all your data.

So cd.. and go to X:\ then do a dir and see the listing - cd x:\windows\system32

The query is why your install is listed as and not C: because you would normally be expected to navigate to the partiton and link to the boot loader.

WJB-2

Thanks DoughJohn for some very useful information, both for now and my ongoing personal "Knowledge Base."

As it happens I've been attempting boot repair with a DVD holding a Windows 10 Version 1703 ISO -- though as I've noted 1703, Build 10.0.15063.0, is the upgrade failure that brought boot failure. Anyway, as in your case "X:" is then my CD/DVD drive.

Through today and weekend if necessary I'll be attempting Iron-Fly's above suggestions. Although as you can see I also have what he appears to be calling a "vanilla" version of Windows 10. I may be back to you if necessary with further "System32" questions. Though hopefully not! Man Happy

WJB-2

Okay, Iron-Fly. Addressing your points in order, beginning with "ALT+F10 at boot" for "Windows 8.x-10 recovery." ALT+F10 brings the previously noted Blue Screen stating:
Recovery
Your PC/Device needs to be repaired.
The boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors.
File: EFI/Microsoft/Boot/BCD
Error code: 0xC000000f
You'll need to use recovery tools. If you don't have any installation media (like a disk or USB device), contact your PC administrator or PC/device manufacturer.

Next, regarding creating "Windows 10 USB flash drive installation media" to repair my installation, I tried three tools:

My only recovery tool, a USB drive holding Windows 10 version 1507 ("Threshold 1", the first Windows 10 release), build number 10.0.10240. This proved useless as I came to see only installation media can work.
A USB flash drive created from the Media Creation Tool (MCT) for the Windows 10 Set Up application for OS build 10.0.15063.0. That build is Windows 10 Version 1703, "Creators Update."
A DVD holding an ISO created from the same MCT with the Windows 10 Set Up application for build 10.0.15063.0

Since my failed 1703 upgrade brought an endless boot loop -- i.e., Windows "restarting," "restarting," "restarting" -- my Z1620 hopefully retains its previous Windows 10 Version 1607, Build 14393.10 Anniversary Update. I hoped the first of your two links would have a 1607 option. But both links are to my current MCT for build 10.0.15063.0. That seems okay for repair, after which I can only hope Windows restores 1607.

So, assuming my existing installation tools match your "vanilla" recommendations, with BIOS booting set for CD/DVD first I used my ISO-equipped DVD and chose "Repair your computer." I don't have "Automatic Repair" under Troubleshoot > Advanced Options, but I do have the following from which I'm thinking you mean "Startup Repair":

System Restore
System Image Recovery
Startup Repair
Command Prompt
Go back to previous version

Choosing each fix above results as follows:

System Restore -- "Restore system files and setting. No restore points have been created on your computer's system drive. To create a restore point open system protection." ("System protection is available only in online operating system.")
System Image Recovery -- "Windows cannot find a system image on this computer."
Startup Repair -- "Diagnosing your PC." (Long wait at Windows logo; then restart.) "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD ...". (Returns to installation window; no repair results.)
Command Prompt -- All Boot Configuration Data (BCD) rebuild efforts to date fail with, "The requested system device cannot be found," or "The store export operation has failed. The requested system device cannot be found."
Go back to previous version -- "Go back to the previous version. We ran into a problem and won't be able to take you back to the previous version of Windows. Try resetting your PC instead (Troubleshoot > Reset this PC).*
* Windows 10 1703 recovery environment does not feature under Troubleshoot the heading Reset this PC.

As noted above I've attempted multiple BCD rebuilds in addition to the one listed in my initial post. One included creating a new BCD on the C drive -- though perhaps I needed to choose D (see DoughJohn's reply to this post.). Perhaps I should try replacing X:\Sources> with X:/Windows/System32>. (Again see DoughJohn's reply.)

I will continue researching and wait a day or two to see what other input may be forthcoming. The key seems to be the failure noting, "The requested system device cannot be found." Windows Support and links point to a partition issue that requires a somewhat extensive repair using the "DiskPart" command in the Command Prompt.

Some links suggest a clean install attempt, but I fail to see how that could work with my Z1620's BCD missing or containing errors.

IronFly

try these suggestions

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-rebuild-the-bcd-in-windows-2624508

doughjohn

Hi

This is scary...

I have a HP and it is really flexible compared the Acer my wife uses in respect of the BIOS etc, and I never used the recovery option on the Acer, I just wiped it all, so cannot help there.

I use a DVD usually, but do have a USB option. Now I have HP recovery DVD's as well. BUT I deleted the 2 recovery partitions that HP supply and made my own.

Shrink the end of your HDD to create a partition of 6 gig -ish. Expand the Windows 10 iso and copy it to this new partition, co-incidentally called X: for me, you could call it R.

Use easyBCD and add this new partition to your boot menu (you do get a bit of email from the maker's) and next time you boot W10 is the 4 second default and X Recovery is a coupla keystrokes away.

With the spare space on the 6 gig part add in all the Acer drivers, and any utilities you want.

And you can update the W10 backup and drivers as you go along.

NB: This is dangerous and you don't get to access X: unless the PC gets to a boot screen, so the method's described by Iron-Fly are better than mine.

If in doubt please ask.

WJB-2

Thanks, DoughJohn, I think. By which I refer to your "this is scary" comment. By "scary" you meant your proposed fix, I take it. Well you do refer to Iron-Fly's suggestion and that's where I'll be starting with a very fingers crossed hope for an easy fix. In the meantime at some point you may find this "nuclear option" fix interesting in terms of how it compares to your (homemade?) process.

