So my girlfriend's laptop froze and now she has error 0xc000000e

DJDanjary

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Joined
Jun 14, 2023
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Okay so my girlfriend was downloading a game from Steam and her laptop froze, after 2 minutes of 0 changes, she hard restarted it and it went to error 0xc000000e. The Win10 is installed on SSD, she has 2nd install of windows10 on hard drive from before upgrading, so she booted there, was unable to log in to microsoft account a was unable to find files located on desktop. So we made a windows instalation media on USB flash drive, tried to refresh the installation so she wouldn't lose the data, but the option did not go through and wrote "The drive Where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again." We then tried Repair startup and System image recovery, but got about the same result. Then we moved onto next guides to "Command Prompt" where we tried "bootrec /RebuildBcd, where after selecting our desired C: instalation of windows of the 2 found installs we got prompt "The requested system device cannot be identified, because there are multiple devices that apply to the criteria" approximately translated. We then tried "chkdsk C: /f /x /r", that gone thru fine, but did nothing useful. Then we tried "bootrec /FixMbr" operation succesful, "bootrec /FixBoot" Where we got that access is denied and "bootrec /ScanOs where it found both Win10 installs. We also tried sfc /scannow but that didn't really do anything.
I found some guide on internet that solves this or similiar issue with error 0xc000000e and drive that cannot be identified by selecting and deleting one of the found System partitions, creating new EFI partition, fat32 formatting the second System partition, assigning drive letters and creating boot files.
Is that something that could work? We really kinda need to not lose the data on the disk so we try to avoid doing clean installs or wiping the data elsehow. Thanks for advices in advance.
 

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Solution
Thank you for providing detailed information about the error your girlfriend's laptop is facing. Error 0xc000000e usually points to a problem with the boot configuration data (BCD) store, which can prevent Windows from starting properly.
Based on the steps you have taken so far, it seems like you have exhausted most of the basic troubleshooting steps available to repair the boot configuration data. However, there are still a few things you can try before resorting to a clean install.
Here are some additional steps you can try:
1. Use the "diskpart" command to unlock the drive: On Command Prompt, type "diskpart" and hit enter. Then type "list disk" and hit enter. Identify the disk where Windows is installed (usually Disk 0), and type...
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Thank you for providing detailed information about the error your girlfriend's laptop is facing. Error 0xc000000e usually points to a problem with the boot configuration data (BCD) store, which can prevent Windows from starting properly.
Based on the steps you have taken so far, it seems like you have exhausted most of the basic troubleshooting steps available to repair the boot configuration data. However, there are still a few things you can try before resorting to a clean install.
Here are some additional steps you can try:
1. Use the "diskpart" command to unlock the drive: On Command Prompt, type "diskpart" and hit enter. Then type "list disk" and hit enter. Identify the disk where Windows is installed (usually Disk 0), and type "select disk 0", followed by "list partition" and hit enter. Identify the partition where Windows is installed (usually Partition 1), and type "select partition 1", followed by "detail partition" and hit enter. Look for the "Read-only" attribute, and if it's set to Yes, type "attributes disk clear readonly", followed by "attributes volume clear readonly" and hit enter. Exit "diskpart" and try running the "bootrec /fixboot" command again.
2. Use the "bcdboot" command to repair the boot configuration: On Command Prompt, type "diskpart" and hit enter. Then type "list disk" and hit enter. Identify the disk where Windows is installed (usually Disk 0), and type "select disk 0", followed by "list partition" and hit enter. Identify the partition where Windows is installed (usually Partition 1), and type "select partition 1", followed by "assign letter=C" and hit enter. Exit "diskpart" and type "cd /d C:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\" and hit enter. Then type "bootrec /FixBoot" and hit enter, followed by "ren BCD BCD.old" and hit enter, and finally "bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s C: /f ALL" and hit enter.
3. Use data recovery software: If the above steps don't work, you may need to consider using data recovery software to retrieve the important files before doing a clean install. There are several software options available, such as EaseUS Data Recovery, Recuva, or Stellar Data Recovery.
Please note that attempting to modify partition and EFI settings can be risky and may cause data loss or further damage to the system. It's always best to back up all important files before attempting any repairs.
I hope these additional steps will help you resolve the error 0xc000000e issue and recover your girlfriend's laptop. Good luck!
 
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Solution
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Hi,
Error 0xc000000e typically indicates a boot configuration data (BCD) store problem, hindering Windows from starting correctly. You've tried numerous troubleshooting steps already, exhausting basic options. Before opting for a clean install, here are additional actions you can take:

Use "diskpart" to unlock the drive and clear read-only attributes, then retry "bootrec /fixboot."
Employ "bcdboot" to repair the boot configuration by assigning a drive letter, fixing the boot, renaming the BCD file, and creating a new one.
If these steps fail, consider using data recovery software like Stellar, adrc recovery, undelete and so on to retrieve essential files before a clean install.
 
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It seems the error 0xc000000e (Windows Boot Configuration Data-related issue) is giving you a lot of trouble, especially with the additional constraint of preserving the data. Your approach so far is comprehensive, but here’s a streamlined plan to address the problem while ensuring no data loss.

What’s Happening:​

The error code 0xc000000e typically means that the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is corrupted or the drive has become inaccessible due to NVMe/driver issues or filesystem/partition corruption.

Recommended Steps:​

1. Preserve Data First​

Since preserving your girlfriend's data is critical, follow these steps:
  • Boot into a Live USB Environment:
    • Use a tool like Hirens Boot PE or AOMEI Backupper WinPE to boot into a lightweight Windows-like interface.
    • Once booted:
    • Attach an external USB drive.
    • Copy all important files from the SSD/affected drive to the external storage. Focus on Desktop, Documents, and other critical folders.

2. Attempt Boot Fixes Carefully​

Using the Windows Installation Media USB:
  • Access Command Prompt from the Recovery Environment and rework the boot records:
    1. Reset EFI Partition:
      • If there are multiple EFI partitions causing confusion, follow this method:
        Code: 
        cmd diskpart select disk 0 list partition select partition X (Choose the correct existing EFI partition) format fs=fat32 quick assign letter=z exit
      • Then recreate the boot files:
        Code: 
        cmd bcdboot C:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI
        (Replace C:\Windows with the correct Windows installation directory.)
    2. Access FixBoot Again:
      • To fix the "Access Denied" issue with bootrec /FixBoot, try:
        Code: 
        cmd bootsect /nt60 sys

3. Verify the SSD Health​

  • Before further recovery attempts:
    • Use CrystalDiskInfo in a Live USB environment to check the health of your SSD.
    • If the SSD health shows signs of failure, consider cloning it before additional steps.

4. Rebuild BCD and Repair Bootloader​

If the above doesn’t resolve the issue:
Code: 
bootrec /rebuildbcd bootrec /fixmbr bootrec /fixboot (Retry if "Access Denied" persists)

5. WinPE Tools for Advanced Repair​

  • Use the suggested WinPE tools you mentioned:
    • Hirens Boot PE: Comprehensive suite to manage partitions, repair bootloaders, and recover files.
    • LazeSoft Recovery Suite: Specialized for restoring boot functionality on broken Windows installations.

6. Reinstall Only If Necessary​

  • If all attempts fail, use the "Repair Installation/Keep Files" option in the Windows Installation Media. This reinstalls Windows while preserving personal files and configurations.
  • If even this fails and you must clean install, use the backups you created from Step 1.

Final Notes:​

Based on your description, multiple partitions or conflicting BCD entries seem likely culprits. Cleaning up and reassigning the EFI partition is highly recommended. Keep the Hirens Boot PE on hand—it’s a powerful tool for situations like this. Let me know how it goes or if more specific guidance is needed!
 
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