Windows 8 bcd error

Question

Hi, i just recently bought an asus s550c laptop with preinstalled windows 8 and last night as i was watching a movie, the screen just froze and went off. The next day when i switched it on, the screen shows:

"Recovery

Your PC needs to be repaired

The Boot Configuration Data file is missing some required information.

File: \BCD

Error Code: 0x000000d

You'll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media, If you don't have any installation media (like a disc or USB device), contact your system administrator or PC manufacturer."

I have did some research on forums and they say that the only solution is to use the recovery data from disks or usb. The problem is i'm currently studying overseas and those cd does not come together with the laptop when i bought. Whenever i switch on my laptop it shows the same as above and it shows that i could press ESC to enter the UEFI configuration. Once i pressed ESC it leads me to the aptio utility setup which has not been of any help. Are there any solutions to this?

Answer 1

Hi,

Does using an installation disc with Windows 8, reset all my Hard Drive or any files that will be deleted ( like pictures )?

If it does, is there any way I can keep my personal files?

Thank you.

Answer 2

do i need to have another windows os pc to download from the setup. i can't manage to open the setup from the aptio setup utility. It does not show anything about the setup. I can only open the aptio setup utility . Thanks!

Answer 3

Hi Franscesco,

The product key would be usually mentioned on the sticker in beneath your computer or above the battery section. If you are unable find any stickers on your computer, then check for the purchase receipts or purchase emails.

If you are still unable to find, you might have to contact the shop or vendor from whom you purchased the PC. It is very important to have the product key to validate that you have a genuine copy of Windows. Product key would be needed in case you are going to upgrade the OS or perform any repair operations. So please contact the vendor and obtain the product key.

Some manufacturers also embed the product key in BIOS. Since you are able to enter the BIOS, I would also suggest you to check the BIOS to see if the product key is embedded for your model.

Answer 4

Hi, where can i find my windows 8 product key.

Answer 5

Hi Francesco,

This error message will be displayed when the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) files, which are essential for Windows to boot, is missing or corrupt. To fix this error, you need to repair the BCD files by booting to the Windows Recovery Environment by booting from a repair or installation disc. If weren’t provided with a Windows installation disc, you can download the Windows installation files and create an installation disc using your Windows 8 product key. Refer to this article for more information:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

Note: Instead of clicking on the ‘Windows 8.1 Setup’ link in step 1 of the above article, click on the “install Windows 8’ link in the following article to download the Windows 8 installation files.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only

Once you have the Windows installation disc, try the following steps to perform an Automatic repair:

1. When your computer starts, wait for the manufacturer logo to check the option for boot menu, it will usually be F12.
2. The boot menu key might differ with each manufacturer. If you are unable to find the boot      menu key, you may refer the user manual.
3. Restart the computer, when the manufacturer's logo is displayed, keep pressing the Boot menu option key to enter the boot menu and change the boot option to CD\DVD ROM.
4. After you boot your computer using Windows DVD or System Repair Disc, a black screen appears with gray text "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD". Press any key.
5. Select the correct time and Keyboard type.
6. Click Repair your computer in the lower left corner
7. Click on Troubleshooting, advanced option and then click Automatic repair.

If Automatic repair didn’t fix the issue, I would suggest you to rebuild the BCD as suggested in the section ‘Rebuild Bcd’ in this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us

Try these steps and let us know the results.