Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.

Tempt506 · 25 Jul 2017

When I started my computer up today I got "Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key",restarting returns the same error, selecting the drive in BIOS and booting up does nothing. I burned "Bootable rescue disk - Windows 10" to a cd and ran Macrium Reflect to fix windows boot with no success. Checking the drive using C: Properties -> Tools -> Error checking didn't turn up any errors.

The only thing I can think of now is reinstalling windows 10 from a USB. Any help would be appreciated.

dalchina · 26 Jul 2017

Hi, if you haven't done so, please download Kyhi's bootable disk from the top of the Software and Apps section here (maybe that's the one you have- I don't know).

Run HDTune from that disk to check your internal disk, and post a screenshot of the result.
To post a screenshot please use the Insert Image icon to the left of the video icon above your post

You need to be sure your disk is ok before proceeding. If it isn't, get a new one - you might wish to upgrade to a SSD.

If the disk is ok, you could also post a screenshot of the partitions using Minitool Partition Wizard on Kyhi's disk.

Do you use disk imaging? If you do, as we strongly and continually advise, you're fine and can recover without a clean install, even if you have to buy a new disk.

If not, then
if you can still image your system partition ('C:'), then
if your disk is ok, you can still make use of your existing system partition
Note: if your disk is failing, attempting to image it may well fail with a CRC error

Here's how:
1. Image your existing C:
2. Reinstall the same major build of Win 10 on your existing disk - if good- else on a new disk
3. Restore the image of your existing C: in place of the newly created C:
4. Run Startup Repair

mfmathis75 · 26 Jul 2017

Maybe your MBR on boot disk is corrupted or your boot disk might not be the first one listed in BIOS disk boot order. Before you reinstall Windows, there is a bootrec command you could try to recover the MBR if that might be the problem, but you have to have a command prompt to run it. I think you run bootrec /? to see the available options for bootrec. It might be worth a try before you reinstall Windows.

dalchina · 26 Jul 2017

We will find out whether the disks are GPT or MBR if Tempt506 responds to request for a screenshot.
Whats the Difference Between GPT and MBR When Partitioning a Drive?
The Differences Between MBR and GPT - Make Tech Easier

Tempt506 · 26 Jul 2017

dalchina said:

Hi, if you haven't done so, please download Kyhi's bootable disk from the top of the Software and Apps section here (maybe that's the one you have- I don't know).

Run HDTune from that disk to check your internal disk, and post a screenshot of the result.
To post a screenshot please use the Insert Image icon to the left of the video icon above your post

You need to be sure your disk is ok before proceeding. If it isn't, get a new one - you might wish to upgrade to a SSD.

If the disk is ok, you could also post a screenshot of the partitions using Minitool Partition Wizard on Kyhi's disk.

Do you use disk imaging? If you do, as we strongly and continually advise, you're fine and can recover without a clean install, even if you have to buy a new disk.

If not, then
if you can still image your system partition ('C:'), then
if your disk is ok, you can still make use of your existing system partition
Note: if your disk is failing, attempting to image it may well fail with a CRC error

Here's how:
1. Image your existing C:
2. Reinstall the same major build of Win 10 on your existing disk - if good- else on a new disk
3. Restore the image of your existing C: in place of the newly created C:
4. Run Startup Repair

Here are the screenshots

Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.-2017-07-26_140136.png

Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.-2017-07-26_140719.png

dalchina · 26 Jul 2017

Hi, actually it's the Health tab that's of interest:

Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.-1.jpg

(Hard Disk Sentinel gives a better indication, but is not on the disk)

I'm afraid I don't understand your Minitool screenshot. There's no drive letter, there should be more than one partition.

Yours is MBR (legacy BIOS) it seems, so will have fewer partitions than mine (shown as DISK 2).
Ignore EFGH Disk 1.

If that's what is on your disk (as shown in your screenshot) it's not surprising it won't boot. Even the file system is shown as 'Other'.

Tempt506 · 26 Jul 2017

Here's the screenshot. Nothing else shows up on the minitool.

dalchina · 27 Jul 2017

Ok, your physical disk seems ok, but the content is the problem.

If you had a disk image, you could have restored that.

Without that my first thought is, should you not have backups, to attempt any data recovery you can, then clean install.

So you could, for example, in Minitool PW, try rt clicking the partition, explore, and see if there's anything readable.
If that shows nothing, then you can try partition recovery tools.
(E.g. Minitool PW, Disk, Partition recovery).

It may be your partition table has been damaged.

Tempt506 · 27 Jul 2017

This turned up from a full scan using the minitool

Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.-2017-07-27_143023.png

Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.-2017-07-27_143031.png

Tempt506 · 27 Jul 2017

This is from a quick scan

Boot failure, Windows won't boot from drive.-2017-07-27_151718.png

Should I try to restore the top partition (1863.02 GB)?