REAGENTC.EXE: Unable to update Boot Configuration Data.

Question

I am unable to enable WindowsRE?

Answer 1

(1) You've got two System partitions each with its own BCD. C partition is doubling as a System partition, & EFI is a System partition...

That is likely what is confusing ReagentC. It needs to find the BCD in order to enable the Recovery partition. We need to tell Windows that EFI is to be used -- not C. Let's try this...

DiskPart<<<Enter DiskPart

List  Vol<<<List the volumes & letters

Select  Vol  7           <<<Select EFI -- I guess it's still Volume 7

Assign  Letter=S     <<<Give it letter S -- unless List Vol shows it's already there

Exit<<<Exit Diskpart

BCDBoot  C:\Windows  /s  S:  /f  UEFI <<< **** Rebuild the BCD in EFI & all other boot files.

A reboot will be necessary to inform the rest of Windows of the change.

(a) I'm unsure that actually tells Windows to use EFI.

(b) I'm unsure whether that will also remove the System attribute from C.

(c) I'm unsure exactly what would remove it.

(d) So, maybe try this before the reboot...

REN C:\EFI EFI_unwanted <<<Rename the folder

..........................................................................

Then -- if it turns out it can't reboot -- you'll have to rename it back in the recovery environment, thus...

(a) At the Choose an Option screen, click "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt".

(b) Enter the following commands...

DiskPart

List Vol

Exit

The Windows partition may have a different letter here. Use it instead of C in the following command...

REN C:\EFI_unwanted EFI <<<Rename it back

......................................................................

(2) After the reboot (presuming it did)...

Does BCDEdit /Enum {fwbootmgr} now show {bootmgr} on top?

Does BCDEdit /Enum {Bootmgr} name either HarddiskVolume9 or S: as the Device?

If so, try again...

ReagentC /Disable <<<Moves WinRE.wim to staging area

ReagentC /Enable <<<Moves it to the Recovery partition

ReagentC /Info <<<Show whether it is enabled

If it isn't enabled, let's see C:\Windows\Logs\ReAgent\Reagent.log. Just copy/paste the output of those three commands from the bottom of the log.

(3) A volume is a partition that has a file system on it. The Volume numbers enumerated by DiskPart are not the same as the HarddiskVolume numbers enumerated in the BCD. The BCD counts all partitions (with or without a file system) starting from Disk 0. Disk Management won't show them all. DiskPart will show them, this way...

DiskPart <<<Enter DiskPart

List Disk <<<List your 8 disks

Select Disk 0 <<<Focus on Disk 0

List Part <<<List its partitions

Select Disk 1

List Part

=== Continue with Disks 2 through 7 ===

Exit <<<Leave DiskPart

Looking at your prior listings, I now think the 8th partition down will be C. And EFI will be partition 9. Disks 0-5 will have 1 partition each, then Disk 6 shows...

So -- HarddiskVolume8 is the Windows partition. (EFI is HarddiskVolume9). Yep, the BCD that is on C (shown with /Store) shows the letter...

The one that is on EFI (S:) shows...

We want the one on EFI (S:) to be the only one. Windows gets confused when there is more than one System partition.

Answer 2

Yep. Entries to use the Recovery partition instead of C can be manually put into the BCD, but it's a pain to do. Let's see whether /Disable & /Enable can be made to work first.

And now I'm thinking we should get his computer to use the BCD that is on EFI before we get the recovery entries right (using any method) anyway -- sheesh!

Answer 3

(1) Yeah, I'd like to see a /SetREImage. Make it a recent one because things might have changed. But, if that does it, then one must be issued to prep things for the Recovery partition instead of C. Presuming he's got R: on the Recovery partition, what improvement would you make to these instructions...?...

ReagentC /Disable <<<Maybe I'd disable it first

ReagentC /SetREImage /Path R:\Recovery\WindowsRE /Target C:\Windows

ReagentC /Enable <<<Then enable it after.

Then reboot I guess. Or should the reboot be done before the /Enable?

(2) But now something Saltgrass said makes me realize we should be sure the right BCD is in use before setting the recovery entries right.

Answer 4

Those three commands are perfect. Nothing else should be needed, IMO. A reboot can be done after the 3rd command, but I'm unsure if a reboot is mandatory or if it takes effect in realtime; this is something I need to verify.

