Windows 10: SSD partition lock following Windows Update (11-14-19)

A customer brought a Lenovo E580 into our shop last week that wouldn't boot windows 10 after a windows update failed to install.

HDD Info: Mushkin Source SSD 1tb


On boot, the Windows 10 loading screen appears, sits for roughly 15 minutes and then BSOD with an "Unknown error", which the PC reboots and starts the cycle over again.


Using USB recovery, all attempts to repair Windows failed with error "an error has occurred in the connected device". When trying to delete the pre-existing partitions (using "Clean install of windows"), the same error is given.

- Restore from previous Windows update = failed

- Repair start-up problems = failed

- System Restore = failed

- Reinstall Windows = failed

- Clean install Windows = failed

- System Recovery Image = failed

(Tried every option available to either fix, restore or reinstall Windows 10)


We pulled the hard drive and put into our bench machine (running Windows 10).

Once connected, we were able to access the drive and its files through explorer (which we were able to backup the customers files).


Using Disk Management, any attempt to delete the partitions on the hard drive give an error of "an error has occurred in the connected device".

Using Powershell, we were able to delete the partitions (according to Powershell), but once completed, the partitions that PowerShell reported as being removed still exist (and all files on the partition are intact).


Attempting to use Diskpart and running the clean command, shows success, however, upon removal and reinsertion of the drive, the partitions are still there an unaffected. Trying to use Diskpart to delete the partitions or format the drive, reports success, but again, on refresh, no changes were actually made to the drive.


Decided to try a 3rd party program (EaseUS) just to see what it would do. Upon selecting the 4 partitions to remove and execute command given, an error is displayed stating "there is a problem with the selected drive, operation aborted".


We tried running SFC, which it reported bad sectors found, but was unable to repair.


We've ran the internal diagnostics of the laptops bios on this hard drive, no errors are found and the drive passes all tests. We've run diagnostics on the drive from our bench machine and receive the same reports (no problems found).


Further information, the drive had BitLocker enabled (which we've used the key to successfully unlock the drive for each step listed above). However, any attempts to disable / suspend BitLocker on this drive using either PowerShell or graphical interface reports an error that BitLocker can't be removed. Windows can unlock the drive, but Windows is unable to remove BitLocker from it.


Oddly enough, we were able to create several test text documents and save them to the drive and delete them with no problems.


As it stands, there is no means to delete the partitions and no means to reinstall Windows. In essence this drives partitions appear to be write-locked after the updated failed.


We are in the process of putting the drive in our Linux bench machine to see if we have any luck there.


If anyone has run into this problem before, I would like to see if you know a fix for this. We've dealt with corrupted encrypted drives before, but never seen anything to this extent before. As it stands, we are looking at replacing the hard drive if we are unable to fix this with Linux.

:)

 

W7 Hard drive partition issue

to get rid of that 100 meg windows partition that setup creates for you on a new install on a blank hdd:

- press shift+f10 when on the partition management screen in setup <-- this opens a command prompt
- diskpart <-- start the windows command line partition management tool
- list disk <--- list the installed hdds in this computer for the next step
- select disk 0 <- might have to replace 0 with the number of the correct disk
- clean <-- this will erase all data on the disk you selected one step up- dont use the wrong disk!
- create partition primary <- creates a primary partition taking up all space on the drive, adjust the command if necessary
- exit, exit to exit diskpart and the command prompt
- click refresh in partition manager and select your newly created partition and install to that

 

undo partition shrink

Hi,

If you accidentally shrink the volume of your SSD partition, there is an option to extend the volume as well. To extend the volume of your SSD partition, follow the steps below:

• Press Windows key + X on your keyboard and select Disk Management.
• Right-click the partition that you want to expand and click Extend Volume.
• Select the amount of space that you want to extend.

Keep us in the loop with the result.

 

windows xp installation and dual core am

could someone please list the steps they follow to install windows with a dual core processor and windows xp service pack to. I'm reletively new to amd dual core and i feel i'm missing a step. All help will be appreciated. thanx