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
    2018-01-16T22:36:48+00:00

    For what it is worth, I have tried the following fixes:

    SFC /SCANNOW - No corruption found

    Dism /image:c:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:f:\sources\install.esd:1 /limitaccess (completed successfully)

    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 was able to get back into the Windows Recovery Environment with:

    bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

    • c:
    • cd boot
    • attrib bcd -s -h -r
    • ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
    • bootrec /RebuildBcd

    Editing the registry and applied the "IoBlockLegacyFsFilters"

    • These all still had me stuck at Inaccessible Boot Device. I have a computer booted up to test fixes on if anyone has any other great ideas.
    • System Restore has been really inconsistent so far. Lots of errors causing it to be worthless. Specifically an error that doesn't allow it to restore files in my synched OneDrive folder. "System Restore failed to replace the file with its original copy from the restore point"

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-16T04:17:55+00:00

    Can I set the computers to a slower update pace?

    Yes, if you have Windows 10 Professional you can temporarily pause all updates for up to 35 days. This advanced option is not available on Windows 10 Home.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-01-15T22:46:13+00:00

    We just had another computer go.

    A restore point was created yesterday 1/14/18 by an update.

    The computer worked from 9 AM to 4:30 PM today before it crashed.

    We tried restoring from yesterday's restore point but it went into "the blue loop" or "the bloop" if you prefer...

    We're now trying a restore point from 1/11/18

    I'm not sure if an update ran today that was the cause.

    I'm not sure if there's a way of finding that out.

    We had some Symantec updates today but others in this thread use different AV, so this seems like a Microsoft/Intel issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-01-15T17:32:50+00:00

    I manage about 75 computers for multiple clients and have had this happen on about 13 machines so far. Started happening before the January updates but after the December updates - January updates did not seem to help the issue. What I did notice was that Windows was downloading Intel drivers that seems to be for hardware that was not in the machine. See here from two different machines:

    So... I paused Windows updates on the computers I could - most are Pro but a few were Home (I know!) Anyway, that seemed to prevent the issue. So, as I began January updates here was my process:

    1 Enable System restore and create a restore point

    2 Hide all Intel Drivers using the tool Microsoft provides to Show or Hide updates

    3 Do Office updates

    4 Un-Pause updates and allow January updates to complete

    5 Reboot

    6 Create a restore point

    So, I left auto update on - I did not pause updates again feeling like I had avoided the issue. Seemed like a good plan.

    But, I still have had 3 machines get the issue again. So what updated since I did all the updates? A look at event viewer said that Office tried to do some sort of update - so I have been turning off Office updates. Then I realized that one of the machines that had the issue originally (not one of the 3) did not even have Office installed. I did start to think about antivirus corrupting something... All these machines have Symantec Endpoint Protection. But I can't figure out how to tell if that is the issue. Nothing in the Symantec logs seems to point to anything.

    Like others have said - System Restore always works provided you have a restore point that is before the issue is on the computer.  System reset also works but obviously it's alot more work that way.

    The interesting thing is - I can tell when the system is going to have a problem upon reboot. I have been on machines where when I try to create a restore point it will never complete. The system is running slow and sluggish. You can just tell it's not right but it's difficult to figure out what is wrong. So, naturally, you reboot it. And bam! - inaccessible boot volume and you pray there is a good restore point since you couldn't create one.

    Computers are mostly Dell desktops and laptops but a Toshiba and an HP have had the issue also and I believe all are Intel based with Symantec Endpoint Protection.  Some are brand new Dell machines, some are 2-3 years old, some 3-5 years old - the Toshiba is probably the oldest probably 7 or 8 years old.

    Any insight anyone has would be greatly appreciated!

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