Leaving WinRE in C:\ also works (I have a system with that configuration because I tested that configuration for someone, and left it that way. It's been so for over a year now.), except that the benefit of a separate partition will not be utilized.

The Reagent.log entries from my system.

************************************

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] -----Executing command line: reagentc /setreimage /path D:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows-----

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Enter WinReSetConfig

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Parameters: configWinDir: C:\Windows

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Update enhanced config info is enabled.

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Warning [ReAgentc.exe] Failed to get recovery entries: 0xc0000225

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] winreGetWinReGuid returning 0X490

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ReAgentConfig::ReadBcdAndUpdateEnhancedConfigInfo WinRE disabled, WinRE Guid could not be determined (0x490)

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] WinRE is not installed, nothing to back up

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Exit WinReSetConfig return value: 1, last error: 0x0

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Enter WinReGetConfig

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Parameters: configWinDir: C:\Windows

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] WinRE config file path: C:\Windows\system32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Update enhanced config info is enabled.

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Warning [ReAgentc.exe] Failed to get recovery entries: 0xc0000225

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] winreGetWinReGuid returning 0X490

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ReAgentConfig::ReadBcdAndUpdateEnhancedConfigInfo WinRE disabled, WinRE Guid could not be determined (0x490)

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] WinRE is staged

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Wim dir location: \?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition3\Recovery\WindowsRE

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] System is WimBoot: FALSE

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Exit WinReGetConfig return value: 1, last error: 0x0

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] -----Exiting command line: reagentc /setreimage /path D:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows, Error: 0-----

2023-04-20 10:56:06, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] -----Executing command line: reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows-----

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Enter WinReSetConfig

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Parameters: configWinDir: C:\Windows

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Update enhanced config info is enabled.

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Warning [ReAgentc.exe] Failed to get recovery entries: 0xc0000225

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] winreGetWinReGuid returning 0X490

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ReAgentConfig::ReadBcdAndUpdateEnhancedConfigInfo WinRE disabled, WinRE Guid could not be determined (0x490)

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] WinRE is not installed, nothing to back up

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Exit WinReSetConfig return value: 1, last error: 0x0

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Enter WinReGetConfig

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Parameters: configWinDir: C:\Windows

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] WinRE config file path: C:\Windows\system32\Recovery\ReAgent.xml

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Update enhanced config info is enabled.

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Warning [ReAgentc.exe] Failed to get recovery entries: 0xc0000225

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] winreGetWinReGuid returning 0X490

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ReAgentConfig::ReadBcdAndUpdateEnhancedConfigInfo WinRE disabled, WinRE Guid could not be determined (0x490)

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] WinRE is staged

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Wim dir location: \?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition2\Recovery\WindowsRE

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] System is WimBoot: FALSE

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Exit WinReGetConfig return value: 1, last error: 0x0

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] -----Exiting command line: reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target C:\Windows, Error: 0-----

2023-04-20 10:58:48, Info [ReAgentc.exe] ------------------------------------------------------

******************

Answer 5

(1) OK, Ramesh, my faith in /SetREImage is restored. It does appear to do what it should. Thanks for that. In that last thread in which it seemed to do nothing, I guess something else was awry to cause it to fail. So...

ReagentC /Disable

ReagentC /SetREImage /Path R:\Recovery\WindowsRE

ReagentC /Enable

...will move WinRE.wim to the Recovery partition & fill in the BCD, providing...

(a) /Disable finds a WinRE.wim to move to the staging area, i.e., C:\Windows\system32\Recovery.

(b) The letter R is on the Recovery partition, and

(c) The Recovery partition meets a size requirement (seen in /Enable)

But there may be other stuff awry that causes it to fail. I think it failed earlier in this thread due to BCD confusion. Now, it will work -- but the wrong BCD is in effect (I think).

(2) Yep, it's OK but not optimal to have Windows (C:) double as the Recovery partition. I think I've read (& do believe) it will get moved into a partition automatically during the next upgrade or repair-install.

(3) One might even let Windows (C:) double as the System partition, but I think that's a riskier proposition. In that case, I'd want to disable or delete the EFI partition to avoid confusion. And some day I'm sure I'd regret it!