BCD File Missing Information - Windows Disk Not Found

[Macaroon]

Hello folks, I've ran into trouble with my Alienware 15 R3 laptop. I can't boot into windows at all, with the diagnosis telling me the BCD file is missing some information, error code 0xc0000034.

I've got a USB stick with Windows 10 64bit installation media, and boot the laptop from it. I have tried running the repair tool, to no avail. I've also been into the command prompt. I've tried:

bootrec /fixMBR (succeeded)
bootrec /fixBoot (succeeded)
bootrec /rebuildBCD - but here it fails to scan any installed windows packages.

So, I try to run bcdedit to remove it manually and then rebuild. But on entering this command:

bootedit /export c:/bcdbackup

It comes back with it failing to find the system device. This worried me some, so I went into diskpart, and chose "list volume".

Here, according to the command prompt, there is only two volumes on the system: my 32GB removable USB, and the 1TB hard drive. The 128GB SSD (where windows is installed) is nowhere to be found.

I'm totally at a loss as to how this happened, and how to fix. Has anyone ran into this trouble, and has any ideas? Thanks all

 

[Chicano]

Did you try "bootrec /rebuildMCD"? or RebuildBCD?...

Use Bootrec.exe in the Windows RE to troubleshoot startup issues
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/927392/use-bootrec.exe-in-the-windows-re-to-troubleshoot-startup-issues



If you did type "RebuildBCD", this should help:

SFC /SCANNOW : Run in Command Prompt at Boot
How to Check / Repair the Windows System Files from a Command Prompt at Boot
https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html

 

[Macaroon]

Did you try "bootrec /rebuildMCD"? or RebuildBCD?...

Use Bootrec.exe in the Windows RE to troubleshoot startup issues
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/927392/use-bootrec.exe-in-the-windows-re-to-troubleshoot-startup-issues



If you did type "RebuildBCD", this should help:

SFC /SCANNOW : Run in Command Prompt at Boot
How to Check / Repair the Windows System Files from a Command Prompt at Boot
https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html

Ah yes that was just a typo in my question, I did use bootrec /rebuildBCD. I'll look into the sfc suggestion

 

[SkyNetRising]

If your storage drive doesn't show in diskpart, then
either you have to load storage driver for the device or
the drive is dead.

Check if your 128GB drive shows up in BIOS. Is it M.2 device?

 

[Macaroon]

If your storage drive doesn't show in diskpart, then
either you have to load storage driver for the device or
the drive is dead.

Check if your 128GB drive shows up in BIOS. Is it M.2 device?

It does show up in the BIOS thankfully, and yes I believe it's PCIE M.2

 

[Chicano]

Right!... I missed the SSD part. So it's obviouly not being detected.

[strike]See if the BIOS detects the SSD. [/strike]

See if the SATA controller BIOS setting is using AHCI.

 

[Macaroon]

Right!... I missed the SSD part. So it's obviouly not being detected.

[strike]See if the BIOS detects the SSD. [/strike]

See if the SATA controller BIOS setting is using AHCI.

The HDD is using AHCI via SATA.

But the SDD is connected with PCIe and is using a NVMe controller

 

[Chicano]

Well whatever the SSD's connection is, if the BIOS detects the SSD the Windows installer should also detect it. Have you checked if other computers can detect it?. If one does, format the SSD from that computer. If none detects it from Windows, it may be dead... the BIOS can detect hardware even if it doesn't work so that could be the case.

 

[Macaroon]

Well whatever the SSD's connection is, if the BIOS detects the SSD the Windows installer should also detect it. Have you checked if other computers can detect it?. If one does, format the SSD from that computer. If none detects it from Windows, it may be dead... the BIOS can detect hardware even if it doesn't work so that could be the case.

It has come to my attention that Dell sometimes set up the dual hard drive systems with the SSD acting as a cache drive. Might this be why it appears in BIOS but Windows RE doesn't recognise it as a volume? Just trying to avoid wiping the drive at this point.

 

[Chicano]

That's possible... you can use the method described to identify the SSD and possibly access it if it's being used for cache.

See also if you can find it in the Device Manager... it may also be in the Disk Manager without a drive letter.... and assigning it one may make it accessible.

http://vinfrastructure.it/2014/05/configure-ssd-on-dell-poweredge-with-perc/