Cant boot into windows after changing volume label

[Nwninja91]

Hello I have a dual boot Windows and parrot OS system. Not sure what I did but I am trying to boot into windows and it doesn't even boot anymore ages automatically goes to a different volume I have plugged into my computer. Can someone help me fix it so I can boot into windows again here's a picture of my disc part list volume command any help would be greatly appreciated thank you in advance

 

[ChatGPT]

Thank you for the clear photo and details! Here’s what’s happening and what could help:

Analysis​

• You have several partitions: some are NTFS (likely Windows), some are FAT32 (for live systems like KALI and YUMI), and two DVD/CD-ROMs.
• The system is booted into a Windows Recovery/Preinstallation Environment (notice the path is X:\windows\SYSTEM32\cmd.exe).
• The Windows System Reserved partition is visible, but Windows’ main partition isn’t clearly labeled as “Windows” in the list (G: and H: are likely your main Windows installations).
• Your boot process is skipping Windows and going straight to an external/removable volume or Linux.

Causes​

• You might have changed a volume label, partition, or boot order, or your EFI boot record is messed up. Sometimes Linux distros overwrite or hide the Windows bootloader, especially with dual boot setups.

Steps to Fix​

1. Unplug All External Drives

• Disconnect any USB sticks or external HDDs not needed for booting. Sometimes the BIOS/UEFI just boots to the first available device.

2. Set Windows Boot Manager as First Boot Option

• Enter your BIOS/UEFI settings (usually pressing Del, F2, F10, F12, or Esc during boot—check your manufacturer’s splash screen).
• Set “Windows Boot Manager” as the first priority in the boot order.

3. Repair Windows Boot Loader
Since you’re already in the recovery environment, do the following:

• In Command Prompt (what you have open), enter these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

• If you get “Access Denied” on /fixboot, enter:
  bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s X: /f ALL
  (Change C:\Windows if your Windows partition is actually G: or H: per your volumes.)

4. Reboot Without USBs

• After successful repair, remove any live USBs and reboot. Windows should boot.

---

If You Still Can’t Boot​

• Go back to BIOS and try “Boot override” or manual boot to any “Windows Boot Manager” entry.
• You may need to repair your EFI partition using diskpart if it's missing labels or active flags. Let me know if you want those detailed steps.

---

Let me know which drive is your actual Windows install (G:, H:, or another) if the above doesn’t resolve it, or if you see any specific boot errors—screenshots help!
We’ll get you back into Windows!

 

[Nwninja91]

Thank you for the clear photo and details! Here’s what’s happening and what could help:

Analysis​

• You have several partitions: some are NTFS (likely Windows), some are FAT32 (for live systems like KALI and YUMI), and two DVD/CD-ROMs.
• The system is booted into a Windows Recovery/Preinstallation Environment (notice the path is X:\windows\SYSTEM32\cmd.exe).
• The Windows System Reserved partition is visible, but Windows’ main partition isn’t clearly labeled as “Windows” in the list (G: and H: are likely your main Windows installations).
• Your boot process is skipping Windows and going straight to an external/removable volume or Linux.

Causes​

• You might have changed a volume label, partition, or boot order, or your EFI boot record is messed up. Sometimes Linux distros overwrite or hide the Windows bootloader, especially with dual boot setups.

Steps to Fix​

1. Unplug All External Drives

• Disconnect any USB sticks or external HDDs not needed for booting. Sometimes the BIOS/UEFI just boots to the first available device.

2. Set Windows Boot Manager as First Boot Option

• Enter your BIOS/UEFI settings (usually pressing Del, F2, F10, F12, or Esc during boot—check your manufacturer’s splash screen).
• Set “Windows Boot Manager” as the first priority in the boot order.

3. Repair Windows Boot Loader
Since you’re already in the recovery environment, do the following:

• In Command Prompt (what you have open), enter these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

• If you get “Access Denied” on /fixboot, enter:
  bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s X: /f ALL
  (Change C:\Windows if your Windows partition is actually G: or H: per your volumes.)

4. Reboot Without USBs

• After successful repair, remove any live USBs and reboot. Windows should boot.

---

If You Still Can’t Boot​

• Go back to BIOS and try “Boot override” or manual boot to any “Windows Boot Manager” entry.
• You may need to repair your EFI partition using diskpart if it's missing labels or active flags. Let me know if you want those detailed steps.

---

Let me know which drive is your actual Windows install (G:, H:, or another) if the above doesn’t resolve it, or if you see any specific boot errors—screenshots help!
We’ll get you back into Windows!

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks for the update and photo. I see what’s happening:

• bootrec /fixmbr worked (good sign).
• bootrec /fixboot failed: Element not found.
• bcdboot returned BCD error codes 0xc00000bb (Failed to set element application device, Failed to populate BCD store).

This usually means one or both of these:

• The EFI System Partition (ESP) is either missing, not properly formatted, or not assigned a drive letter.
• The system can’t find/copy necessary boot files because Windows partitions or ESP aren’t correctly selected.

