Problem - BCD store lost, can't recover + no recovery menu

Franz Ferdinand

New Member
Messages
7
Hello all, I have following trouble: my OS is Windows 8.1 64-bit. It boots just fine, but I suddenly found out that something wrong happened with my BCD store. Tried more workarounds but none worked. The last I found How To Restore Windows 8 Boot Options Menu ended on bcdedit error mentioned below. The problem indicates with following signs:
- bcdedit /enum prints error "The boot configuration data store could not be opened."
- bcdboot C:\windows prints error "BFSVC Error: BcdOpenSystemStore failed with unexpected error code, Status = [c000015c]"
- msconfig's boot tab shows empty OSes list (nothing on the tab is clickablle)
- the same with System Properties, Advanced tab, Startup and Restore dialog (OS dropdown has no entries)
- Trying to enter diagnostic boot by Shft + Restart doesnot seem to offer full recovery menu. It boots to GUI boot menu offering Continue or Troubleshooting, Troubleshooting submenu offers Manage UEFI options (this brings me to BIOS setup after reboot) and Shut down. No manage boot options, no other choices.
- Tried to fix system booting with Paragon advanced recovery CD, the fixes ended happily

All of this point me to that my booting configuration is somehow ill (I wonder a bit that Windows still can start).
Advices please. Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
Could you tell us exactly which procedure on your link you followed to cause the problem? You do have the recovery media the site suggests?

You say the system is booting normally, even with the errors?

Could you describe your configuration. A laptop with just Windows 8.1 installed? If you were trying to recover the GUI boot menu, what other OS are you booting with and how is it installed, same hard drive?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Grown
    CPU
    i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77 -v Pro, Z87-Expert
    Memory
    16 G
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 680 Classified (2)
    Hard Drives
    Kingston SSD 240 GB
I don't have any recovery media, just Win 8 install DVD. The error happens at point 4 of linked article.
As I said Windows start normally and run without problems, just without BCD store which seems to be completeley absent and not recreatable at the moment. Maybe this doesn't matter if Windows run fine but I suppose I should have some BCD store.
Analogically launching EasyBCD invokes this error
05.18.2014-20.pngView attachment 43462
If installation DVD can halp me restore BCD please tell me how. I think this should me manageable just from Windows though.

You say the system is booting normally, even with the errors?
It starts without any errors, just BCD store is not accessible
Could you describe your configuration. A laptop with just Windows 8.1 installed? If you were trying to recover the GUI boot menu, what other OS are you booting with and how is it installed, same hard drive?
Yes laptop with just Windows 8.1 (64b) installed, no other bootable OSes except Windows 7 partition which is not bootable (ie. Windows 8.1 is the only OS that I use)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
Have you tried an export switch for the bcdedit command to see if you can get a copy you could attach?

In the same Administrative command prompt type bcdedit /export /? and it will show you how. Once you get the file, attach it.

If it doesn't work from within Windows, try booting to the Windows 8 DVD and go to Repair and the command prompt. Make sure you boot the media in the same configuration as your install, UEFI or Legacy.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Grown
    CPU
    i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77 -v Pro, Z87-Expert
    Memory
    16 G
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 680 Classified (2)
    Hard Drives
    Kingston SSD 240 GB
Have you tried this?
bcdboot C:\Windows from command prompt...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    PC-DOS v1.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    IBM
    CPU
    Intel 8088, 4.77MHz
    Memory
    16K, 640K max
    Graphics Card(s)
    What's that?
    Sound Card
    Not quite
    Screen Resolution
    80 X 24 text
    Hard Drives
    dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives
C:\> bcdedit /export bcd
The store export operation has failed.
System tried to read or restore file to registry, but given file hasnot registry format.

Plus notification bubble saying that \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD is damaged and I should run chkdsk.

/edit: I run chkdsk c: (in read-only mode only) and it found no problems

My content of C:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot is

BCD │ 20480
BCD LOG│ 20480
BCD LOG1│ 16384
BCD LOG2│ 0
BCD{1703230d-de67-11e3-82d1-54bef771218b}.TM} 65536
BCD{1703230d-de67-11e3-82d1-54bef771218b}.TM} 524288
BCD{1703230d-de67-11e3-82d1-54bef771218b}.TM} 524288
boot stl│ 4247
bootmgfw efi│ 1616728
bootmgr efi│ 1613656
BOOTSTAT DAT│ 65536
memtest efi│ 1500504
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
You were not in an Administrative Command Prompt window when you ran the command. This is the help file showing what the command should be.

C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /export /?

bcdedit /export <filename>

This command exports the contents of the system store into a file. This file
can be used later to restore the state of the system store. This command is
only valid for the system store.

<filename> The filename to be used as the destination for the export.
If the filename contains spaces, it must be enclosed in
quotation marks ("").

Example:

The following command exports the system store to the specified file:

bcdedit /export "C:\Data\BCD Backup"
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Grown
    CPU
    i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77 -v Pro, Z87-Expert
    Memory
    16 G
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 680 Classified (2)
    Hard Drives
    Kingston SSD 240 GB
It depends on what you mean administrative command prompt. If that's cmd run as administrator then I was in Administrative Command Prompt. Supposingly the error given was not complaining about insufficient rights but something like corruption or damage.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
If you were in the Admin Command Prompt, you changed from the C:\Windows\System32 location to the C:\ location....

Also, you did not give a location for the file to be written. Copy the example and paste it into the Admin command prompt.


bcdedit /export "C:\Data\BCD Backup"

It still may not run. I was thinking since it is not actually trying to open the store it might copy it.

I really don't know of anything else to suggest. Since your system is booting, something is a little strange. Maybe you could attach a picture of your Disk management picture.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Grown
    CPU
    i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77 -v Pro, Z87-Expert
    Memory
    16 G
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 680 Classified (2)
    Hard Drives
    Kingston SSD 240 GB
bcdedit /export "C:\Data\BCD Backup" run as admin from c:\win\system32 gives exactly the same error ;(
I suppose one or more files under C:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ is corrupt. Would that be possible to re-build the whole folder structure from scratch? (of course without having to reinstall Windows). Ie. where can I find original copies of *.efi files fromm there? They look like executables, so thay might get corrupt.

bootmgfw.efi
bootmgr.efi
memtest.efi

If it helps drives management here, looks nohing suspicious on it

2014-05-19_10-56-28.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
It seems you have one System Partition, which is where the boot files are supposed to be. But you have Fat32 partitions all over the place. I think your configuration is a little too complicated for me.

The way to rebuild the BCD store is by using the command you tried (bcdboot). If it will not complete, I do not know of another option. The multiple Fat32 file might be confusing it.

Maybe someone else will have some experience with your configuration.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Grown
    CPU
    i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77 -v Pro, Z87-Expert
    Memory
    16 G
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 680 Classified (2)
    Hard Drives
    Kingston SSD 240 GB
Thanks. This remains a bit mystery for me. Definitely Microsoft doesnot make this BCD store management transparent.
I opened one month drive backup...and there is no C:\EFI dir a all. I think at that time boot menu was yet normal.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
and there is no C:\EFI dir a all. I think at that time boot menu was yet normal.
The BCD store is kept in the System partition, which is Fat32 and does not have a drive letter.

The BCD template is in the C:\Windows\Boot.

I am going to have to stick with the problem arising because of the multiple Fat32 partitions you have on the system. Try removing the Phone Card and the other drive that contains all the Fat32 partitions. Then try the bcdedit commands again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Grown
    CPU
    i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77 -v Pro, Z87-Expert
    Memory
    16 G
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX 680 Classified (2)
    Hard Drives
    Kingston SSD 240 GB
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