Oops .. just came back for edit to note NeoSMART's EasyBCD web site warns, "EasyBCD can't fix a PC that won't boot."

doughjohn

Hi

"unless the PC gets to a boot screen" So easyBCD are correct.

The nuclear one, unfortunately I have done more damage to my machines than that could fix, like the HDD not being recognised as a bootable device, IE: missing.

But thank you for the kind words.

WJB-2

Thanks to links courtesy ACE Iron-Fly plus DoughJohn's admittedly "scary" ideas, booting failure troubleshooting progresses. Anyone who has had to rebuild their PC's boot configuration data will recognize Iron-Fly's latest fix suggestion:

bootrec /rebuildbcd
bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup
attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd

Common BCD fix steps, for sure, but when I ran the steps ... notice the response I've highlighted in red:

X:\Sources>bootrec /rebuildbcd
Scanning all disks for Windows installations.

Please wait, since this may take a while...

Successfully scanned Windows installations.
Total identified Windows installations: 0
The operation completed successfully.

X:\Sources>bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup
The operation completed successfully.

X:\Sources>attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s

X:\Sources>ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
A duplicate file name exists, or the file cannot be found.

X:\Sources>bootrec /rebuildbcd
Scanning all disks for Windows installations.

Please wait, since this may take a while...

Successfully scanned Windows installations.
Total identified Windows installations: 0
The operation completed successfully

When I ran my original fix attempt...
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanOs
bootrec /rebuildbcd
... as initially reported here I saw, "The requested system device cannot be found."

Long overdue to determine what's missing, I started with Microsoft's "diskpart" utility. And look at what I saw, or rather, didn't see. Where's the EFI System Partition (ESP), as named for the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)? It should be formatted FAT32. But everything is NTFS.

An ESP contains the boot loaders or kernel images for all installed operating systems. It must be formatted with a file system whose specification is based on the FAT file system and maintained as part of the UEFI specification; therefore, the file system specification is independent from the original FAT specification. When a computer is booted, UEFI firmware loads files stored on the ESP to start installed operating systems and various utilities. So how was I able to get any of the above bootrec.exe commands to work?

Next step -- also well overdue -- I went to Microsoft's DSKCHK. Following is a recreation with some interesting DSKCHK results.

X:\Sources>CHKDSK C
The drive, the path, or the file name is not valid.

X:\Sources>CHKDSK
The type of file system is NTFS.
The volume is in use by another process. CHKDSK might report errors when no corruption is present. Volume label is Boot.
Warning! /F parameter not specified.
Running DSKCHK in read-only mode.
Read-only CHKDSK found bad on-disk uppercase table -- using system table.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
29 file records processed.
File verification completed.
0 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
43 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.
0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
7 data files processed.
Errors detected in the uppercase file.

Windows has checked the file system and found problems. Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.
3086 KB total disk space.
        4 KB in 9 indexes.
        0 KB in bad sectors.
2485 KB in use by the system.
2084 KB occupied by the log file.
   597 KB available on disk.

512 bytes in each allocation unit.
6173 total allocation units on disk.
1195 allocation units available on disk.
Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50.

X:\Sources>CHKDSK /f
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Cannot lock current drive.
Windows cannot run disk checking on this volume because it is write protected.

IMG_20170807_132858.jpg

doughjohn

Hi

I notice a difference in your descriptor to my own layout.

I have had umpteen assorted partitions, BUT the first one 260MB is not allocated a drive letter.

Seeing your screenshot shows a 100 MB partition as DRIVE C, and earlier you were finding Windows on your Drive D.

My boot area is not listed as NTFS, or actually anything, although I think it is FAT32.

Most of my partitioning is done with Gparted for simplicity and safety.

Windows is "mis-reporting" some values, as I have openSUSE using 3 partitions, Debian using 1 and I think a tiny MBR area in there somewhere.

doughjohn

Hi

Now, like Wurzel Gummidge, I shall put on my Serious Head.

If windows closed down cleanly, I wold use a live linux distro like Knoppix.

You could just make a Gparted Live disk, use Debian or Ubuntu but not openSUSE.

Shrink the windows partition to little more than the current amount of data it holds.

Create a new Storage area and move lots of non-core stuff there.

Knoppix will move the stuff.

Then you have a Safe storage area, a W10 area you can nuke, and then do fresh clean install.

It wont write over S: so data is safe. You can clear the efi area, but it should be re-done when W10 re-installs.

Experiment 1 safe step at a time.

If in doubt please ask.

WJB-2

While I marked solutions for both DoughJohn's "Wurzel Gummidge" remedy and Iron-Fly's first steps guidance, post followers will understand by the end that "boot configuration data missing" has multiple causes and a dizzying array of potential remedies. I believe we cover all leading solutions. But avoid going around in circles by not waiting to use DSKCHK and DiskPart. Inherently emphasized is the importance of making a system disk.

Regarding DoughJohn's qualifier, "If windows closed down cleanly," in my case it essentially did not. So I will need to do some variation on his suggestions. As described boot configuration data (BCD) went missing when a failed Windows 10 Creators Update installation froze my Z1620, forcing a hard shutdown. Hard shutdowns and power outages are cited as leading causes of booting failures. As a DSKCHK run shows, the hard shutdown eliminated my entire EFI System Partition (ESP), which is named for the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI).

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