Solved Windows failed to start. File:\Boot\BCD Status: 0xc000000f

[Runatir]

Greetings, first of all I have to declare that I am not very tech savy so please bare with me. I am using win 7 home premium x64 intel core i7 2630qm on a Asus N53SN notebook. Ive had it for about 3 or 4 years with no problems whatsoever.

This tuesday though after Ive got some updates istalled I was having trouble booting my system. I was getting this message. After couple of failed windows startup repairs It was suggested to me by the system to restore my Windows operating system to a previous state which I did and it fixed the problem for the time being.

On wednesday I left my notebook on for the night and in the morning I noticed that the update which caused those problems the day before was probably installed again but this time I was left with this screen.

The thing is that my notebook came with an already preinstalled windows 7 home premium x64 and therefore I dont have the installation disc. One of the users on reddit suggested to me this method so I gave it a shot and followed the steps on the site. At the end of the process I was left with this which looked very promising to me (here is the link so you dont have to type it manualy Ubuntu Pastebin). Unfortunately after I rebooted my system I was left stuck on this screen since. (if I press ctrl+alt+del nothing happens)

Yesteday I spent the whole day searching the internet and reddit for information on a different approach and I found this topic. The ISOs there are looking pretty legit so I used this guide to make bootable USB with the ISO I downloaded from the reddit link. So I tried to boot my machine with the USB stick and first weird thing I noticed was that this box under operating system was empty I thought that there was supposed to be something like Windows 7 or something (is this normal?).

After that I got into command prompt typed in ,,notepad,, to try to check if my files were still there but It seemed they were not since I dont think that the C:drive is supposed to be empty like this. Is this alright?

I would not like to lose my files and data and at this point I am not sure what to do next. I am not even sure how to do this repair instalation correctly. When I was at this screen I pressed ,,repair your computer,, .. was I supposed to press ,,install now,,? I repeat I was hoping to do a repair installation not a clean installation since I want to keep my files and data.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome Runatir now mate can you boot into safe mode?? if you can please do so and run these
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html < if necessary include the /f and /r in the command line as per Option2
Run these in safe mode and the sfc often best run for two to three runs

Have a read of this as well http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

Just as a by the by if you just want to get the data and reinstall why not use this
BOOTABLE UBUNTU
Make a bootable Ubuntu disk Download Ubuntu Desktop | Download | Ubuntu
Set the BIOS to boot from the optical when the machine boots it will show you a screen with TRY or INSTALL > select TRY not INSTALL
When it is finished - it takes very little time you will get a screen like in the pic .
Open the drive you want > User and dig down until you get to the data / settings you may be able to copy / paste the material you want to an external source or other installed drive doing this.
I am not sure if it will but I have recovered tons of data etc using this method both on "dead" or just plain drives that you cannot get data from using Windows.

Also usually most machine have a factory restore partition and that just means booting and tapping the restore key but that will just reinstall Windows back to as it came out of the factory - no data or programs will be saved. What that key is I am not sure just Google for it although I have an idea it it F9 while booting.

 

[Runatir]

Hi, I cant get into safe mode, I tried it with the f8 multiple times.. but I can get into the commandt prompt if I plug in my bootable USB and press shift+f10.

Also, I am not sure but I might have pressed f9 when I tried to get into the safe mode (I tried most of the f keys since It appeared that f8 didnt worked), this was on wednesday I think, but It didnt do anything, atleast it didnt looked like it was. Could this be maybe the reason why this was empty?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm that doesn't look promisng but anyway if you can get the command prompt you can still run sfc and chkdsk because both can be or is best I find run via that.

So in the command prompt - you need to run it as the admin of course see the two tutorials I linked and make sure there is a space between sfc /scannow < it is often best to run this for three times

In chkdsk type in just what there is in the tutorial and include the /f /r switches making sure there are spaces between the command and /f and then again between /f /r

If these do not run or you cannot access them then it probably means you have killed the OS

I have attached pic of how those two should be typed

 

[Runatir]

I just got home so I am going to try all the stuff you suggested.

If I want to check my files with the bootable ubuntu, do I have to burn it on a CD or can I put in on a USB with software like Rufus?

 

[Runatir]

So I tried to boot ubuntu from the USB stick and it worked so I looked into the ,,data,, folder on the left just like you showed me in the picture but all I saw were some weird folders, here are some pictures I took..

http://i.imgur.com/VmkssVE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TgjDmCu.jpg

I went through alot of those folders but I was not able to find anything familiar and most of them were empty. Is there any other way to acces my files?

edit: I tried couple of basic commands I found a guy using in a video heres a pic but I dont know what to look. Is it possible to tell that my files are still there?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Now what I am not seeing is any reference to the C: (Windows OS) drive and am now confused as to just how many drives you have hooked up to the machine.

What I would like to see is a pic of the opening screen with all drives listed as surely that DATA drive is not the C: drive to boot Windows from?? If it is the only drive is it or was it the Windows 7 OS drive??