Let’s fix this step-by-step:

---

1. Identify the EFI Partition​

From your diskpart list, the likely EFI partition is Volume 4 (512 MB, FAT32, Ltr G or Volume 9 (32 MB, FAT, Removable). Usually, ESP is 100–500 MB and formatted as FAT32.

• Volume 4 (G fits this description.

---

2. Assign the EFI Partition a Drive Letter​

Let’s make sure the EFI partition is mounted and accessible.

1. Open diskpart again:

diskpart

1. List your disks/volumes:

list disk
list volume

1. Select the EFI volume (use the correct number):

select volume 4

1. Assign it a letter (use S: — something not already assigned):

assign letter=S
exit

---

3. Format the EFI Partition (IF NEEDED — WARNING: This erases ESP; only do if nothing else works!)​

DO NOT DO THIS YET UNLESS ASKED. Data loss risk! Ask for further help if you think your ESP is corrupted or empty.

---

4. Re-run Boot Repair​

Back at regular Command Prompt, run:
bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s S: /f UEFI

• Replace C:\Windows with the correct letter (could be G:\Windows, etc.—whichever contains your actual Windows folder).
• /s S: uses the letter just assigned to the EFI partition.

---

5. Reboot​

Remove all USB drives (except your installer if needed), and reboot. Enter BIOS/UEFI and ensure "Windows Boot Manager" is at the top of the boot order.

---

Troubleshooting​

• If you get another BCD error, confirm the EFI partition is FAT32, not NTFS.
• If you're unsure about partition letters, post dir S:\ and dir C:\Windows for clarity.
• If you see “Element not found” with /fixboot, it often means the active boot partition isn’t set or the ESP is confused.

---

Let me know what happens after these steps or post new error messages. We'll get you sorted!

 

[Nwninja91]

Here is dir S:\

 

[ChatGPT]

Thank you for sharing the directory listing of S:. Based on the contents, this does not look like a standard EFI System Partition (ESP). A typical EFI partition should contain only a few small folders and files like:

• \EFI\ (folder)
• Inside \EFI\, subfolders like Microsoft\, and files like bootx64.efi
• No large application files or project folders

Your S:\ contains numerous applications, folders (e.g., Bryces_projects, LDPlayer, Program Files, etc.), and even a Windows folder—this is not suitable as an EFI partition. This likely means:

• The actual EFI partition is either not mounted, is corrupted, or has been overwritten.
• The disk structure has been altered, and Windows boot files have nowhere proper to go.

---

What To Do Next​

1. Recheck All Small FAT32 Partitions​

Your EFI partition should be a small (100–500 MB), FAT32-formatted partition. On your previous list, double-check which volume fits this description and appears empty or only contains an \EFI folder.

• From your prior diskpart, Volume 4 (G or Volume 9 (FAT, 32 MB, Removable) could be candidates.
• Try assigning letters to each small, FAT32 partition (not the large NTFS partitions).

Example for volume 9:

diskpart
select volume 9
assign letter=Z
exit
dir Z:\

• If you see an EFI folder here, that's your ESP.

---

2. If EFI Folder Is Missing Everywhere​

If you don't find a valid EFI partition, you’ll need to create or reformat one.
Do not do this unless none of the small, FAT32 partitions show an EFI folder!

---

3. Once You Find a Valid ESP​

If you find a partition (say, Z:) that has an EFI folder or is empty (no huge apps), then run:
bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s Z: /f UEFI

• Adjust C:\Windows to match your Windows install location as needed.

---

4. If You Only See Data/Apps and No EFI Partition Exists​

Do not format anything until you confirm with me!

• Post the output of diskpart list disk and diskpart list volume again, so I can double-check your structure.

---

Summary:
You tried to use a partition full of app and user data as your EFI System Partition—which will never work.
You must locate (or create) the small, system FAT32 partition meant exclusively for boot/EFI files.
Let me know what you see on those other small FAT32 volumes, or post new diskpart screenshots if you’re unsure. I’ll guide you step-by-step from there!

 

[Nwninja91]

What about volume 5 letter B?

 

[ChatGPT]

Excellent question! Volume 5 (B is formatted as NTFS, has a size of 1041 GB, and is labeled as a “Partition.” This is almost certainly a main Windows/data partition (not for booting), given its large size and NTFS filesystem.
EFI System Partitions (ESP) must be:

• Small (usually 100–500 MB)
• Formatted as FAT32 (never NTFS)
• Contain only the \EFI directory and bootloader files

Volume B: is not suitable for use as an EFI partition, and using it could damage your Windows or data.

---

The Good News: Boot Repair Success!​

Looking at your last command log, you ran:
bcdboot S:\Windows /l en-us /s S: /f UEFI
…and it replied:
Boot files successfully created.
This means you have successfully recreated the required EFI boot files on S:!

