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
    2018-01-23T05:41:30+00:00

    Ah, that's smart.  In my present case scenario, I have WinPE separately on a drive and only the native (upgraded) OS to the computer on hand.  That being the case, would the DISM commands look like the following?

    "DISM /Image:C:  /WinDir:Windows  /SysDriveDir:C:\  /Cleanup-Image"

    In other words, both directories pointing to "C:" (or in my case, having checked with Diskpart, "D:")?

    Thanks! :)

    AH Yes! good ole List Vol in that thar DiskPart !!! :)

    DISM /Image:C:  /WinDir:Windows  /SysDriveDir:C:\  /Cleanup-Image /?

    That should give you a help with your next option/features but it also tests your approach.

    Dave, You are certainly on the right track. Test, try things but be careful, unless it is an Image that you have a good solid backup of. If you make mistakes you can simply Recover the Image.

    Dave, I am probably not telling you anything new, BUT we learn by doing! We learn more by mistakes than successes. I can't tell you how many Images I have screwed up learning. Not always on my Test partition neither. O.o  RESTORE!, RESTORE! and try it again. Restore takes about 15-20 minutes, invaluable......

    Take care, I am going to bed now, I will answer anything more in the morning.....

    Crysta

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-22T22:29:18+00:00

    I did you suggestions and they did not work. I do thank you for the download link for the KB4073290 patch. Keep it simple.....and short. People might read what you post.

    I hear you, if this kind thing was even remotely simple, I would be able to. Allot of people have an obvious need to learn but didn't do it before, will they do it now????

    I don't write those long post for the people who have been avoiding reading and learning PC for along time.....

    I write them for that "one" person that really want to to know and learn no matter how long and how many blogs, mags, papers....

    If I can help ONE person like you, I have PAID BACK once more all of those people whom helped me learn!!!

    Best Regards,

    Crysta

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-01-22T16:54:40+00:00

    I just replaced my laptop with a MacBook.  Haven't had any issues since.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-01-20T23:15:47+00:00

    Thanks for this. I could not get it to run to start with but realized you need a space between image:D:\ and /Get-Packages.

    Before I started I tried a system restore. I already did that once a couple of days ago and was successful, but when I rebooted later that day I was back to square one. I only had one restore option the second time from the day I did the restore before and that one would not work. That is what got me looking for what is going on and eventually here to this forum.

    Using your instructions I found a package from 1/10 and removed it successfully but had the same (now familiar) BSOD when I rebooted. I went back into the command window again and reran the Get-Packages command. I found a different (I am pretty sure) package from 1/10 and another from today's date with a time stamp for when I removed the first 1/10 package (in GMT I assume as it was 8 hours in the future). So I removed the one from today and then the new one from 1/10 and was able to boot into Windows. The bootup took a long time though and I got a message about Windows updates being completed (groan) and when I got the desktop up it said it had completed the restore successfully.

    The system did a lot of disk crunching for a while and I could not get a command prompt up with Administrator privileges the normal way (had to go through the Task Manager), but I was able to verify that there were no new packages added back.

    So I guess I will try to stop updates for a while and/or avoid rebooting until all this blows over.

    What a PITA.

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