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
    2018-01-31T02:54:19+00:00

    Try the solution I posted on page 17

    Yes the first part of the solution is about the same, HOWEVER you only get to boot once in many cases.  Because one half the patch that makes the machine unbootable, gets installed on the first normal boot, often you get into windows only once.

    I imaged the drives on another PC before experimenting.  After DISM and the first boot into windows, once you shut down, the machine is unbootable permanently (or until the real solution to the problem is found).  There are hundreds of pending actions (deletes and renames) that finish replacing files on the first boot. 

    As I stated, going in and using the regback registries does not solve the problem because some of those pending actions replace files that will cause the system to be unbootable.

    Since the only time you can do an in-place upgrade (repair install) is from within windows, after that first boot, reinstall windows from within.

    The reinstall cancels all the pending actions and replaces all the files that are patched and causing problems.

    Once you reinstall, make sure you check that system protection is enabled on the C: drive and that you make at least one restore point.

    Only then can you be sure that you will have a bootable machine after you shut down or restart.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-31T03:09:49+00:00

    The above method works and after the in place upgrade (repair-install), when the system boots, you can update windows to your hearts content.  Microsoft has pulled the flakey patch. (or fixed the problem with it).  My formerly unbootable PC now indicates that it has all the updates.  This was confirmed by the Belarc Advisor.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-01-31T03:28:19+00:00

    My drive is coming up "X:\Windows\System32>" (read only file & can't go directly to drive X: either) that I can not go directly to drive D:. I can go to drive D: & then back to C: but it will not allow any DOS repairs or edits to drive X: . It is an older AMD A6-3650 cpu (over clocked) with Version 10.0.16299.15 after the update from 1709. It also created 4 partitions on my drive.

     I have played with this Win 10 Creators Update mess for 3 days without any success. I have plenty of backups, bootable USB iso copies & even a new copy of Win 10 Pro, but it will not let it do any options on BSOD menus or even let me format the HD. I also keep backup drives unplugged after backups and they are of no use with this nightmare. Was on phone with MS for 4 hours today (waste of time). It's about time to fire up my wood chipper :(

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-01-31T14:45:26+00:00

    This has worked for me, thank you very much!

    Specifics of my situation: on a Win 10 computer part of AD I ran 'gpupdate /force' just to apply some unrelated GPO updates. After that the restart just go the computer in the blue screen state and the 'inaccessible boot device' message.

    So chose Troubleshoot and Command Prompt and the ran 'Dism /Image:D:\ /Get-Packages' - make sure you don't make silly mistakes by not typing the spaces between the parameters (space between D:\ and /Get-Packages)

    From the list of packages I then chose the most recent one and ran the remove command as explained above.

    Restarted the computer and magic! problem solved. Not sure though if AD is not going to push this update package again and mess up again... so maybe need to remove it from the server, don't know...

    Thanks!

    Adrian

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