Windows 8.1 PC Repair Bootable DVD Issue

Reboot and immediately press F12. Look for option to run diagnostics and run the extended hard drive tests. Copy down error messages, if any.

Assuming no hard drive errors, you can download the Win 8.1 file for free from Microsoft and create your own bootable USB stick. Read more here:

www.microsoft.com/.../windows8

It's my understanding that you might still be able to update Win 8.1 to Win 10 for free by downloading the Win 10 ISO from Microsoft. But be sure to back up personal files on external media first and have all the product keys for your software handy because you'll probably have to reinstall them.  

Ron,

I appreciate the quick response. I had preformed the diagnostics before this post. Chkdsk found no errors other than a couple of security descriptor issues. The HP diagnostic says the disk failed the short dst but the PC would still boot and run normally but with a lot of disk thrashing. I scheduled Chkdsk /r as I suspected bad sectors perhaps.

After that the computer will not boot due to BCD error message. It says to run Windows repair disk. That's what I've tried to do as mentioned above with no luck. I did learn about secure boot and have disabled it so the iso repair disk should boot - it boots just fine on other machines here.

I am assuming that I have missed something in disabling the secure boot and/or legacy boot configuration. I did learn that you can't actually click on the ATAPI to select you must choose the sub SATA associated with it. In this case that's SATA 1. I do this and the disk spins like it loading but nothing happens.

One thing I did note is that in the examples I've seen they all have SATA 1 ad SATA 2. My selections for the ATAPI is SATA 1 and the HD is SATA 0. I never heard of SATA 0 and can't find anything on it on the web.  

If the HD is bad that still shouldn't prevent booting from a DVD for repair. If the repair says it can't fix the BCD issue then there's little to do other than buy a new HD. However I'd like to at least get to that point of the repair attempt.

As I said I think I've missed something in the BIOS config for booting from DVD. I just don't know what.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Fredisius

Exactly what PC model is this? You wrote that you ran "HP" diagnostics...

If the hard drive failed the short test, you're probably going to need a new hard drive before you can go any further...

Ron,

The pc is:

•HP ENVY 23-c010xt All-in-One

•Product number:C1A69AV

I suspect that the drive had a bad sector or two or perhaps the boot code was damaged by a virus. One sector unfortunately was the boot area. When I ran Chkdsk C: /r I believe that windows repaired the damaged sector by deleting it and/or marking it as bad. The error message that the BCD is missing seems to support that as the computer would boot prior to Chksk /r.

Correct me if I am wrong Ron but the hard drive isn't a required boot. You can boot from other media such as a DVD or USB. At this point my theory is that the HD is still useable less the bad sectors. If I can runs Windows 8 repair it would simply put the boot instructions in a good sector and that should resolve the immediate issue.

Even if I bought a new drive the issue of the BIOS not allowing to boot from DVD would make a new drive kind of a catch 22 as I see it. The pc would still tell me that the BCD is missing and I'm right back where I started.

The core issue is not being able to get the pc to boot from any repair media including Kaspersky Rescue disk. I admit my understanding is quite limited but I don't understand how a bad drive would make booting from other media impossible.

If any of my assumptions are mistaken please let me know.

I greatly appreciate your patience and  help with this.

Thanks,

Fredisius

If this is an HP PC, why are you posting on Dell's forum and not on HP's forum?

You probably need to turn off Secure Boot, and enable Legacy to boot from something other than the HDD.

That said, suppose you manage to get this HDD booting again, when will the next failure happen and is it worth the risk that you lose your files?. If it were me, I'd replace the drive now...

Ron,

You are correct about the HP Ron. We have over the years we've had several Dell PCS and I've found the advice on the Dell forums to be among the best around. Not to knock the other forum but I simply don't have the confidence in their advice like what I've gotten here previously.

I do plan on replacing the hard drive Ron, I've even priced them out. I'd like to get this one operable so I can save the files I do have on it. What concerns me is when I install the new hard drive what will prevent the error message that it can't find the BCD and get into this same loop? How do I install windows on the new HD if the BIOS won't allow a boot from other media?

Again I appreciate your patience and your help.

Thanks,

Fredisius

There are no soft fixes for physically bad drives.  The repair is not likely to work at all if ever.

Most of us have no issues helping out with other systems despite this being a Dell forum.

First of all your HDD has failed there are no software fixes. It needs to be replaced preferably with a SSD.

Second of all is DVDs should now be considered completely obsolete with regards to installation media.You will need an 8-16 GB USB flash drive to create installation media.

Thirdly UEFI BIOS settings. You should retain a UEFI Boot with Secure Boot - Legacy ROMs and Legacy Boot options should remain Disabled. For other OEMs (you are not using a Dell UEFI BIOS) you may have an additional fast boot setting and this may need to be disabled in order to boot from a USB.

Fourthly if you have important data on the HDD. You should attempt data recovery onto an external HDD using the likes of a Linux Bootable USB. I give details here:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/data-recovery-using-fedora/ 

Once you have recovered your data physically replace the HDD with a SSD. Then use another PC to download Windows 10 Version 1709 Installation Media and perform the clean install. More details here:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-windows-1709/ 

For other OEMs (you are not using a Dell UEFI BIOS) you may have an additional fast boot setting and this may need to be disabled in order to boot from a USB.

I have no issues helping somebody with a different brand system. But since it isn't a Dell PC, there may be "secrets" that we won't know about installing the OS on a new drive in that other brand. That's the reason I asked about posting on their forum...  :emotion-5: