Inaccessible Boot Device error in Windows 10

Anonymous
2018-01-09T16:46:16+00:00

I manage multiple computers running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit with the latest Current Branch and recently had multiple computers randomly startup with this BSOD: Inaccessible Boot Device.

I have tried everything:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-fix-update-causing-inaccessible-boot-device-error-windows-10

Which recommends deleting registry keys and install packages, though no pending installs could be found

SFC /SCANNOW - No corruption found

CHKDSK /R - Some minor issues corrected

BOOTREC - Scan OS shows 0 windows installations

FIXBOOT - Successful, but this tool finally made the entire process fail without being able to get to the recovery environment, just boots to the legacy screen and shows options for safe mode, but those fail too.

I am at my wits end, because I find thousands of websites and desperate users and admins, but the only fix that works is to clean install. I can't clean install the whole company. This is insane, there has to be a better known cause / fix out there...

*Modified title for accuracy*

*Original title: Inaccessible Boot Device error - cause? fix?*

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2018-01-17T17:16:49+00:00

WIN 10 BSOD FIX - Inaccessible Boot Device - THIS WORKS!  I Just Repaired 2 computers that went down at the same time last night on 1/16/18

Good Afternoon Bobby,

Here is the fix I came across from another kind IT tech, please see below.  Credits go to them, I'm just forwarding so everyone can finally get their computers back up and running.

Boot Windows 10

Go to Repair

Go to Tools/Options to get a command prompt.

Confirm the drive letter for the Windows image. Usually D: –> dir d:

Run the following to view the installed packages which will also show a date of install.

Dism /Image:D:\ /Get-Packages

Find the package(s) that were just installed by date. Run the following command on the last installed package:

example: dism.exe /image:d:\ /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_KB4014329~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.0

Reboot.

The patch that caused my issue was from 1/6/18 or 1/10/18     Remove the latest windows update entry with Rollup Fix in it's name.  Once complete, close command prompt, turn off computer.  Power back up.  You should be back into WIN10.

If you still receive BSOD, rinse and repeat with the next latest update, try it again.  You'll eventually boot right back into WIN10.

I hope this helps.

Have a great day.

Showster

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-02-18T18:28:51+00:00

    In this case, X drive is not your OS drive, it's the temporary environment that you're booted into (Via Windows install disk/drive, or Windows recovery environment). In order to find your OS drive, follow these steps

    • > Diskpart
    • > List disk
    • Single out the number on your hard drive disk. There may be only 1
    • > select disk x           (x is the disk number)        (e.g. "select disk 1")
    • > detail disk
    • The largest partition on this should be your OS, and you can see the drive letter associated with it

    There are other ways, like guessing what drive letter it is, but this is the most reliable, IMO.

    When I boot into a recovery environment, it's pretty common for the temporary environment ramdisk to get the letter X and the OS partition to be the letter D.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-18T18:20:23+00:00

    Win 10 Pro, Version 1709, OS Build 16222.192

    I need assistance, I have been impacted by this latest MS update in early Feb 2018. I have tried Dism /Image:X:\ /Get-Packages (X is the drive in my case, also put a space between \ and /). I get the following:

    "The /Image option that is specified points to a running Windows installation.

    To service the running operating system, use the /Online option. For more information, refer to the help by running DISM.exe /Online /?"

    What is this about?

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-18T04:45:12+00:00

    Hello,

      What a complete mess. I took the easy way to start from scratch

    and recover a system image. At least I thought. I recovered a working machine

    but found that  the system image restore tool has been deprecated for 1709

    and does not work (it returns and error and is described here https://social.technet.microsoft.com/

    Forums/windows/en-US/1f21b451-1431-414c-89e4-8010dfa5d239/

    win10-1709-system-image-restore-vss-error?forum=win10itprosetup).

    Good job Microsoft. You sent out bad updates and broke the image restore tool.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-18T00:38:21+00:00

    Has anyone found any methods to achieve successful bootup after this week's Feb rollups (.245 or .248).  Systems are left where DISM Get-Packages shows these versions as pending or installed but Remove-Package does not work.  Any new ideas to achieve bootup so an in-place upgrade can be done, or is the only option a Reset followed by reinstalling all programs?  Thanks,

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