• S: is your (likely newly recreated or correctly reassigned) EFI partition.

---

Next Steps​

1. Remove any USB drives (except your installer media if you still need it to boot).
2. Reboot your system.
   • Go into BIOS/UEFI Setup.
   • Ensure "Windows Boot Manager" (or similar) is set as the first boot device.
3. Try booting into Windows.

---

If it fails with a new error or gives a blank/no bootable device warning:​

• Document the error or take a picture.
• If you see a GRUB menu (from Linux/Parrot), we might need to also repair/reinstall the GRUB or update its config if you want to keep dual booting.

---

Summary:

• Volume B (NTFS, 1 TB+) is NOT your EFI partition—do not use it for boot files.
• S: (512 MB, FAT32) is correct, now contains Windows bootloader, and you should try to boot Windows.

Let me know what happens after reboot! If you get a new error or Windows still doesn’t start, please share the exact message or photo. We’re making progress!

 

[Nwninja91]

No volume five letter B is only 512 MB not large

 

[ChatGPT]

Thank you for clarifying! You're absolutely right—Volume 5 (B is 512 MB, FAT32. That size and file system are exactly what we expect for an EFI System Partition (ESP)!
Here’s what that means for your setup:

---

What to Do Next​

1. Check Contents of B:​

At the command prompt, enter:
dir B:\
Look for a folder called EFI (e.g., B:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ and similar).
If it exists—and especially if it has files like bootx64.efi—this is your ESP and it’s in good shape.

---

2. If the EFI folder is missing or empty:​

Run this command to rebuild the boot files:
bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s B: /f UEFI
(Replace C:\Windows with the path to your actual Windows installation if it’s different.)
Look for the message:
Boot files successfully created.

---

3. Reboot​

1. Remove any unnecessary USB drives.
2. Reboot and enter BIOS/UEFI.
3. Ensure the “Windows Boot Manager” is set as the first boot option.
4. Save and exit. Attempt to boot Windows.

---

If Windows Still Doesn't Boot​

• Let me know exactly what error or menu you see.
• If you still have trouble, post a photo of your dir B:\EFI and dir B:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot results.
• If there’s a GRUB or Linux bootloader screen, we can address that too for dual-boot purposes.

---

Volume B: is your correct EFI partition!
Let’s check and/or reconstruct the EFI folder, then reboot.
Update me with what you find.

 

[Nwninja91]

Here's the contents of directory Bp

 

[ChatGPT]

Great! Your directory listing for B:\ shows:

• EFI (this is what we want to see)
• FileHistory
• TeraBoxDownload
• No files at the root, and still a lot of free space.

This strongly suggests B: is your ESP (EFI System Partition).

---

Next Steps​

1. Check for Microsoft Bootloader​

Let’s see if the Windows bootloader exists. At the command prompt, run:
dir B:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot

• If you see files like bootmgfw.efi or BCD, that’s good.
• If those subfolders/files are missing, your bootloader may need to be rebuilt.

---

2. Rebuild Bootloader—If Needed​

If the Microsoft folder or files are missing, rebuild with:
bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s B: /f UEFI
(Use the correct Windows partition if it's not C
You should see:
Boot files successfully created.

---

3. Clean Up ESP Data​

Non-EFI folders like FileHistory or TeraBoxDownload should NOT be on the EFI partition.

• Only EFI should exist in the root of B:
• Consider moving or deleting anything else after you successfully boot, to keep the ESP safe!

---

4. Reboot and Test​

1. Remove any unnecessary USB drives.
2. Reboot, set “Windows Boot Manager” first in BIOS/UEFI.
3. Boot into Windows.

---

Please run dir B:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot and share the result, or tell me if you hit any errors during the bcdboot step. This will let us confirm everything is in place for a successful boot!

 

[Nwninja91]

Here is directory s

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks for the screenshot!
The contents of S: show standard Windows system folders (e.g., Windows, Program Files, etc.). This is a regular Windows partition, NOT an EFI System Partition.
Summary of your system:

• B: 512 MB FAT32 with an EFI folder → This is your correct EFI System Partition (ESP).
• S: Contains Windows OS files and expected app/data folders; it is NOT the ESP.

Next step recap​

• Ignore S: for boot repairs.
• Focus all bootloader repair on B:.

---

Action Steps (Final Verification)​

1. Verify Windows boot files on B:
   dir B:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot
   • If you see files like bootmgfw.efi or BCD, your ESP is healthy.
   • If not, run:
     bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s B: /f UEFI
     (Replace C:\Windows with your actual Windows partition if needed)
2. Remove all external drives, reboot, and ensure “Windows Boot Manager” is first in BIOS/UEFI order.

---

If Issues Persist​

Share the output/photo of dir B:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot or any error message during boot for further help.
You’re almost there! B: (512 MB FAT32 with EFI folder) is your real EFI partition—focus your boot fixes there, not S:.