Can't Fix Wrong Active Drive - Boot drive on different disk than system reserved active/primary volume - No Command Prompt Access in Windows RE

(1)

(a) Were the graphical glitches occurring during the lightning boot or afterward? I guess I wouldn't worry unless it carried on after the boot was done. Then I would suspect drivers. Anyway, it's good the glitches have gone. I hope the boot hasn't slowed a lot.

(b) That is right, is not good to have two system partitions plugged in at once. You may plug the SSD in only to quickly wipe it before a reboot. At least the System Reserved partition that is on it must be deleted.

(2) I wish you didn't have a dynamic disk (your Disk 1) mainly because I think it is an unnecessary complexity. I'm not sure it makes sense to have just one. I think it is a way to combine disks so that one partition can span the space on multiple disks. But your Disk 1 is 1 TB huge -- how can you need to grab more space than that for a partition? And/or one dynamic disk can be an automatic backup of the other & vice versa. I'd be afraid to do any of that, myself, thinking Windows can choke on it.

(3) Ah -- nice! Your recovery environment (RE) has gone into the Recovery partition on the NVMe, so says your ReagentC...!...

Windows RE location: \?\GLOBALROOT\device*harddisk6**partition3*\Recovery\WindowsRE

(a) I've seen it be more trouble to accomplish that in other threads. Test it this way: Click any Power icon, then hold Shift as you click Restart. It should reboot to the Choose an Option screen. Does it have the full panoply of options? For instance, there should be at least six at "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options". Then, get back to the first screen & click Continue to return to Windows. All is well with that, then.

(b) Referenced code in your BCD indeed loads the RE (WinRE.wim) from the NVMe Recovery partition. But there also is unreferenced code in your BCD to load it from C:\Recovery\WindowsRE. So, let's see whether there is a copy of it there too. Enter the following at an Admin Command Prompt...

DIR C:\Recovery\WinRE.wim /a <<<Does WinRE.wim exist there?

If that says, "file not found", (to be neat) let's delete the extraneous lines from the BCD...

BCDEdit /Delete {d3d6bda6-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

That's just to be neat. The lines do no harm since they are not referenced.

(4)

We want that 16 MB of unallocated space to be an MSR (Microsoft Reserved) partition. It belongs right there between EFI & the Windows partition. Although you boot & run fine without it, someday some feature of Windows (maybe BitLocker?) might want to use it. Or a 3rd-party software might want to use it. Here is what that looked like in DiskPart (when it was Disk 1)...

Partition ### Type          Size       Offset

-------------- -----------  --------   ---------

Partition 1     System     101 MB   502 MB <<<EFI. 101+502=603

Partition 2      Primary    464 GB    619 MB <<<Windows starts at 619.

Partition 3      Recovery 531 MB   465 GB <<<Recovery

Here is how to create the MSR...

DiskPart <<<Enter DiskPart

List Disk <<<Show disk numbers

Select Disk 6 <<<Select the NVMe -- IF it is still 6

List Part <<<Show its partitions -- should look exactly as above

Create Partition MSR Size=16 Offset=603 <<<Create MSR at offset 603

                                                                         <<<It will occupy 603-618, inclusive.

List Part <<<Show the new MSR

Exit <<<Leave DiskPart

The 2nd List Part should show the MSR. Reboot to be sure the whole system knows it. It will look like mine...

It will be placed between System (EFI) & Primary (Windows) & will be type Reserved. I expect its partition number will be 4 before the reboot. After the reboot, I think it may remain as 4. That will be OK, if it does. The MSR doesn't show up in Disk Management. The 16 MB of unallocated space that is there now will have disappeared.

At first it was just booting so much faster it almost seemed like it was having graphical glitches, that seems to have gone away (and slowed down) once I added back my other hard drives.

I was able to turn on secure boot, and have confirmed it is on using MSInfo32.

At first I was unable to enable ReagentC, but after restarting it allowed me to:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3324]

(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>ReagentC /Info

Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration

Information:

Windows RE status:         Disabled 

Windows RE location: 

Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: bbe128df-258d-11eb-8caa-85d5509b8e42 

Recovery image location: 

Recovery image index:      0 

Custom image location: 

Custom image index:        0 

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>ReagentC /Disable

REAGENTC.EXE: Windows RE is already disabled.

C:\Windows\system32>ReagentC /Enable

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

C:\Windows\system32>ReagentC /Info

Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration

Information:

Windows RE status:         Enabled 

Windows RE location:       \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk6\partition3\Recovery\WindowsRE 

Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: dbb53d35-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867 

Recovery image location: 

Recovery image index:      0 

Custom image location: 

Custom image index:        0 

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

Here is the BCDEdit /Enum All

C:\Windows\system32>BCDEdit /Enum All

Firmware Boot Manager

---

identifier {fwbootmgr}

displayorder {bootmgr}

timeout 1

Windows Boot Manager

---

identifier {bootmgr}

device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1

path \EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI

description Windows Boot Manager

locale en-us

inherit {globalsettings}

default {current}

resumeobject {dbb53d33-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

displayorder {current}

toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}

timeout 0

Windows Boot Loader

---

identifier {d3d6bda6-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

device ramdisk=[C:]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{d3d6bda7-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

path \windows\system32\winload.efi

description Windows Recovery Environment

locale en-us

inherit {bootloadersettings}

displaymessage Recovery

osdevice ramdisk=[C:]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{d3d6bda7-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

systemroot \windows

nx OptIn

bootmenupolicy Standard

winpe Yes

Windows Boot Loader

---

identifier {current}

device partition=C:

path \Windows\system32\winload.efi

description Windows 10

locale en-us

inherit {bootloadersettings}

recoverysequence {dbb53d35-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

recoveryenabled Yes

isolatedcontext Yes

allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075

osdevice partition=C:

