Windows 8 boot problem with error 0xc000000e "The boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors"

Question

My desktop is a custom build with Windows 8 installed on HDD1 (original C drive) and it has another HDD2 (original D drive). About a year ago I bought an SSD (original E drive) and re-installed Windows 8 on it. I swapped the drive letters of HDD1 and SSD so that the system by default boot from the SSD (now C drive). The computer has been running very well until a couple of days ago, when the OS failed to boot every time the machine is powered up, with the error message below.

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click "Repair your computer."

If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

File: \Boot\BCD

Status: 0xc000000e

Info: The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors."

I first tried the option of refresh the system but it didn't help (and I didn't know I need to reinstall every program and every Windows update...).

The automatic startup repair also failed. It says "Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC" and one thing very suspicious is that the log file was put to E:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt". I found the file in my current C drive and the content is as below.

"Session details

---

System Disk = \Device\Harddisk2

Windows directory = E:\Windows

AutoChk Run = 0

Number of root causes = 1

...

Root cause found: 

---

Boot status indicates that the OS booted successfully."

All the tests in the log file have error code of 0x0. It seems the system still confuses between my HDD1 and SSD.

I also tried to go to "Repair your computer"-"Troubleshoot"-"Advanced Options"-"Command Prompt" and run "Bootrec /fixmbr", "Bootrec /fixboot", "Bootrec /scanos", and "Bootrec /rebuildbcd". It's weird that the scanos command returned with "Total identified Windows installation: 0". Did it not recognize the Windows 8 I installed on the SSD?

In bcdedit /enum I noticed the partition is still "E:", which is probably related to what I see in disk management. Does it matter if the system reserved partition is on the HDD1 instead of the SSD?

I'm no expert and can only go this far with the information I got from google search. Any help would be appreciated!

Edit:

I forgot to mention in my original post that this boot problem almost always happen when I power up the computer for the first time (cold boot), while in restarting I have never encountered the error, even in normal mode restart. The timing of the boot error is after the BIOS screen, when the blue Windows logo appears and a string of balls rolling beneath it. The string of balls just doesn't show and I would get the error screen after a couple of minutes. Then Windows would boot all fine after I press the reset button on the case.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

As per the description, I understand that you are getting an error message with error code.

Let’s try the following methods and check if it helps:

Method 1:

Step 1:

I suggest you to try to boot the computer in safe mode and check, Please refer to the below Microsoft article and check if it helps.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/windows-startup-settings-safe-mode

Step 2:

I suggest you to perform clean boot and check, using this Microsoft Article because may be a third party application is causing this issue.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929135

NOTE:

A clean boot is performed to start Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This helps eliminate software conflicts that occur when you install a program or an update or when you run a program in Windows. You may also troubleshoot or determine what conflict is causing the problem by performing a clean boot. You must log on to the computer as an administrator to be able to perform a clean boot. Your computer may temporarily lose some functionality when you perform a clean boot. When you start the computer normally, the functionality returns. However, you may receive the original error message, or experience the original behavior if the problem still exists. If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from following these steps.

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Once you perform clean boot do refer to the section “How to reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting” to boot the computer in normal mode.

Method 2:

I would suggest you to perform a SFC Scan and check if it helps.

Refer to the following link given below.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833

Note: While performing SFC Scan I would recommend you to make sure that there are no applications or programs running on the back ground.

Hope this information helps. Please let us know if you need any other assistance with Windows in future. We will be happy to assist you.

Answer 2

Hi,

You could probably even delete the System Reserved, but that is probably not the problem...

You didn't mention whether this is a UEFI BIOS machine or not, or whether it is set to UEFI or the older LEGACY...

 And\or whether your drives were created as a GPT type Drive which is required for UEFI machines, or a the older MBR standard...

Anyway... I noticed that System Reserved is marked as a "ACTIVE" partition, and the actual OS partition is not... In MBR machines the booting partition must be "ACTIVE"...

I suppose that the boot files may be in System Reserved and then redirect to the OS, but that's normally done with a EFI partition with UEFI BIOS...

I don't think the screen you are showing with the drives will let you change the Active Status of the partitions...

There is a handy free program called partition Wizard 9.1 that downloads as a ISO.

This can then be burned to create a bootable CD which has a option to toggle the Active Status of a partition...

You might try turning off the system reserved, and setting the SSD as ACTIVE...

You might also consider hooking the SSD up to a Different SATA port... Some machines will have two SATA Controllers... like a Intel for 4-6 ports, and something like a Asmedia, Jmicron, etc. for two more... Sometimes the secondary controller doesn't work well as a boot connection... especially if it's drivers have been changed by Windows..

Answer 3

Hello,

That's an interesting idea. I tried these steps and it worked for the first cold boot yesterday, but today I needed even two restarts for the Windows to load...

Answer 4

Hi,

My guess is that you may have a driver issue that is not working well with Fast Startup...

There are a lot of possibilities, but there is no reason that the driver might be for a SATA Controller, for instance...

Win 8, 8.1 and 10 have a new feature called Fast Startup.

The easiest way to tell if this is the problem is to turn it off and see what happens.

This feature only works when you do a SHUTDOWN and then Boot.

It doesn't effect a RESTART.

To turn it off or on...

Go to Control panel...Power Options, and select Choose What the Power Buttons Do on the left.

Then select Change Settings That Are Currently Unavailable near the top center of screen...

Lower down on the window, uncheck Fast Startup.

This may or may not help your problem, but is easy to check.

Answer 5

Hello,

Thanks for your response, although my problem is not Windows running improperly but Windows itself cannot start. Anyway I tried both Safe Mode and Clean Boot and ran SFC scan in Clean Boot with no problem identified.

I forgot to mention in my original post that this boot problem almost always happen when I power up the computer for the first time (cold boot), while in restarting I have never encountered the error, even in normal mode restart. The timing of the boot error is after the BIOS screen, when the blue Windows logo appears and a string of balls rolling beneath it. The string of balls just doesn't show and I would get the error screen after a couple of minutes. Then Windows would boot all fine after I press the reset button on the case.

I still highly suspect the problem has something to do with the system reserved partition and BCD.