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
    2018-02-07T20:11:27+00:00

    As far as I can tell, if DISM won't get you to at least one boot, the only remaining option is a system reset.  This at least preserves the data and some settings.

    As I have stated earlier, I have worked on one intel and 4 amd systems.  

    The Intel would system restore from the recovery environment but still not boot.

    One of the AMD systems just froze after the update rather than Inaccessible boot device. 

    That one responded to a system restore.  I figured out which update caused the problem and then hid it.

    The other 3 were AMD systems and required DISM to remove the patch and then got  the system to boot.

    Since I had imaged the drive (using another machine), I was able to repeat the process after I discovered there would be no second boot.

    The only way I could fix the problem was a repair install.

    All the patches that caused problems have been fixed. 

    I would assume that whoever green lighted the posting of the bad patches has either been fired or severely reprimanded.

    I am sure that for the immediate term, you won't see this happening again.

    wiz

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-07T20:06:16+00:00

    Does anyone here also have Vipre EndPoint Security or Vipre Business Premium that is consistent with all the machines they are having problems with? Still looking for patterns.... I manage about 1500 PCs and have had about 30 go down so far. Today for the first time, I had a machine go down for the SECOND TIME with this problem. A week ago, and then again today, SO, the bad update HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN DOWN BY MICROSOFT!

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-07T19:33:09+00:00

    I tried installing a MSU package offline unfortunately it was on an AMD PC this morning that WENT DOWN due to MICROSOFTS UPDATE. AGAIN.....  Very Frustrating.  I used DSIM to take out the packages, however, then when it rebooted, still got the BSOD and had to eventually take out the hard drive, back up the data and do yet another restore that kept this user down 2-3 hours until It reinstalled everything again.  This is BAD.  This is the first AMD system that was affected and its NOT OLD.  Its less than a year old, Core I5, 8GB, etc.  I seen where on OLDER AMD there may have been a problem, but this just happened today.  Should I install the patch that is available on the other AMD systems to prevent this from happening?  They are brand new Lenovo Core I5, 8gb, SSD, etc.  Or just turn off updates and leave them.  I still have about 50 PCs on Windows10 Pro that have not rebooted and they are pending reboots.  Which package is bad?  What ID??  So i can go in and uninstall this update?  We cannot afford for PCs to keep dropping.

    Some of them come back up after using DSIM from command prompt when you go into Troubleshooting and remove it, but I have now 3 pcs that have been affected by this that I could not just remove the package.  The BSOD still came up and had to do a restore with keeping user files, just had to reinstall office, etc again to get them going.  Just a lot of downtime.

    Appreciate any feedback.

    Thanks

    IT Admin

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-07T04:50:49+00:00

    there are half a dozen places with pending updates, pending deletions and pending xml and other stuff.

    When I looked there were over 500 items in the pending renames and pending deletes.

    It's a very complicated process.  Much easier to do a repair install after the first boot.

    The repair install will kill all the pending stuff and replace all the bad files and/or registry updates with ones that work.  Since the update that caused the problem is no longer an issue, you should be fine.

    Wiz

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