How does Windows boot to advanced recovery option e.g. command prompt?

AndreTen said:

Have to read through your other thread (why did you separate them?).

When topgun (or was it Navy..) suggested you to clean install and restore just C: partition, you said you did. But you didn't clean install, just did in-place upgrade. I could misunderstood, of course.

I did a then b as per original thread.
a. Clean install, (worked) then restored image of C:
b. Subsequent to that I tried an in-place upgrade repair install (hence my two recovery partitions).

(why did you separate them?).

In this thread I was simply hoping to learn how this works, rather than investigate my particular problem.

dalchina said:

I did a then b as per original thread.
a. Clean install, (worked) then restored image of C:
b. Subsequent to that I tried an in-place upgrade repair install (hence my two recovery partitions).


In this thread I was simply hoping to learn how this works, rather than investigate my particular problem.

Thanks :) Interesting debate, happy to learn from you guys

if you open admin command, copy and paste: reagentc /boottore&shutdown /r /f /t 00
Does it boot into recovery ?

- that gives me a 454 'Unexpected error'

This tells me that the BCD is partially corrupted.

The commands: shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00
or: %SystemRoot%\System32\Cmd.exe /c reagentc /boottore&shutdown /r /f /t 00
should boot into Recovery if everything is configured correctly.
FYI, If Windows is configured correctly:

1. If Reagentc is disabled, you still can get into Recovery but with limited options.
2. If Reagentc is enabled, you'll get all options.
3. If you boot Windows using Recovery USB stick, You'll get into Recovery with couple of options missing.

Here's my suggestion if you want to try:
OPTION 1: Will save the trouble of re-install Windows.

1. Download the image of my first 3 partitions (450MB Recovery, 100 MB EFI partition, and 16MB unformatted primary)
   EFI_Boot-00-00.7z - Google Drive
2. Run Macrium and restore the image from step 1, overwriting your existing 1st three partitions, leaving C alone.
3. Delete the 490MB Recovery partition.
4. From Macrium, run fix boot problems.
5. Reboot. Open Admin command prompt then run Reagentc /info to make sure that it is enabled. If not, enable it.
   if failed to enable, reboot and try again.

OPTION 2: Assuming you've already had Windows backup with Macrium.

1. Wipe out the first 5 parttiions. (450MB, 100MB, 16MB, C Drive, 480MB)
2. Fresh install Windows 10
3. Restore C drive from backup image, run fix boot problems
4. repeat step 5 from OPTION 1 above.

Many thanks, will take a look when time permits.

If the BCD data is corrupted, I'm surprised rebuilding the EFI partition, or clean installing and restoring the Windows partition didn't resolve this.

Thanks for your interest.

As you suggest, I may just repeat the whole process again, as it makes little sense that a fully working clean install should lose access to the advanced startup options as a result of restoring the Windows partition, but not for the reason you suggest.

Now I do know what a clean install is. I deleted all the Windows partitions on my SSD.
All the partitions were thus replaced when I did a clean install.
Following the clean install I had exactly the correct number of partitions.
I did not only delete the Windows partition.

I have done this procedure previously - a year ago- (Clean install and replace the Windows partition from and image)

And finally, I did insert the installation DVD and progress through a normal installation process.

Subsequent to having done all that, finding the advanced startup options now missing, I did the in-place upgrade repair install.

That's the second time I've seen an in-place upgrade repair install create a second recovery partition (the other was a year ago or so).

This time I know a bit more, so can try to investigate what's happening,

dalchina said:

Many thanks, will take a look when time permits.

If the BCD data is corrupted, I'm surprised rebuilding the EFI partition, or clean installing and restoring the Windows partition didn't resolve this.

Rebuilding the BCD will only fix boot problems, it does not fix the Recovery problem, you'd need to use reagentc for this.

FYI, there's other programs, when run also modify the BCD. For example, when you run from admin command: reagentc /boottore
an entry will be added to the BCD:
bootsequence {31416d29-611c-11e6-8f31-90f4a30e3b92} ====> GUID of the Recovery partition.pointing the GUID of the Recovery partition so when you restart, Windows will get into the Recovery environment dirrectly.

In addition, the file "ReAgent.xml" under: C:\Windows\System32\Recovery is modified with info as shown:
When Eanabled
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

<WindowsRE version="2.0">
<WinreBCD id="{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}"/>
<WinreLocation path="" id="0" offset="0" guid="{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}"/>
<ImageLocation path="" id="0" offset="0" guid="{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}"/>
......

When Disabled:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

<WindowsRE version="2.0">
<WinreBCD id="{31416d2b-611c-11e6-8f31-90f4a30e3b92}"/>
<WinreLocation path="\Recovery\WindowsRE" id="0" offset="1048576" guid="{f32021c5-b6b3-4c83-8a3c-ad3d2eac74d0}"/>
......

As you can see, Windows save all the info for the Recovery partition. So, when you re-enable it, it will set to the correct location.


OPTION 1 mentioned above was used successfully to fix the exact same problem for a friend in the past.

@dalchina
Do you now this toy? Bootice

See it somewhere and remembered this thread...