Windows 10: Error 0cx0000098 and System Restore issues

Hello, looking for assistance please. My Dell XPS 8700 has locked up and will not open Windows. Several days before receiving the 0cx0000098 error, I received "netio.sys" blue screens which shut down then restarted Windows. The machine is 64 bit, originally Win 8.1 and now Win 10 upgrade (free). I have no recovery media and the machine is not under warranty. I have files on the hard drive that I would like to recover if possible. I used a Windows 10 iso file to create a bootable USB drive. In the BIOS, I disabled Secure Boot and changed the boot mode from UEFI to Legacy. PC will now boot to the standard five recovery options. I ran the Startup Repair option which failed to repair the problem. Next, I tried to use the System Restore option and received this message "TO USE SYSTEM RESTORE, YOU MUST SPECIFY WHICH WINDOWS INSTALLATION TO RESTORE. RESTART THIS COMPUTER, SELECT AN OPERATING SYSTEM, AND THEN SELECT SYSTEM RESTORE." I see no menu options to select any OS so I am at a loss as to where to go from here...

Any help is greatly appreciated!

:)

 

System Restore Issue

If you purchased it and you have the digital license, then it should be detected by Windows automatically once you've install it. We suggest following the steps provided in my previous responses and see if it will work.

Keep us in the loop with the result.

 

System Restore Issue

Hi, I did indeed purchase Windows 8 Pro and have a product code for it. Therefore that should work when I reinstall Win 10?

Thanks for your assistance

Gerry Hendry

 

Hi, as very basic initial preparatory steps I suggest you
a. Get a copy of Minitool's partition manager boot disk so you can examine your partition layout
Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition
b. Get a copy of @Khiyi's boot disk (from the top of the Software and Apps section here. (DVD or USB disk).
This boots up as a mini Windows with many utilities.
You could use that, for example, to examine and recover files from your disk.

(I understand you to say you have no backups- please confirm).

c. You may wish also to get a copy of Macrium Reflect (free) and create its boot disk.
It may prove useful to be able to create a disk image of your disk as a backup from which you can recover files, if your disk is still functional. (You usually cannot image failing disks).

Please post a screenshot of your partitions using Minitool's Partition Manager.

Please advise if you can read the files in the Windows partition and any other partition you have created and recognise.

 

Thanks dalchina for the suggestions! I will pick up a few USB drives Saturday and then download these files and advise.

To reconfirm; I do not have file backup on this PC.

Can you advise WHICH Khiyi's file I should download?

 

Attachment 118825
Attachment 118826

You can use DVD's or DVD-RWs if you prefer..

Given that you have no backups, I would strongly recommend you save what you can before attempting any remedial actions.

 

OK, great advice dalchina. How would you suggest I proceed with data recovery; Khiyi's boot disc? Or perhaps removing the hard drive and installing in a second PC and running a program such as MiniTool? I have a laptop running Windows 10 and a second PC running Windows XP as my only other available computers.

Thanks again for your assistance!

 

Hi, if I were in that situation, I guess I'd prefer to create a disk image of your existing hard disk, assuming I'm intending to reuse it as my boot disk.

Why? Because it's a copy of everything. That means if at some point later I had forgotten some obscure bit of data I wanted I could always extract it from the image.

On the other hand, if you know exactly what files and folders you wish to save, and where they are, you could copy them off the disk.

There's another approach: You might consider setting that hard disk aside, and upgrading your PC, say to use an SSD. That depends on how old the PC is, what you use it for.

Another factor is whether your HDD is failing. If it is failing, you will probably not be able to image it, and you are left with copying what you can.

I wouldn't wish to try putting a bootable disk into another PC.

With the HDD installed as at present, you can
a. Boot using Kyhi's disk and copy off what you can to a USB disk or over a network
or
b. Boot using the disk imaging boot disk and create an image to a USB disk

That avoids fiddling around removing it and putting it in a case.

 

I must admit I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I have downloaded Kyhi's bootable recovery disc and used Rufus to burn it to a USB flash drive. I have not tried to run the program yet. Should I reset the BIOS to Legacy or UEFI?

I have looked at his thread (page 21 of 86 so far) and cannot find a tutorial on how to use this tool. I fear doing more damage......... Can you possibly advise the basic steps to get to the point where I can copy files to another disc?

Much thanks in advance!

 

Once you have booted the disk, it's similar to the various older disks like Hiren's or Falcon's boot CDs.

You will be in a familiar Windows environment with a desktop, shortcuts, a start menu. But Windows is running basically from RAM not disk. You can use explorer, for example. So your HDD is seen as just another disk. You may well find the drive letters are not as you normally see them when booting Windows from your HDD.

So you can plug in a USB drive and copy files from your HDD to the external drive, for example.

Many questions can be answered from the extensive Tutorial section, mostly by Brink- do have a look:
USB Drive - Boot from in Windows 10

Also see #6 here:
https://www.tenforums.com/installati...tml#post924240

 

Thanks very much dalchina! Using Kyhi's bootable rescue utility, I was able to copy key documents onto an external drive. Yah!!!*Biggrin Looks like Macrium Reflect is one of the utility programs on the rescue disc so I will probably try and make an image of the hard drive as well. I will also try to load the MiniTool Partition wizard and take a screenshot. Looks like I can access the Control Panel within the utility program so System Restore may be an option worth a try.

I believe the BSOD and instability issues are related to several new video driver updates and/or recent Windows updates. If I can precede these changes with System Restore, it may solve my problems. Will the partition inspection indicate whether the hard drive has been damaged?

Thanks again for your help and patience.

 

No, it's just to check what partitions you've got.

Using Kyhi's boot disk, you can run Crystal Diskinfo to check your disk's SMART params - I can't recall if that's already on the disk, if not I expect there's sthg else, or you can download the (free portable) version.

 

Here is a screenshot of the partitions.

Attachment 119138

 

a couple more screen shots;Attachment 119161Attachment 119162 It would seem the MBR is corrupted. Need some advice as to where to go from here...........

 

Hi, I'm looking for a 16Mb partition which I can't see. You also have 3 partitions designated Boot.

While you could try startup repair by booting from a Win 10 install medium, my guess is you'll get the same outcome- can't find an installed OS.

I'd prefer to pass this to someone more experienced in detailed issues with partitions.