Cloudbook 11 Windows Issue

Hi Everyone,
Hope this is the correct forum! Feel free to move the topic if needed. I have an Acer Cloudbook 11. Awhile back, the machine went through a windows update and will not fully boot. When you turn the device on, it goes into Acer repair/recover....then into the the Windows "There was a problem starting the PC". I've gone through every option from troubleshooting, to DOS scans, to resetting with saving data, deleting data...you name it.

I feel the only option at this point is booting from a Windows Recovery USB. Any idea how to create one of these without having the ability to boot Windows? I'm not looking to recover any data, just to get the machine to boot again. Can I get the Windows key from my device serial number somehow?

Thanks in advance.

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JackE

OK, I have to step away for awhile so I'm gonna assume it's still a FAT32 file system. So go back into diskpart and re-enter the following diskpart commands---
list vol
sel vol1
assign letter=e:
list vol
exit (if all the volumes now have a letter c: , e: & d: and everything else went OK)

Then at the command prompt enter the following command---
cd /d e:\EFI\Windows\Boot\ (if command doesn't work then try dropping the /d and enter cd e:\EFI\Windows\Boot\ )
bootrec /FixBoot
ren BCD BCD.old
bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s e: All

Then try coldbooting again.

Jack E/NJ

Skier76

Many thanks Jack! I'm getting stuck here: "cd /d e:\EFI\Windows\Boot\ (if command doesn't work then try dropping the /d and enter cd e:\EFI\Windows\Boot\ )"

"The system cannot find the path specified."

No rush on this. Appreciate the help.

JackE

Check diskpart "list vol" again. For some reason the assigned letter e: is not taking. Perhaps we first need to select disk 0, so try ---

sel disk 0
list vol
sel vol 1 (make sure this is the ESP FAT32 volume)
assign letter=e:
list vol
exit

Then re-enter diskpart, "sel disk 0" "list vol" to make sure the e letter stuck. Then exit and try the bootrec and bcd routine again at the command prompt.

Jack E/NJ

Skier76

Will do Jack! I'll give it a go this evening.

Skier76

Jack,
No issues assigning "E" in diskpart! I'm still getting a system cannot find the path specified error. Sent you a screen shot.

Skier76

Made a change based on a quick Google: cd /d e:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\

Then I got to e:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot

/Fixboot (Operation Completed Successfully)

I'm now hung up on ren bcd bcd.old (The system cannot find the file specified)

JackE

Glenn---That's OK. Try the next command "bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s e: All" to see if it takes. I think earlier this command returned an error that it can't find e:\efi\Windows\boot because BootRec /FixBoot was applied to e:\efi\Microsoft\boot. Jack E/NJ PS I got your screenshot and we might have other options if bcdboot doesn't work.

JackE

Glenn---Your screenshot shows that you were trying to access e:\efi\Windows\boot, not e:\efi\Microsoft\boot --- Note "Windows" and "Microsoft" subdirectories.

Also, check diskpart again to make sure the e: letter stuck. Then exit diskpart. At the command prompt, enter "attrib -h e:\" without the quotes. If you don't get an error message, then go back into diskpart to see if the e:\ volume is unhidden.

Jack E/NJ

Skier76

Good eyes Frank! When I tried "Windows" it could not find the directory. When I used "Microsoft" in place of "Windows" I was able to proceed with /fixboot.

Are Windows and Microsoft interchangeable?

JackE

They should not be interchangeable --- this caused a problem before. Please check diskpart again to make sure e: letter is still there after running bootrec /fixboot successfully. Then, before running "bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s e: All" , see if you can unhide e: by running "attrib -h e:\" from the command prompt without the quotes (not diskpart prompt). Let me know if you get an attrib error. Jack E/NJ

Skier76

Thanks Frank. I ran into an issue when trying to use "Windows". I'll give it another go. If it doesn't work, I'll send along a screen shot.

Skier76

E: was still there in diskpart and after running bootrec/fixboot

When I run attrib -h e:\ from the cmd prompt, I get "File nto found - E:\"

JackE

Try this at the command prompt. "attrib -h e:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\*.efi" without the quotes. Jack E/NJ

PS: On second thought, try "attrib -h e:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\*.*" without the quotes.

Skier76

Thanks Frank! Gave it a go and go a file not found message.

JackE

Try "attrib -h e:\*.*" without the quotes. If it still doesn't find it, then try "dir e:\ /ah" without the quotes---what do you see? Jack E/NJ

Skier76

Thank you Frank!

On the first one, I got a "Path not found - E:\"

On the second one, "The system cannot find the path specified"

This computer is not liking the E drive for some reason!

JackE

OK. Run the "bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s e: All" command again to see if you get the same error message --- can't find e:\efi\Windows\boot. That was because bootrec /fixboot only seemed to work with the Microsoft subdirectory, not the Windows subdirectory. Jack E/NJ

Skier76

Jack,
When I ran the above, I got Bcdboot file creation and repair tool. message followed by a long list of potential commands. Is that what we're looking for?

Thanks again for all your guidance. Sorry for the delay in my last response.