"Error 0xC0000001, Your PC needs to be repaired." after Server 2012 R2 Essentials Client Restore

Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
Has anybody else experienced this?

I have a client with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials and a Dell Inspiron 660 Desktop running Windows 8.1 Home Premium 64-bit (not on the domain, of course). The server has been successfully making backups of the client computer and is running Client Restore Service. Two days ago the client computer HDD failed, so I replaced it with a new one (same size), booted from a USB Recovery Key (made from the server previously), and successfully ran a client restore over the network. All seemed to go like clockwork, except the computer won’t boot now, saying “No boot device available.”

A few more details about the restore process:
The drive was new so it had to be initialized during the restore process of course. I initialized it for GPT and then had to create the partitions manually. When you get to the next screen (“Confirm volumes to restore”), it shows you which partitions/volumes are available for restore and their sizes. I kind of worked backwards by creating the partitions found on this screen in Disk Management in the previous step (if that makes sense). The reason is, I was getting red lines (instead of green arrows) during the “match up” process on the Confirm Volumes to Restore step until I made the partitions the same size or larger. There were four volumes to restore …

450MB: Local Disk (I think this is the System Reserved partition that contains the boot information)
12523MB: PBR Image
500MB: WINRETOOLS
939.727: System (C:)

What am I doing wrong? I’m honestly not sure if I have the volumes in the right order or if it matters what order they are in (except for the System Reserved partition being at the beginning, and I’m assuming that that is what the 450MB volume is; not sure. I found this order on the server in the client computer backup details. However, the restore wizard listed them in a different order in the backup details …

939.727: System (C:)
500MB: WINRETOOLS
450MB: Local Disk (I think this is the System Reserved partition that contains the boot information)
12523MB: PBR Image

Does the System (C:) partition need to be right after the System Reserved partition? I’m pretty sure the restore process does not automatically create that System Reserved partition. As far as I know, you have to do that manually, but again, I’m not even sure what that 450MB volume is.


Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
 

pricklypunter

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2015
1,708
515
113
Canada
Usually, from an empty non partitioned disk install, you'll have a system reserved partition created automatically containing your boot files etc then you'll also have a recovery partition created automatically containing your recovery tools etc then your install goes on whatever other partition you choose to install in to. It sounds to me like you have the recovery and main install partitions but are missing the boot partition :)

Often just running your windows install disk, selecting recovery and asking the wizard to scan/fix boot issues cures the problem.

System reserved ~100MB, System Recovery ~450MB
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
Thanks for the reply! So if I use a Windows 8 Home Premium 64-bit disk for my windows install disk, do you know how to get to such an option (scan/fix boot issues)? Are you talking about launching the command prompt and running bootrec commands?

Thanks again!
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
So I followed the steps outlined in this technet article ...

I ran the restore from the last known good server backup (last backup with a green check mark). Step 15-b-i was the missing step before; so this time I was able to successfully create the EFI System Partition (Step 15-b-i). After matching up the volumes to restore on the next page “Confirm volumes to restore” (Step 16) and clicking Next, the restore wizard said that where was an existing boot partition (the EFI System Partition that was created in Step 15-b-i) and asked if I wanted to copy over the boot information from the previous system (copy restore data from the server backup). I selected “Yes,” which was recommended.

The restore again completed successfully after about 1 hour 30 minutes, but the computer still cannot boot. However, I am getting a different error now. Instead of “No boot device found,” I’m now getting:

Error 0xC0000001, Recovery - Your PC needs to be repaired. o_O

Two things I’ve done so far to try to fix this:

1- Startup Repair: Booted from a Windows 8.1 Home Premium 64-bit CD > Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Startup Repair … Did not help.

2- From the same boot CD > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
a. bootrec /fixmbr … Completed successfully.
b. bootrec /fixboot … Completed successfully.
c. bootrec /scanos … Windows installations = 0.
d. bootrec /rebuildbcd … Windows installations = 0.​

Neither of these two things helped. I am still currently getting the Error 0xC0000001 when trying to start the computer. So, I guess this is a step closer, but still no cigar. :(

Anybody know where to go from here?
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
Silly question, but you have checked to make sure the system reserved/ boot partition is set active?
Thanks for the reply! Actually, I haven't. I just assumed that when the EFI System Partition was created and then the boot information was restored to it from the server backup that it just would be. Also, I figured since I'm not getting the error message "No boot device available," it was find the boot information, but it sounds like a good thing to check. What's the quickest way to do that? If I boot from a Windows 8.1 CD and get a command prompt, can I check from there?
 

pricklypunter

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2015
1,708
515
113
Canada
If you have a windows desktop, you can run up diskmgmt.msc snap-in from the run command and right click on each partition. If it is already set active, that option will be greyed out. Failing that you can always use diskpart from the command line :)

Remember to only have your boot partition set active!
 

pricklypunter

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2015
1,708
515
113
Canada
A long shot here, but something else you might check too, is secure boot enabled in the bios? Have you tried booting with it switched it off?
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
If you have a windows desktop, you can run up diskmgmt.msc snap-in from the run command and right click on each partition. If it is already set active, that option will be greyed out. Failing that you can always use diskpart from the command line :)

Remember to only have your boot partition set active!
So if I have another partition active or more than one inactive, I need to specifically make my EFI System Partition active and all others inactive?

