# Inaccessible Boot device



## nandubatchu (Feb 3, 2018)

Not able to boot to windows 10.

Bcdedit returns:
The boot configuration data store could not be opened.
The system has attempted to load or restore a file into the registry, but the specified file is not in a registry file format.

Bootrec /Scanos returned:
Total identified windows installations: 0

Bootrec /fixboot:
The system cannot find the file specified.


Please help!!


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## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

First of all, no one [other than you] has any idea what hardware you are running. Post ALL of your exact system specs; ie exact motherboard, exact ram, exact pw supply, etc, etc. Do not post 16gig of ram; post the exact brand and model# Do that for all of your parts. If this is a big box system ie dell, hp, whatever, post the exact brand, model# and service tag#

Next have you tested your hard disk? From your post, the disk may have failed. Open the case and find out who mfg the drive ie WD, Seagate, etc. Download the mfg's diagnostic for testing the drive. You will need the dos or boot version since you cannot load an operating system. The boot ver runs from a bootable usb. Do both the long and short tests of the drive.


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## dmccoy (Oct 7, 2017)

It would also help if you tell us if this happened after a recent Windows update or anything you may have changed. There is a recent update that can cause this issue with AMD chipsets.


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## jenae (Mar 17, 2013)

Hi, has been some considerable discussions on this subject among past and present MS professionals. A blog has been released, unfortunately the current crop of MS engineers lack the discipline of the former, and it is clear reading it that the method has not been properly tested.

This of course assumes it is as a result of an upgrade, and not some other issue, possibly hardware, so the HDD tests are important. You can however try to get back into windows, especially if it is an update or related registry corruption.

Windows ten makes a complete registry backup, every 7-10 days, is is located in the C:\windows\system32\config folder and is called regback.

Start your computer, and when it gets to the loading windows operation, press and hold the shutdown button, this will hard shutdown the computer. Repeat this for at least two times and then on the third, windows ten is supposed to detect a problem and boot you to the RE (recovery enviroment), a VM.

From this select Troubleshoot, then Advanced, from this select Command Prompt.Either way we need you to access a cmd prompt.

At the prompt type:- (exactly as you see here)

bcdedit |find "osdevice" (press enter) the | is called a pipe and is located above the \.

This will return:- osdevice..........partition x (where x is a drive letter, in the RE the OS is not always assigned to the C: drive, typically it will be D: drive, use whatever drive letter the cmd returns, in the following cmd's, we assume D)

Next type:- D: (press enter), the prompt will now be D:\>

Next type:- cd D:\windows\system32\config\regback (press enter), the prompt will change to this directory.

Next type:- Dir (press enter), the contents of the regback file will appear, note the date and be sure that the contents are populated with data (if 0 data appears this will not work, so DO not proceed, if all is OK and the date was before this incident, proceed)

Next type:- copy *.* d:\windows\system32\config (press enter), say ALL (press enter) to the overwrite prompt, 5 hives will be copied.

Restart your computer. Let us know how you get on. We can advise what you need to do, testing HDD being one of them.


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## AhmedSidd (Feb 18, 2018)

jenae said:


> Hi, has been some considerable discussions on this subject among past and present MS professionals. A blog has been released, unfortunately the current crop of MS engineers lack the discipline of the former, and it is clear reading it that the method has not been properly tested.
> 
> This of course assumes it is as a result of an upgrade, and not some other issue, possibly hardware, so the HDD tests are important. You can however try to get back into windows, especially if it is an update or related registry corruption.
> 
> ...


 Hi, i've done the exact steps as you described but when i type "D:" , i get an error saying "The device is not ready". A reply would be considered very helpful. Here are my computer specs :-
Name :- Dell inspiron 3542
Ram :- 4096 mb (DDR3L)
BIOS VERSION :- A03
When i try to reinstall windows it says "no drives could be found".
Here is an image :-


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## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

> When i try to reinstall windows it says "no drives could be found".


Why would you even attempt to reinstall windows when you still have not tested the drive??? It makes no sense.
First test the drive _then_ we can go forward if the drive passes all tests; both long and short.


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