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BCD Boot error 0xc000000f while booting from USB installation disk
Hi all,
I've been attempting to do a clean install (following the tutorial here) on an HP Probook 5310m, using a USB installation disk created from a genuine ISO (from msft.digitalrivercontent.net) with the official Windows 7 USB / DVD tool.
The initial phase of the installation ran without any errors but after the first reboot the installation went back to the start (i.e. the "select language" etc. screen) and did not continue automatically. As I was unable to re-start the installation, I decided to take a rest for the night and so shut down the computer, cancelling the installation completely. Prior to the installation I had prepared the HDD via the method shown here, ensuring there was only one partition before I started the installation.
Now, upon power up, I am greeted with the infamous BCD boot error 0xc000000f, even with the same USB disk used previously inserted and the BIOS set to boot from USB hard drive. I cannot boot from the USB disk regardless of its contents (I tried Partition Wizard and a "Repair Disk" I found online). As a result I can't access StartUp Repair, Advanced Boot or bootrec.exe.
However, if I physically remove the HDD from the SATA connector I am able to boot to the USB disk. Installation operates as normal but obviously there is no disk to install to.
My question is: how should I proceed from here? To my mind, there are 3 options :
- Buy a new HDD
- Buy a SATA-USB cable and attempt to format existing HDD on my other laptop
- Insert the HDD with the laptop running after installation has launched (not a good option!)
Sorry for the long-windedness, I thought it best to be thorough.
Cheers,
JC