Windows 10: Computer boots from stale backup after using safe mode

Hi,

I was scammed for a brand new Dell Laptop with an extremely slow HDD in it. Then I went ahead and bought a NVMe SSD and added it to the system, migrating the HDD content to it.

I used the clonix wizard at the time, since then and I have been able to boot from the NVMe and I was using the HDD for data storage, but some temporary and cache folders were still symlinked to the HDD.

I encrypted both drives with BitLocker 2.0, and I have my recovery keys. The NVMe also has TPM, so it was unlocked when it recognized the computer, and when I logged on to Windows it autounlocked the HDD, I was happy. <- I wish to get back to this state.

Today I had to use the safe mode. I typed "safe mode" in the cortana box and it took me to the advanced uefi options, and I chose safe mode from there. the computer rebooted into safe mode. It's not the first time I booted into safe mode, but I think the other times I shot up msconfig and turned on the safe mode flags there and rebooted, for some reason this time I did this. Mistake of my life.

I did what I had to do in safe mode, and when I was done, from the old habit I discussed earlier I shot up msconfig and moved the flags from safe mode to normal. I got a warning saying something about BitLocker, but since I had my recovery keys at hand, I didn't mind. I rebooted the computer.

I was met with a BitLocker decryption screen. I entered the recovery key manually for the identifier shown


and I slowly got into the stale HDD environment that I haven't seen for quite some time.


I realized the NVMe is locked, although the BitLocker screen I first saw didn't ask me the recovery code for that and as soon as I entered the key for HDD it booted in there. I did a manage-bde unlock and saw that everything is fine in the NVMe, then I pulled a manage-bde autounlock on the NVMe, thinking that would resolve the issue, and rebooted. I will not repeat this again to keep things from getting longer, from this point onward, every time I rebooted I had to enter the recovery key to the HDD.

I rebooted again and logged into the HDD again (of course this time the NVMe was autounlocked), rebooted again and this time I disabled the HDD from BIOS, hoping it would solve my problems. Oddly, I wasn't greeted with BitLocker manual decryption, but I automatically got a BSOD with error 15(in hex) saying I'm missing System32/winload.efi . I guess I tried the "recover" option which then gave BSOD with error 14 saying another drive that's needed is unreachable. The only option that didn't get me back to the same screen immediately was reboot.

I rebooted and turned the HDD back on and logged in, I went to the NVMe to the System32 folder and the winload.efi file was, as expected, there. I checked some forums and found volumes of suggestions saying I should reboot into safe mode terminal and run bootrec /RebuildBcd. I did so and I got a "the command 'bootrec' is not recognized" error. I tried to do this while both at NVMe System32 and HDD system32, same response.

I got into the Dell SupportAssist environment but when I entered the decryption key for the NVMe it told me it was the wrong one and there was no option to choose the disk, so I didn't pursue further.

I don't have a recovery disk as I don't have a 16GB flash drive, I'm writing this from my MX Linux livedisk that runs from a 2GB drive.

Can you please guide me through the steps necessary to get back to my good ole production environment?


Thank you very much for your time and help,

:)

 

Stop computer booting into safe mode

In case there are any other problems with safe mode see this tutorial (option #5, step #5):

Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10

 

Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10  


I am stuck in Safe Mode in spite of following all the suggested steps to go back to Normal Startup - Like opening file location of msconfig.exe & running as Administrator. The computer I am trying to get out of safe mode has just been updated from Windows 7.

 

Computer got stuck on Safe Mode

Hi David,

Sorry for the delay in response.

As your computer is stuck in Safe Mode, try these steps.

• Press Win + R key on the keyboard and in the run Window type
  msconfig.
• Click the Boot tab and uncheck Safe boot if it is selected.

Hope this information helps.