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#31
Activate automatically with the key in bios.
I will get some help on this - I'm not too familiar with the procedure to advise.
I don't even think this is necessary anymore. The most recent v1511 (November update) will grab the key from your BIOS and should activate that way. If for some reason it doesn't, you can always select "Change Product Key" in Settings>Activation, and activate it that way with your original OEM key.
Just let it install using the key in your BIOS. Save the other one.
Okay, I've requested additional help from our members, but, in the meantime, I've done a little research as you did. The two pages I am referencing are here:
How can I repair the Windows 8 EFI Bootloader? - Super User
Fixing a Corrupted UEFI Partition in Windows 8 or 8.1
Based on what I'm reading, this is what I would do:
1. Make a Macrium image of your entire W8.1 HDD, create Rescue Media, verify the backup and also the Rescue media.
2. Copy/paste your personal files to an external HDD
3. Grab the appropriate W10 install media from MS TechBench
4. Backup your current W8.1 drivers (you can use Driver Magician Lite Free)
5. Grab the W10 drivers specific to your system from the Dell support site
6. Locate all your install media and keycodes for any "paid" software
7. Write down your 2 Windows keycodes
8. Grab @Kyhi 's custom bootable recovery media for W8.x + W10 here, just in case
9. Boot to advanced options>command prompt
(caveat here - I have never done this and I hope someone can chime in and confirm these instructions)
Identify and assign letter to partition:
EnterOnce in diskpart, enterCode:diskpartDisk 0 is now the selected diskCode:select disk 0
EnterIdentify which volume is FAT32Code:list vol
Enterwhere X is the volume that's FAT32Code:sel vol X
Volume X is the selected volume
EnterDiskpart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount pointCode:assign letter=b:
Enterto exit Diskpart utilityCode:exit
Now fix the BCD:
Enter(or cd /d b:\Boot\ or cd /d b:\ESD\Windows\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\)Code:cd /d b:\EFI\Microcoft\Boot\
EnterEnterCode:ren BCD BCD.bakEnterCode:bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-gb /s b: /f ALLEnterCode:bootrec /rebuildbcd(not sure if this attrib is needed at all)Code:attrib bcd -s -h -r
EnterCode:bootrec /fixboot
Now, again, I am no expert on this stuff. I don't *think* you need to turn Secure Boot off, but I could be wrong. You might want to wait and see who else replies about this.
If it totally borks your machine, then you can re-image the W8.1, or clean install the W10.
Last edited by simrick; 02 Dec 2015 at 13:23.
Needless to say this has all gone horribly wrong...
Copy (backup) any files you wish to save to another drive
(if you have no access to the current OS - boot from my PE and then copy the files you wish to save..)
Clean Install Windows 10 build 10586
Turn off legacy / CSM support in your bios setting.. to force EFI/GPT installation
boot from your setup media
delete every partition and allow windows 10 to install to the unallocated space..
It will correct itself..
Thanks to simrick for that detailed reply. I'll just remind you all that the PC boots fine in Windows 8.1 but the command bcdedit /export fails to complete. Several others had this problem and once corrected Windows 10 would install.
I used Partition Wizard to explore the EFI volume and can confirm the BCD file is in the directory \EFI\Microsoft\Boot.
I'm not sure I need both the bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-gb /s b: /f ALL and bootrec /rebuildbcd commnds. Most references use one or the other commands. I was planning to investigate this a bit further so I understand what I'm doing.
My understanding is that bootrec /fixmbr doesn't apply to a UEFI boot configuration.
I'll wait a day or so to see if someone else has advice then try the fix.
The problem is that the upgrade from Windows 8.1 Home to Windows 10 on my newish Dell laptop consistently fails at the point where the PC is about to restart for the first time. I've tried all of the common fixes as discussed on this thread.
I mentioned in a previous post above that I saw a possible fix in this thread https://www.tenforums.com/installatio...ll-doesnt.html. I get the same error mentioned in Post 8 of that thread -when I try to run "bcdedit /export <file>" I get an error message "The store export operation has failed. The handle is invalid". Several people report sucess in upgrading to Windows 10 once this boot configuration issue is fixed.
The discussion from post 26 onwards in this thread is about fixing this boot configuration issue (even though Windows 8.1 boots fine) before having to do a clean install of Windows 10 instead of the planned 'simple' upgrade.
/export
Exports the contents of the system store to a specifiedfile, which can be used later to restore the state of the system store:
bcdedit /export filename
Parameters
filename
The name of the file that is to contain the exported store. If filename contains spaces, it must beenclosed in quotation marks (""):
· If you specify just the file name, BCDEditcreates the file in the current default folder.
· To have the file placed in a specific folder,set filename to the fully-qualifiedpath. The path must end in a valid file name, such as c:\temp\mystore. If thepath ends in the name of a folder (such as c:\temp) or the name of an existingfile, the command fails.
· You can use valid environment variables in thepath. For example, if %TEMP% is defined as c:\Temp, setting filename to %TEMP%\MyStore creates anexported store named MyStore in c:\Temp.
Example
The following command exports the system store to C:\Data\BCDBackup:
bcdedit /export"C:\Data\BCD Backup"
Remarks
This command can be used only to export data fromthe system store. The system store itself is not affected.
it appears you are trying to export the BCD into a Backup file..
then renaming and recreating the BCD store...
Marcuim reflect and easybcd both have this option..
Do not see how recreating a working EFI BCD store will help with a windows 10 upgrade..
In EFI mode you need the EFI partition, The system reserve partition, the winre partition and the OS partition..
the upgrade should automatically add the additional winre partition..