Windows 10: BSOD CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED w/error 0xc000000e on reboot

I will consider this current case closed if we can achieve the first objective above. The second step I will do later (maybe next week).

 

First, I think I need to tell you some basics.

In the Legacy setup like your, a disk that have the OS (windows 10, specially) installed has two partitions. One is System Reserved, of 450 MB and the other is C (or may be any other user defined drive letter).

The System Reserved 450 MB (unlabelled; so not visible in windows explorer) partition is must to be Primary, Active and having the Boot Flag. It contains the bootloader entries only.
The other partition (generally C) contains the OS. It should not be active, does not need the boot flag.

The 450 MB partition boots the computer to the OS (C). That means, The Boot partition (which must be Active) runs the System partition.
Here is a typical example of the disk structure as Partition Wizard sees .... Attachment 87447
System Reserved is Active and Boot, C is System.
Now, if the boot entries are corrupted, Rebuilding MBR or running startup repair is enough to repair them and can make the computer bootable.

If boot entries are totally missing, rebuilding MBR should be tried. If it is not enough to do the job, run startup repair for three separate times. This will record the boot entries in the disk properly.

*To get back where you were, connect all the disks. You know that the external (unlebelled) disk has the boot loader. So set all the partitions inactive allover all the disks other than this one. Keep this one as active. Attachment 87450Now, you have only one disk with an active boot partition.
Now try to boot the computer normally.
If it fails, rebuild MBR of the unlabelled external HDD.
If it fails, run startup repair thrice. It will make the computer bootable again.

To have the permanent solution later on, do it ....

 

Thanks Arc, I will do these instructions and report back.

 

I have completed the above steps.
NOTE: My free copy of bootable Partition Wizard shows me only 1 disk, even if several are connected. So I had to set the disks inactive one by one.

It wouldn't boot, so I did rebuild MBR, but still not boot. So I installed Win10 DVD and ran Startup Repair three times, each time, Startup Repair said "Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC."

So the system still doesn't boot. The message is: An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that contain an operating system. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart.

I appreciate all the help and time you and Axe0 have put into my issue. We have achieved something very important...we now know WHY I couldn't boot without that external drive connected. In my opinion, that is the resolution to this issue.

Now I think it is time to clean the slate and do another clean install, this time a truly clean install. I will pull all the drives out, install a new SSD and install Win10 on that. Then I will reinstall all my applications--I have a detailed list from February. Then I will reinstall some of the original drives and start pulling data back from them. The other drives will stay on the shelf or be used as backups (via the docking station). It will take me two days to get it all running again.

What do you think? Good plan?

 

That is exactly what you need to do to get rid of this mess. Perfect decision, I would say.

 

Done and back in business. A nice new 500 GB SSD holds the operating system (Columbia, "C:") and a new 1 TB HDD replaces Zodiac (Zenith, "Z:"). All my key work tools are re-installed, even Adobe Creative Suite gave me no hassle. I still had the forms REG file from before, so all my forms are back in the system and I'm going client projects again.

This install *did* create a System Reserved partition, but it made it on Z:, not C:. Since it is Win10 Home and can't use BitLocker, I'm wondering why it did it that way. At least, Z: is internal!!

Cheers to you and Axe0 for hanging in there with me.

 

Well, that is why I suggested you to set all other disks/partitions inactive and/or disconnect all the other HDDs. *Wink

Anyway, all is well that ends well. *Biggrin