Thanks again!
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
A long shot here, but something else you might check too, is secure boot enabled in the bios? Have you tried booting with it switched it off?
Yes, Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS because I just left the BIOS settings alone (the old HDD was booting with Secure Boot). Can you just turn Secure Boot off without affecting the UEFI setting?

Thanks!
 

pricklypunter

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2015
1,708
515
113
Canada
Ahh, it was a long shot :) If it was definitely booting using secure boot beforehand it's unlikely to be your issue, however, no harm no foul...nothing to lose by trying it.

You can have many partitions on a disk, but only 1 partition is allowed to be active at any given time. In this case, your boot partition needs to be set active and any others set as inactive :)

I'm wondering now if your back-up is corrupted. It's possible that the last back-up that was taken contained some corrupted boot/ system files, especially as they came from a failed/ failing disk. Was the back-up actually tested at any point?
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
Ahh, it was a long shot :) If it was definitely booting using secure boot beforehand it's unlikely to be your issue, however, no harm no foul...nothing to lose by trying it.

You can have many partitions on a disk, but only 1 partition is allowed to be active at any given time. In this case, your boot partition needs to be set active and any others set as inactive :)

I'm wondering now if your back-up is corrupted. It's possible that the last back-up that was taken contained some corrupted boot/ system files, especially as they came from a failed/ failing disk. Was the back-up actually tested at any point?
Got it! :)

I was wondering about the backup as well. I haven't tried another backup set yet since each run takes almost 2 hours and time is limited, so I've been trying other things first. On the Windows server, there were 8 backups that were marked bad (unsuccessful); I took the first one that was good. But I guess it's always possible that it may not be.

So if I slave the HDD in another Windows machine or connect the HDD via USB connection to another Windows machine and set the boot partition active in Disk Management, will it retain that setting no matter where the HDD goes? In other words, it might be quicker to do that way if when I put the HDD back in its own machine, the active partition that I set remains active?
 

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
If you have a windows desktop, you can run up diskmgmt.msc snap-in from the run command and right click on each partition. If it is already set active, that option will be greyed out. Failing that you can always use diskpart from the command line :)

Remember to only have your boot partition set active!
So I think you are definitely on to something here; thanks for the silly question!! I booted the computer from a Windows 8.1 disk > Command Prompt > DiskPart > select disk 0 > detail disk ... Boot Disk: No, and none of the partitions are marked as Boot under the Info column. I guess that would do it! :)

Now for some reason, I cannot make the main partition (what should be my C: drive) or the EFI System Partition (the hidden one) active. It says "The selected disk is not a fixed MBR disk. The ACTIVE command can only be used on fixed MBR disks."

diskpart1.jpg diskpart2.jpg

So, how do I make the GPT disk the boot disk and/or the boot partition active?
 

pricklypunter

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2015
1,708
515
113
Canada
You can set it active using another computer if you wish, and it will be retained ok, but it's just as easy to do it from the command line using diskpart if you boot the computer with the windows disk as before and go into advanced mode/ command line tools using the repair my computer link :)
 

pricklypunter

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2015
1,708
515
113
Canada
Ignore me...my mind is elsewhere today. If your disk was originally set up using UEFI, then the disk will be listed as GPT and diskpart will not work for you as there is no MBR on the disk.

Go into diskpart and type "list disk" without the quotes, see if the disk shows an asterisk under the GPT column, if it does, then it's UEFI/ GPT for sure and diskpart will be useless. Do you still have the original disk? does it spin up at all? check the disk structure/ layout of it. You might need to wipe the new disk and start over making sure to replicate exactly the layout of the old disk. Don't rely on the back-up to do this for you.
 
Last edited:

Larson

Member
Nov 10, 2015
99
7
18
53
Ignore me...my mind is elsewhere today. If your disk was originally set up using UEFI, then the partitions will be listed as GPT and diskpart will not work for you as there is no MBR on the disk.

Go into diskpart and type "list disk" without the quotes, see if the disk shows an asterisk under the GPT column, if it does, then it's UEFI/ GPT for sure and diskpart will be useless. Do you still have the original disk? does it spin up at all? check the disk structure/ layout of it. You might need to wipe the new disk and start over making sure to replicate exactly the layout of the old disk. Don't rely on the back-up to do this for you.
Ha! ha! Funny. :)

Yes, that is exactly what I did! I was able to connect the old drive to another Windows machine and look at the partitions in Disk Management. I recreated them in the same order and size on the new drive during the Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials client restore process, following these directions. The only thing I couldn't do in the listed steps was Step 15-b-iv, which I guessing now is because it is a GPT disk (not sure).