Windows 8 Need urgent help -- accessing c drive / windows

[Alwayshelpful]

Hi guys,

I need some help!
I have win 8.1. I was watching a 14 sec video on BBC, with Facebook and a handful of other windows open when I got a screen (picture attached) that said Aptio setup utility. I wasn't sure what it was so I powered off my computer.

I turned it back on and rather than loading windows there are options to refresh my computer, reset or troubleshoot. Refresh says -- drive where windows is installed is locked. Unlock it and try again.

Reset is not an option. My files on the Asus notebook are not backed up.

Troubleshoot has several options like system restore to previous point (I didn't make one, it couldn't find one), imaging, UEFI firmware (not sure if it's consequences so didn't try), and one called command prompt. Command prompt takes me to x:\windows\system32 not to the c drive.

I tried some of this (below) but am unsure exactly what I'm doing.

Redirecting

I went back to the option of refreshing my PC and re-read what it says -- drive where Windows is installed is locked. So I found this The drive where Windows is installed is locked: Fix for Windows 8, 8.1, 10

I don't have the utility disk.

My goal is to via Windows or command prompt, see and save my files. Then explore if a factory reset is needed. I'm stuck and worried. All my files, years of stuff is on here. Yes I know, I should have backed them up. So files need saving and need machine to be working, to do work.

There is also a UEFI firmware settings option under troubleshoot, but I've never seen it before and am not sure what it does so I didn't try.

Will be very grateful for your help!!

Thank you!!​

 

[Alwayshelpful]

Hi guys,

I need some help!
I have win 8.1. I was watching a 14 sec video on BBC, with Facebook and a handful of other windows open when I got a screen (picture attached) that said Aptio setup utility. I wasn't sure what it was so I powered off my computer.

I turned it back on and rather than loading windows there are options to refresh my computer, reset or troubleshoot. Refresh says -- drive where windows is installed is locked. Unlock it and try again.

Reset is not an option. My files on the Asus notebook are not backed up.

Troubleshoot has several options like system restore to previous point (I didn't make one, it couldn't find one), imaging, UEFI firmware (not sure if it's consequences so didn't try), and one called command prompt. Command prompt takes me to x:\windows\system32 not to the c drive.

I tried some of this (below) but am unsure exactly what I'm doing.

Redirecting

I went back to the option of refreshing my PC and re-read what it says -- drive where Windows is installed is locked. So I found this The drive where Windows is installed is locked: Fix for Windows 8, 8.1, 10

I don't have the utility disk.

My goal is to via Windows or command prompt, see and save my files. Then explore if a factory reset is needed. I'm stuck and worried. All my files, years of stuff is on here. Yes I know, I should have backed them up. So files need saving and need machine to be working, to do work.

There is also a UEFI firmware settings option under troubleshoot, but I've never seen it before and am not sure what it does so I didn't try.

Will be very grateful for your help!!

Thank you!!​

Tried a few more things! Help?

 

[Callistemon]

I have win 8.1. I was watching a 14 sec video on BBC, with Facebook and a handful of other windows open when I got a screen (picture attached) that said Aptio setup utility. I wasn't sure what it was so I powered off my computer.

I turned it back on and rather than loading windows there are options to refresh my computer, reset or troubleshoot. Refresh says -- drive where windows is installed is locked. Unlock it and try again.

So first the UEFI firmware interface appeared for no reason, then the Recovery Environment loaded on the next boot, without 2 consecutive failed startups as that would have displayed a "Your PC failed to start" screen with a button before having the Reset, Refresh, Troubleshoot, and Turn Off. Since Exit and Continue to Windows 8 doesn't appear, and the Recovery Environment is loading directly, this likely means the Boot Configuration Data is set to boot directly to Recovery and doesn't have Windows 8, but that usually only occurs when the Windows system no longer exists (such as after an incomplete reset).

Troubleshoot has several options like system restore to previous point (I didn't make one, it couldn't find one), imaging, UEFI firmware (not sure if it's consequences so didn't try), and one called command prompt. Command prompt takes me to x:\windows\system32 not to the c drive.

It is normal for Command Prompt in recovery to start at X:\Windows\System32 as the Recovery Environment is loaded from a compressed source file in a separate partition than C, and the system is stored in a partition in the memory, which is X. This doesn't mean that C doesn't exist or that C can't be accessed from that Command Prompt, but given the other aspects, there may be missing data in C. Also, the letter of what is normally C can be any letter from the Recovery Environment.

I went back to the option of refreshing my PC and re-read what it says -- drive where Windows is installed is locked. So I found this The drive where Windows is installed is locked: Fix for Windows 8, 8.1, 10

The 4th and 5th parts of the article is to rewrite bootsectors and replace the Boot Configuration Data. Bootsectors are irrelevant on UEFI systems. Bootrec /RebuildBCD does nothing to a faulty entry if Windows 8 is already in the BCD, it only finds missing Windows installations and adds them, unless the existing Windows 8 entry is deleted from the BCD. The firmware loads Windows Boot Manager in a small hidden partition before C, which uses the Boot Configuration Data file to find and load C:\Windows\System32\winload.efi.

The 5th part of the article is named "Set the correct partition" but has nothing to do with that. Editing or replacing the BCD is not setting a partition, so that article is incorrect. The article has errors because it instructs to assign letter X to the EFI bootable partition, which is used by the Recovery Environment. B would be a more sensical letter since it comes before C in the boot process (that is just a way of thinking of it, but the letter can be anything and doesn't affect the boot process), that is a letter other partitions don't use, and well B is for Boot nowadays. After renaming the BCD file, Bootrec /RebuildBCD should be used, instead of bcdboot that creates faulty Boot Configuration Data preventing the Recovery Environment from loading again.

My goal is to via Windows or command prompt, see and save my files. Then explore if a factory reset is needed. I'm stuck and worried. All my files, years of stuff is on here. Yes I know, I should have backed them up. So files need saving and need machine to be working, to do work.

1) Turn on the computer
2) Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
3) Input diskpart and press Enter
4) Input list volume and press Enter
5) Screen capture and post the output.
This contains the information about which partitions have which letters, for locating and backing up files from Command Prompt, and for finding the partition with the Boot Configuration Data.

 

[ussnorway]

I wasn't sure what it was

its a tool in all old Asus systems for playing around in the bios settings... most people remove it as soon as they get their Asus system because you don't need it

the popup was prob just a notice that new updates are around... seeing as your system is still running Windows 8.1 instead of upgrading to 10 Microsoft likes to nag you into trying their great new systems

as for files still being there/ locked, that depends on if you said yes to the upgrade before turning your system off