Windows 10: Boot error INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE, drive letters C: and D: switched

Issue:

Error blue screen when booting with stop code DE Stillstandcode INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE. Computer restarts automatically and then freezes with message “automatic repair being prepared” DE “Automatische Reparatur wird vorbereitet”. After manual shut down, the same happens all over again.


System:

Lenovo IdeaPad C340-15IWL with pre-installed Windows 10 updated to latest version / fixes with two drives:

128 GB SSD with Windwos and program files C: “Windows-SDD”

1 TB HDD as data storage D: “Data”


Reason:

Not clear. Just three days before a BIOS update ALCN28WW V2.05 has been installed, after which the fingerprint scanner didn’t work any longer. Lenovo support suggested to reset BIOS to defaults and re-install driver, which did not solve the problem, but at least the computer still worked. After another restart, the issue occurred.


Troubleshooting:

1 Loaded default settings in BIOS againà no change.

2 Booted from Win 10 installation USB flash drive, chose repair options DE “Computerreparaturoptionen”, then troubleshooting DE “Problembehandlung”, then start help DE “Starthilfe”à PC could not be repaired; then chose advance options DE “Erweiterte Optionen”, command prompt DE “Eingabeaufforderung”; change to drive C: and D: and could see that all directories are still there, BUT DRIVE LETTERS ARE SWITCHED: C: shows as “Data” holding all directories formerly under D:, and D: shows as “Windows-SDD” holding all directories formerly under C:

Pretty sure that this switch of drive letters is related to the issue Windows probably tries to boot from C:, which is the wrong drive now, not idea how this came, and no idea how to switch it back to make Win work again.


Thanks for any helpful suggestion!

:)

 

Swapping drive letters, including boot volume

I have a new computer. I want to clone the system to a new SSD. Can I change the drive letter of the SSD to C: after cloning?

I have a new ASUS M52BC with:

• 1 TB hard drive with a Windows (C and empty data (D partition
• Windows 8.1 (I will upgrade to Windows 10 very soon) on the hard drive
• Samsung SSD 850 EVO (physically installed but nothing more done to it)

What I want to get to is:

• 1 TB hard drive with the data (D partition and (for the old Windows partition) the drive letter of the C: changed to something else
• Windows 10 on the SSD as the C:

I don't intend to boot to Windows on the hard drive after I get Windows working on the SSD unless I need to remove the SSD for return to ASUS for repair. (My new computer had a bad motherboard when I received it but I hope I do not need to return it again.)

I want to clone Windows to the SSD using the Samsung Data Migration tool. During the clone, the SSD will of course not have the drive letter "C". To boot from and use the SSD after the cloning, it must have the drive letter "C", correct? I assume the Data
Migration tool cannot change the drive letter used by the software it clones.

After the clone, how do I swap the drive letters? I assume I cannot change the drive letter of the hard drive Windows partition when it was used to boot from because it would be the boot drive, correct?

I know that some people will suggest that I do a fresh install. I want to avoid doing that if possible.

I see
Migrate system partition to a new disk. I think that describes doing what I am trying to do, but unfortunately he does not know how he did it.

 

C drive letter occupied by "System reserved", computer doesn't boot up.

I am writing this with my phone, so expect a couple grammar mistakes here and there.

My PC is broke, because there's a lot of wrong with the partitions.

Before i go explaining things, i will note that i cannot boot using normal mode nor safe mode (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error) and all installation media has failed loading completely (it loads, but no window shows up, leaving me with a blue screen and a
mouse pointer)(and yes, i have tried it on another computer, it worked fine).

I've got Windows 10 64 bits. It might seem like lackluster information but i don't really know what to put here.

I've checked disk partitons, and have noted that the C drive is "system reserved". The original C drive has moved to letter D, while the D drive has moved to letter E. I've tried using the startup repair cmd and DISKPART to move letters, and used the regedit
method too, but in both they simply reset back on restart.

Also is of note , i've taken a look with a boot able partition manager (partition wizard or something) and the status for the C drive (system reserved) is "active & boot", while the status for the original C drive says "system". Every screenshot I've seen
of the manager shows the "boot" status paired with the "system" status.

feel free to ask additional questions if necessary. I've personally given up at this point, so that's why I'm asking. I hope this New year doesn't end up sad.

 

No C: but D: drive has all the data

Hi Austin,

To help you with your concern regarding the data on the drive C:, you're seeing the drive "C:" as the drive "D:" because you're booting your computer outside Windows. When booting your computer outside Windows, the system is reading the recovery partition
as drive C: and the data in the drive C: \ are listed on the drive D: \. Try to boot your computer and try to check again the data in the drive C: \ and see if the data are listed.

Regards.