If it is the only drive listed try hooking up another drive or stick to see if they are listed.

On the files that just have some sort of coding on them try right clicking on them and then open - if they will.

Edit: An afterthought can you right click on where it says Computer and see what opens up please.

 

[Runatir]

What I would like to see is a pic of the opening screen with all drives listed as surely that DATA drive is not the C: drive to boot Windows from??

Here I dont understand what you mean by opening screen with all drives

If it is the only drive is it or was it the Windows 7 OS drive??

This I dont know but I dont think so, I was too looking for a C:drive but I have seen it.

On the files that just have some sort of coding on them try right clicking on them and then open - if they will.

If you mean these, then there is nothing inside, they are all empty.

Edit: An afterthought can you right click on where it says Computer and see what opens up please.

http://i.imgur.com/h0ofwcS.jpg

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok well I am just wondering what that drive is and having re read the first post I think that like so many others you have been led down some unfortunate paths.

I am not usre where to go from here as using some of those softwares that promise to do things like they did are not worth the grief they cause. The Reddit link I think is dubious to say the least and the one where you got the ISO from well it looks even more dubious because ISO's for Windows have not been available for a very long time.
All in all I feel that without sitting down in front of that machine and trying a few things that the system is mush.

I will ask for some others to have a look to see if they can make out what has been done to your machine - it is a pity you didn't come across this site before you did the others because as I said most of those ones that promise the earth are little more than ones that make money through getting folks to donate and little do people know - that's all they do take your cash and leave you hanging.

My advice is you but a genuine OEM and after cleaning that drive install 7 again. But someone else might have some other ideas.

 

[axe0]

Hi Runatir,

Did you run the chkdsk command yet?
If so, what was the result?

I'll leave the Ubuntu part to John or anyone else having experience with it, I personally have never used any other (bootable) OS than Windows.

What I would want to try is find out what the situation is of the hard drive to determine if we can get you back in Windows without a hard drive replacement, or worse bad cabling or worst a bad motherboard connection which would require a new notebook.

   Note

Backup your data a.s.a.p.

That on boot a disk r/w (read/write) error was shown means either the hard drive is in a bad shape or you're just unlucky that there is a problem in either of the sectors where the boot part is.

 

[Runatir]

Ok so couple of things guys I found out that my cousin bought some time ago a retail version (or It atleast looks like one, again I am not very good with this stuff) of the same win 7 that I had preinstalled. He claims he didnt used it yet. Here are pics of the box and the cd: - http://i.imgur.com/efKbQyx.jpg - http://i.imgur.com/NgHeoLk.jpg
I am not sure if I can use it since I had a OEM version, I think they are called that when win comes preinstalled.

It may be perhaps possible to do a clean install (or atleast I hope) of win 7, but I would hope there is a chance to recover some files first before I do the clean install. I am making a bootable usb with windows again (I have only one USB key so I have to clean it from the ubuntu iso) so I can run the chkdsk since the only way of accesing the command promt is to boot from win USB. I will post the results asap

 

[axe0]

You would only need installation media, no key or something as there should be a COA sticker on the back if I'm correct.

I would hope there is a chance to recover some files first before I do the clean install

Possible through Ubuntu?

 

[Runatir]

Possible through Ubuntu?

We tried it with ICIT2LOL you can read through it on the first page in the last couple of posts in the bottom. But I have not been able to find any familiar folders or files

And yes there is a COA sticker.

 

[torchwood]

As you now have a W7 iso, try rebuilding bootmanager,
follow this link and use the MANUAL option at the bottom
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

Roy

 

[Runatir]

So I am in the windows command promt again right now. I noticed something and I am not sure what to make of it, heres a pic. On all pictures I saw you guys linking it always starts with C:/windows/system32

So do I try the sfc /scannow first and then the chkdsk C: /f /r ?? I rather ask first since Ive not done this before and I would not want to fck it up. So if yes do I just type it out and then press enter and wait?

 

[torchwood]

Thats Normal, X drive is where RE starts.
You can run both of the other tools, check disc run both modes f/r

Roy

 

[axe0]

When running chkdsk with parameter /r the /f is not necessary.
/f simply fixes errors on the disk,
/r recovers the readable data in the bad sectors,

/r includes /f what makes that /f is not a necessity to include.
So you could simply run chkdsk C: /r instead.

Just type it out and press enter yes

 

[Runatir]

Ok so I ran it and it took over an hour. Here are the pics:

http://i.imgur.com/CL6cJ7Q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xhgUIDQ.jpg (this was when it was halfway done)
http://i.imgur.com/xSe35PV.jpg

 

[axe0]

Insufficient disk space? You know how large the Windows partition is and how much free space it has?

 

[Runatir]

No, I am realy bad with this, only thing I have that could maybe help is this, Its from yesterday when I booted from a USB stick with fedora on it, I dont know if its relevant.

edit: Should I try to run chkdsk again?