Error 0xc000000f – Windows 10 Anniversary

logo · 15 Jun 2017

After a system reboot following a Windows update, the following error message appeared on the screen:

"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: 0x000000f

You’ll need to use recovery tools. If you don’t have any installation media, contact your PC administrator or PC/Device Manufacturer."

I’ve booted from a recovery drive, selected ‘Repair your computer’ and tried to rebuild the MBR and BCD via the Command Prompt Option. I’ve run the following commands:

bootrec /fixmbdr
The operation completed successfully.

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

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

bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup
The store export operation has failed.
The system cannot find the file specified.

After that, I’ve tried to run Macrium Reflect, EasyBCD and Lazesoft from Kyhi's recovery drive. Sadly, they didn’t detect any OS and couldn’t perform any fixes.

EasyBCD returned the following error message: “The boot configuration data store could not be opened. The system cannot find the file specified. Would you like to manually load a BCD registry for EasyBCD to manage?”

Lazesoft returned the error message: “No Windows volume was found”.

Macrium Reflect returned the message: “Installed Windows Operating Systems”: none
Running Tasks:
EFI Partition found on Disk 1 – completed
Removing old BCD - failed

Can anyone help me get out of this mess, please? Thanks!

dalchina · 15 Jun 2017

Hi, please post a screenshot of your partitions. You can use Minitool Partition Wizard on Kyhi's disk.

Please also run HDTune from Kyhi's disk to check your disk and post a screenshot.

Have you tried Macrium's Fix Boot utility? (Also available via Macrium R on Kyhi's disk.

This may help - it did apparently help some with the same error report:
Windows 8 Boot issue Error 0xc000000f - Microsoft Community
or this:
- Tech Support Forum
Thanks.

logo · 15 Jun 2017

Hi dalchina,

thanks for your reply. Please find the screenshots attached --Partitions + HDTune (health & error scan).

Sadly, none of the fixes in those threads worked for me – I suspect main disk C might be corrupted.
When I try to rebuild the BCD and enter the command bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup as suggested, I get the message “The store export operation has failed. The system cannot find the file specified” and can’t proceed further.

The Macrium Fix Boot tool doesn’t detect any Windows installations, so I can’t use it to fix this issue.
Thanks
Attachment 139671 Attachment 139673 Attachment 139674

dalchina · 15 Jun 2017

Hi, unfortunately your screenshots weren't posted correctly.

The best way to do this is to click the Insert Image icon above your post to the left of the video icon above your post.
Guidance on posting screenshots is available in the Tutorial section.

If at least your C: is intact, it can still be rescued.

logo · 15 Jun 2017

sorry about that. here they are again.
thank you

dalchina said:

Hi, unfortunately your screenshots weren't posted correctly.

The best way to do this is to click the Insert Image icon above your post to the left of the video icon above your post.
Guidance on posting screenshots is available in the Tutorial section.

If at least your C: is intact, it can still be rescued.

dalchina · 16 Jun 2017

Hi, my personal view of your disk is that I'd check it with Hard Disk Sentinel. Although it says it's ok (and manufacturers include spare sectors because of expected failures and disk surfaces not necessarily being perfect, and reallocation during a disk's life is normal to extend it by using spares) I'm happier if there is no damage.

Clearly although there has been damage we don't know if that is related directly to your current problem.

Immediately you can see there's a problem with your C:
Capacity - 0
Unformatted
Status None (Should be System).

I would guess your partition table is damaged in some way.
Compare mine:

At this point if this happened to me, I would
a. get a new disk
b. restore my disk image(s) created by (e.g.) Macrium Reflect (free) to it
c. run Startup repair
d. Reboot my PC and be more or less back up and running.

Do you have any form of disk image (we constantly and strongly recommend the routine use of this) or system backup?

Failing that you have two basic options:
1. Clean install
2. Attempt to recover your C: (Which may be possible - it depends on what's been corrupted)

You can try (purely out of curiosity- I think it will fail) - in Minitool Parition Wizard, right click on C: and see if you can explore it.

Rebuild Partition Table

Because of inherent redundancy in partition structures, it is possible to rebuild this if damaged.Most partition managers don't provide this feature.

You can try this (free):
Free Partition Recovery Software - EaseUS Partition Recovery.

You might be lucky.

If you can recover C:, then you would realistically need
a. A new disk
b. To clean install Win 10 to it
c. Image your old C:
d. Restore that to the new disk
e. Run Startup Repair
f. Be an optimist.

logo · 16 Jun 2017

Hi, thank you very much for the advice.
Just a quick update while I’m trying to run Hard Disk Sentinel and EaseUS Partition Recovery – for some reason, I’m having problems creating a bootable USB drive of these. I’ve tried several times, but installation keeps failing.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a system backup. On the bright side, however, I was able to explore C: through Minitool Partition – pics attached.

My hope is that if the C: partition is corrupted but there is no damage to the HDD, perhaps there is a way to recover it without getting a new drive (it may be a matter of the BCD, MFT or the MBR) – that’s me being an optimist ...

I’ll keep trying to make HDS and EaseUS Partition work and let you know. Thanks again

dalchina · 16 Jun 2017

Hi, you are verily an optimist.

What you should see when exploring C: using the partition manager is a list of your usual folders and files. You see nada- zilch- nowt.
That is not good- it is very bad.

Your only possible hope would be to use a partition recovery tool.
I realise that the one I suggested doesn't provide a bootable disk- I'll see if there's anything else- maybe Active@ or something on Kyhi's disk.

My hope is that if the C: partition is corrupted but there is no damage to the HDD, perhaps there is a way to recover it without getting a new drive (it may be a matter of the BCD, MFT or the MBR) – that’s me being an optimist ...

- if C: is unreadable, your only option would be a clean install. But I would doubt that hard disk.

logo · 16 Jun 2017

By any chance, do you know of any other bootable partition recovery tool that I could try? The EaseUS bootable version keeps failing when I try to install it on a different pc. Thanks

dalchina · 16 Jun 2017

A quick look suggests most
- require you to use another PC and connect the disk to it (i.e. program installs)
- are commercial only

You need one that handles GPT disks.

Also note that free usually = limited in some way - e.g. no data recovery, limit to amount recovered, preview only...

This company is good... but note the limitations of 'free' and that a boot disk is only available in the most comprehensive package:
Downloading Active@ Partition Recovery: Freeware Data Recovery Software Download

- does not support GPT disks so no use.

This looked interesting:
Active@ Partition Recovery restores deleted damaged volumes &amp disks. Freeware Data Recovery Software Toolkit

Active@ Partition Recovery is a freeware toolkit that helps you to recover deleted and damaged logical drives and partitions within DOS, Windows,
Active@ Partition Recovery toolkit includes the following main features:

Restores lost partitions & disks back to working state
QuickScan easily detects partitions being deleted but not re-formatted
SuperScan - low-level scan detects re-formatted & damaged partitions
Last Chance - recovery method for severely damaged filesystems on volumes
Backup & Restore disk partitioning info and ability to Rollback changes
Fixes damaged Partition Table, MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT

- but it runs out to be demo... where's the freeware other than a DOS version? Hmm.