systemroot \Windows

resumeobject {dbb53d33-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

nx OptIn

bootmenupolicy Standard

Windows Boot Loader

---

identifier {dbb53d35-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

device ramdisk=[\Device\HarddiskVolume3]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{dbb53d36-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

path \windows\system32\winload.efi

description Windows Recovery Environment

locale en-us

inherit {bootloadersettings}

displaymessage Recovery

osdevice ramdisk=[\Device\HarddiskVolume3]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{dbb53d36-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

systemroot \windows

nx OptIn

bootmenupolicy Standard

winpe Yes

Resume from Hibernate

---

identifier {43be30bf-92eb-11ea-9aab-b3d50ff81224}

device partition=C:

path \WINDOWS\system32\winresume.efi

description Windows Resume Application

locale en-US

inherit {resumeloadersettings}

isolatedcontext Yes

allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075

filedevice partition=C:

filepath \hiberfil.sys

bootmenupolicy Standard

debugoptionenabled No

Resume from Hibernate

---

identifier {d3d6bda4-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

device partition=C:

path \Windows\system32\winresume.efi

description Windows Resume Application

locale en-US

inherit {resumeloadersettings}

recoverysequence {d3d6bda6-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

recoveryenabled Yes

isolatedcontext Yes

allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075

filedevice partition=C:

filepath \hiberfil.sys

bootmenupolicy Standard

debugoptionenabled No

Resume from Hibernate

---

identifier {dbb53d33-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

device partition=C:

path \Windows\system32\winresume.efi

description Windows Resume Application

locale en-us

inherit {resumeloadersettings}

recoverysequence {dbb53d35-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

recoveryenabled Yes

isolatedcontext Yes

allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075

filedevice partition=C:

filepath \hiberfil.sys

bootmenupolicy Standard

debugoptionenabled No

Windows Memory Tester

---

identifier {memdiag}

device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1

path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\memtest.efi

description Windows Memory Diagnostic

locale en-us

inherit {globalsettings}

badmemoryaccess Yes

EMS Settings

---

identifier {emssettings}

bootems No

Debugger Settings

---

identifier {dbgsettings}

debugtype Local

RAM Defects

---

identifier {badmemory}

Global Settings

---

identifier {globalsettings}

inherit {dbgsettings}

                    {emssettings} 

                    {badmemory} 

Boot Loader Settings

---

identifier {bootloadersettings}

inherit {globalsettings}

                    {hypervisorsettings} 

Hypervisor Settings

---

identifier {hypervisorsettings}

hypervisordebugtype Serial

hypervisordebugport 1

hypervisorbaudrate 115200

Resume Loader Settings

---

identifier {resumeloadersettings}

inherit {globalsettings}

Device options

---

identifier {d3d6bda7-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

description Windows Recovery

ramdisksdidevice partition=C:

ramdisksdipath \Recovery\WindowsRE\boot.sdi

Device options

---

identifier {d3d6bda8-888d-11e8-a6a9-b3e2d28b7c04}

description Windows Setup

ramdisksdidevice partition=C:

ramdisksdipath $WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\SafeOS\boot.sdi

Device options

---

identifier {dbb53d36-4d31-11ee-bfc5-fe2d33682867}

description Windows Recovery

ramdisksdidevice partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume3

ramdisksdipath \Recovery\WindowsRE\boot.sdi

Here is the diskmanagement screen shot:

I put X's through the irrelevant drives (all storage). The SSD is completely out of the computer and I do not plan on putting it back in, but will reformat and use for something else down the line.

You are welcome. Good going. I think you mentioned this might be the solution in your original post. Good idea to watch it a while.

(1) What feels odd about the boot?

(2) Can you turn on Secure Boot in BIOS? Check in MSInfo32 whether you've succeeded.

(3) We'll want to activate the Recovery partition that is on the NVMe. Try this...

ReagentC /Info <<<Show whether the Recovery Environment (RE) is enabled

ReagentC /Disable <<<Disable it (moves the RE to a staging area)

ReagentC /Enable <<<Enable it (hopefully moves it to the Recovery partition)

ReagentC /Info <<<Is it enabled now?

If not, try a reboot. If still not, we'll add a step or two.

(4) Let's see the BCD now...

BCDEdit /Enum All

(5) Show another Disk Management.

(6) We'll want to put back an MSR (Microsoft Reserved) partition on the MVMe.

(7) We'll want to delete that System Reserved partition on the SSD & repurpose it.

Can't thank you enough for slogging through all that! I followed your advice and it seems to have worked (I am now booted to desktop with only the nvme installed). FWIW (for anyone else who may come along in a similar situation) when I ran LIST Vol from the command prompt via the bootable windows installer the EFI partition below did not have "ESP" as the label, it was just blank. I selected that vol (which for me happened to be Vol 1) and followed the other steps above.

Volume ###  Ltr  Label              Fs        Type               Size        Status        Info

-------------  ---  --------------  -------  ------------     --------  ------------  --------

Volume 0     C    Boot Drive    NTFS     Partition        464  GB   Healthy

Volume 1           Boot Drive    FAT32  Partition       101 MB    Healthy  Hidden

Volume 2                                     NTFS     Partition    531 MB   Healthy   Hidden

Volume 3      D       ESD-USB        FAT32   Removable     14 GB      Healthy 

The boot sequence felt a little odd, so I'll be using it cautiously for the next week or so before deciding if maybe a fresh install is best afterall, but thrilled at the moment at the prospect of not having to reinstall all my applications (and freeing up that sata slot from that stupid 220gb ssd)! Thank you again for all the help!