Inaccessible Boot Device error in Windows 10

To Phantom of The Mobile:

All necessary operations were performed.  SFC reported no errors in system files and DISM check health reported no problems either .  The image was intact.

The fact that removing the last installed Microsoft patch (emphasis added), from the image enabled the system to boot (and the fact that Microsoft pulled the Meltdown Patch after getting thousands of support calls), and the fact that one Microsoft tech blamed invalid CPU documentation from some of the CPU manufacturers indicates to me that it was solely a Microsoft Issue.  I do not know of any third party software that patches windows images.

The problem was not that the image was corrupt, but that a bad Patch was integrated into the image, hence removing the package solved the problem.

Since most patches are installed via a two fold approach (copy the files somewhere, install the ones that are not in use then reboot and replace the ones that were in use before loading windows),  The second part of the patch gets installed during the first successful boot.  This is why, if you shut down after the first successful re-boot, you will most likely not be able to boot again.  Removing more packages via DISM will no longer produce a bootable machine. That is why you must do an in-place upgrade.

The in-place upgrade will cancel the effects of the second part of the patch.

It will also replace all the files that are newer than the 1709 release.  These files are causing the problem.  It will also install a new unpatched image.  Of the 5 PC's I have seen with the Inaccessible Boot device issue after update, 1 was Intel, 4 were AMD. 

Because the Intel machine was time critical (ironically, they had to use it to control a laser engraving machine that was used in making items for Microsoft that had to be ready that day,) and I had not a good way to figure out how to fix the problem, I put a new hard drive in, loaded windows fresh, imaged the hard drive to an external drive (so they could access the data) and had them re-install the 5 or 6 programs that they needed to perform the job.  I still have the original drive and a backed up image.  I tried the fix on an imaged drive and that one recovered as well.  It was interesting to note that on the Intel machine,  performing a system restore from the recovery environment DID NOT resolve the issue.  This really surprised me.

But to reiterate: SFC gave clean scans on all machines, as did chkdsk.  I did not DISM Check-Health two of the machines, but if SFC works, it's really unnecessary.

The hardware was good in ALL cases.

Windows would boot in all cases after removing January Microsoft Updates

And, most importantly, doing an in-place upgrade preserved the build.  Lastly, I was able to install all available updates and patches on these machines after the in-place upgrade.

wiz

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Go there and create recovery media based on 1709 now.

Good point on version of repair disk. Used an original OEM Win10pro load disk. Not sure a 1709 version even exists.  Must determine how to create a 1709 recovery disk and try on the next PC that goes to the BSOD.  Thanks for the info.

I am curious, have any you heard of the CMDLine Utility "DISKPART.exe"? A command in DISKPART >> List Vol(one exits DISKPART with the command 'Exit')?

In any CMDLINe(online, offline in WinRE or WINPE) try DISKPART /?

This haphazard pocking with "Dir" is unhelpful, IMHO.

Best Regards,

Crysta