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How to activate the boot drive after sysprep

ChargedPhone 1 Reputation point
2022-06-28T18:58:41.513+00:00

I'm slowly putting my feet into this whole sysprep process. I am getting this error after trying to boot after getting the image after the whole process. OOBE > Configure/Sysprep Generalize > Shut Down > WinPE can't find source

I reboot the reference PC back up, but I get the error below:

The application or operating system couldn't be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors.
File: \windows\system32\winload.efi

Secure boot is off, and diskpart does not list the boot drive. So I can't run those bootrec commands that articles tell me to use. I'm perusing through other threads, but seems I can't find a situation about what to do in my case. BIOS does see the SSD and chkdsk seems to state that a NTFS is write protected. There's only one other connected disk which is a FAT32 flash drive so it has to be that boot drive. How do I recover myself from here?

Windows 10 Setup
Windows 10 Setup
Windows 10: A Microsoft operating system that runs on personal computers and tablets.Setup: The procedures involved in preparing a software program or application to operate within a computer or mobile device.
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  1. Limitless Technology 39,511 Reputation points
    2022-06-29T15:04:20.983+00:00

    Hello

    Thank you for your question and reaching out. I can understand you are having issues related to sysprep.

    Please try to repair Boot Record tom see the result, your sysprep steps should be ok.

    Firstly, disable Secure Boot

    Second, enter WinRE and Navigate to Troubleshoot > Command Prompt

    Type the bootrec commands:

    bootrec /FixMbr

    bootrec /FixBoot

    bootrec /ScanOs

    bootrec /RebuildBcd

    Press Enter after each command

    Restart computer

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

    --If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

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  2. ChargedPhone 1 Reputation point
    2022-07-01T17:33:10.613+00:00

    I appreciate the response! Like I said though, those bootrec commands wouldn't work since WinRE couldn't even see the drive for some magical reason.

    I found the reasons and it's all my fault (of course).

    1. Somehow Bitlocker was enabled. No password, but had BitLocker encryption status on it when I plugged the SSD into another PC. I could access all files on it from another PC, so... strange. I just re-formatted the SSD from the other PC.
    2. Disabled RAID in BIOS to kick back to AHCI mode since I found out that WinPE can't see the OS drive in RAID mode.

    So either 1 or 2 was problem or both, but I ended up having to re-do the whole OOBE > Sysprep process again. I'm in a good place now with imaged PCs.

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