Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Unmountable Boot Volume

Snaketank · Mar 29, 2016

So, my laptop randomly crashed and has since not been able to boot up.

Displays:

UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

With technical information

STOP: 0x000000ed

and then many more random numbers.

I've literally tried every solution that is available. In the best case scenario, I get to a black screen with just my cursor visible. I can move the cursor around but that's it.

I've made a USB bootable of Windows 7 to try and repair it that way, with no luck. Same with Winodws Repair Disk. Most things lead me to the BSOD and a cursor, or the blue screen with the aforementioned errors.

I've tried starting it in safe mode and every option under the Advance Boot Options. I have even changed Boot Mode to Legacy for my USB. I don't know what else I can try (I've tried about 10 other things that I have not listed)

I'm afraid my hard-drive may be dead:-(

If you need any more information, please let me know.

Thanks for any assistance you may be able to provide

13thmonkey · Mar 29, 2016

can you start with a USB linux distribution, so that you can see if you can access the disk? then get your files off, then you have time to think.

DeadlyDays · Mar 29, 2016

create a Linux livecd and transfer anything important off the disk, then load Testdisk onto the liveCD and try to recover the MBR and partition with it.

If you can't access the disk with Linux livecd, skip to using testdisk, if testdisk doesn't recognize it try opening case and replugging cables into harddrive and where the cable goes into the mobo and retry.

If still not working, it is FUBAR. Only way to get info off it is a data recovery specialist company which is expensive.

mbarnes86 · Mar 29, 2016

Hi

To test your hard disk for bad sectors or other physical errors i suggest downloading Hirens Boot cd iso Image and burn to a cd

There are a number of hard disk diagnostic programs on this disk
I would start the mini xp
Then select western digital data lifeguard for windows
( does not matter if disk is wd or other brand)
If hard disk is dead or dying consider replacing it with a ssd instead of a hard disk
120gb may well be enough space for several years

I hope you have your original operating system or recovery disks available and a good backup of any important data

Verry occasionally removing the hard disk from the sata connector then replacing it clears a bad connection causing the problem so you can try that before giving up

Regards
Mike Barnes

Snaketank · Mar 29, 2016

OK, I will try these in the next day or two (hopefully) and report back. Thank you all for the quick replies!

Snaketank · Mar 29, 2016

Good start! I got a Ubuntu Live USB going and I got in! And I'm able to access the hard-drive and it seems OK. I am able to explore the HD and open files on it.

Now, what should I do from here? Should I remove the important files from the HD and then test it? If so, what's the best way to remove files, if I have many GBs worth of stuff.

Thanks!

I'm glad the HD isn't dead!

13thmonkey · Mar 29, 2016

USB3.0 ext HDD. and time, perhaps just whip everything off it, and sort it out later.

How to fix it? need to figure what's wrong first. I suspect it's a BCD issue.

DeadlyDays · Mar 29, 2016

TestDisk can rebuild the partition and recreate the MBR which may make it bootable/mountable again.
It could be the partition table got corrupted? and that the hard drive is starting to go bad. TBH it may be better to get a new hard drive and reinstall windows on the new drive and transfer your important files via external backup/storage to it. Get your important files off now, if the drive is going bad it is only going to get worse.

Snaketank · Mar 29, 2016

So I used TestDisk (not exactly sure if I did it entirely right), and the laptop boots a lot further now. However, it wants me to repair Windows, so I plugged in my Windows USB boot drive, but when I try to repair, this appears:

System Recovery Options
This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows

I've also tried using Windows Repair Disk and it yields the same result.

DeadlyDays · Mar 29, 2016

I assume start normally didnt work, are you sure your boot disk is 64bit and not 32bit and includes ultimate on it? X86 only disk would prob give u thats error and easy mistake to make when making disk.

Snaketank · Mar 29, 2016

It is 64 bit. I installed it myself a few years ago, so I don't see how it could be. I did, however, use just the Windows 7 version of TestDisk and not the 64 bit version. Not sure if that makes a difference.

When I start up normally, this error: 0xc0000225 appears. With "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible."

13thmonkey · Mar 30, 2016

Get your data off first, before doing another single thing, before this turns into a 'how do I get my data back after xyz' thread.

Snaketank · Mar 30, 2016

I should have mentioned. I did. Haha, I'm not going to risk losing all my important information! ;-)

tman1 · Mar 30, 2016

Snaketank :

Are you able to open up a command prompt?

If so, run these:

bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /fixmbr

Exit and reboot

13thmonkey · Mar 31, 2016

^ theres a bcd command as well, fixbcd perhaps?

tman1 · Mar 31, 2016

13thmonkey :

the rebuildbcd command could go one of 2 ways, and I didn't want to add another step that 1) may not be necessary, and 2) would require more explanation than I cared to type at the time.

13thmonkey · Mar 31, 2016

^ understood, hopefully not needed, but may be needed. An unmountable boot volume doesn't sound like a BCD issue (might be once you get to that point though.

Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Unmountable Boot Volume

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