Inaccessible boot device

Please run through each step in post #3.

There are many causes of inaccessible boot device.

All troubleshooting steps are trial and error.
If one fixes it then you are set.
If one does not work then you move to the next until all steps are performed.

If files are backed up then there is more flexibiility.

Reset save files equivalent using the iso would require reinstalling drivers and applications.

When booting to a windows 10 iso it opens Windows Recovery Environent (RE)
This does not provide access to windows.

If you want access to Windows you can try booting using Kyhi boot rescue:
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk

If you cannot create Kyhi boot rescue you can use Ubuntu to backup files to another drive or to the cloud.

Zbook:
Thanks for the Kyhi tip. My plan is if I can boot my PC through Kyhi services then I will immediately create an Easeus backup (and a restore point) that I can restore and boot from.
Win10 automatically sends me to the RE when it sees that I failed on my previous boot, so I won't need to create the iso.
If the Kyhi recommendation doesn't work then I'll follow up on the steps in post #3. I am, however, still baffled whether my boot record is in need of repair. I wish MS would make that more specific than issuing a bogus message like INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE.
You've been incredibly responsive for which I am very grateful.
Dan

This is a Microsoft link on inaccessible boot device:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...le-boot-device

It is an intermediate level link.
There are more advanced steps that can be ran once the partition structure is known.
There are steps for repair of the boot sector, operating system, etc.
Sometimes this bugcheck can be caused by windows updates.

A reset save files equivalent may be able to be performed.
Alternatively a clean install can be performed once important files are backed up.

Zbook:
Thanks for the MS doc link - I'll look into it.
Meanwhile, do you know anything about this piece of software?
Dan

There are approximately 100 bugchecks.
They have a number and a relatively short name.

The name of this bugcheck has boot in the name.
Boot can be distracting if effort is focused on the boot when the problem lies with the operating system, registry, windows updates, BIOS, etc.

Attempts can be made to repair the boot sector.
Access denied is typically a problem beyond the boot sector.
The boot sector sometimes can be completely replaced and it does not fix inaccessible boot device.

Please move the focus from boot to the multifactorial causes displayed in the Microsoft link.

If it were easy to fix with a MBR repair then there would be tutorial on it.
Unfortunately multiple trial and error steps are required.
It can be time consuming.

Backing up files followed by a reset save files equivalent or clean install is often quicker even with reinstalling drivers and applications.

It would be substantially easier to troubleshoot inaccessible boot device when it does not display access denied.


This was inaccessable boot device caused by Windows update:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...1fe463b?auth=1

This link displayed > 500 need answer to fixboot access denied:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...5-d1cc3f20ffbe

Zbook:
I've been reviewing my options and have resigned myself that I will never get my system back with all my programs (many of which I cannot reinstall since the license code was only valid for that day). I do have an (AOMEI) backup that is 6 months old and was able to get to my files from my unbootable PC through DOS, so all is not totally hopeless. I see where the Kyhi file is 1.2 GB and if that is not going to get my old system back then I'll just go with my AOMEI backup.
I will however, make one last attempt to utilize the article you referred me to about deleting recent packages through the DISM command. But that referred to a January 2018 incident so I don't really know if I'll get lucky since it's now July 2019. I would have thought MS learned their lesson and would be careful not to screw up another package? Even so, I didn't see any 'package screw up' articles on the web so I'm not very hopeful DISM will work.
So thanks for all your suggestions and maybe this will motivate me to move to Ubuntu (probably not) or at least be more diligent about not waiting 6 months to take a system backup.
Thanks again,
Dan

Running the command to see packages can give you immediate information about timing.
If there were updates then dates were displayed.

Pending actions can be reverted and if there are none then recent updates can be uninstalled.

Other troubleshooting steps may include:
a) repairing the operating system
b) repairing the drive file system
c) repairing the boot sector
d) replacing the boot sector
etc.

An option that was a prior option was repairing the registry with regback.

Files may be able to be saved.

The problem(s) on the drive are unknown except fixboot access denied.
Trial and error steps can display more information or possibly fix the underlying problem(s).

Reset save files equivalent may be able to be performed. It requires the re-installation of drivers and applications.

Your last reply really makes my issue seem too dismal to hope getting me back to where I was, so now I'm really grateful to at least have a 6 month old backup!

You've been more than helpful.
Dan

Your welcome.

The Aoemi backup can be used to restore (save applications).

If you can backup users folders using Ubuntu to another drive or to the cloud then you may be able to restore with the most up to date files.

Zbook:

Using my package name (that I got from the DISM Get-Packages command) I tried to execute the command you referred me to in posting #3:
dism.exe /image:C:\ /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_Rollupfix~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~18362.175.1.6
but the command was rejected (I think it didn't like the 'packagename' parameter and maybe some others as well).
Do you see anything wrong with my syntax?

Thanks very much,
Dan