Windows 10: Macrium Reflect v.8 rescue media trashes boot sectors and I'm stuck

Panasonic Toughbook SX2 running Windows 10 Pro (probably last updated a couple of months ago, but I can't tell now) I recently upgraded from Macrium Reflect (backup program) v.7 to v.8. I immediately created a new rescue media on a USB stick. It uses a Win/PE version. Naturally I wanted to test it, I rebooted into the Bios (F2 on startup) to make the USB stick the first boot source. I restarted up the machine and it booted in the rescue environment. That worked. Then I rebooted back into the Bios with the rescue USB stick still plugged. No reason, I just didn't think to pull it. I meant to reset the Bios to boot first from the hard drive but accidentally put optical drive into the boot sequence. This didnt work, of course. Then I pulled the Rescue USB stick. When I tried to reboot and reset the bios for the internal SSD drive, I got a blank screen from the get-go. I couldn't even get into the Bios with F2 any more. UPDATE TODAY (8/12/21): Today I can get into the bios with F2 and without having the USB stick inserted, though its still listed as the only boot device. When I reinserted the Rescue USB stick with the hard drive still selected as the first or second in boot order, I'd get a blue screen (don't remember which color) with a message that Windows\System32\winload.exe was defective or missing. It said to run the recovery disk, which I don't have. If I did not have the Rescue USB stick plugged, Id just get a totally blank screen, not even into the Bios if I pounded on F2. Then I removed the hard drive from the boot choices and was able to startup, hit F2, and get back to the bios. I was also able to boot into the Macrium Rescue environment. I tried the option to fix Windows boot problems. It didn't make any difference. Eventually I tried restoring the C: partition from a year old image file. Made no difference. If the Rescue USB stick isnt inserted, I get a blank screen on startup. If it is inserted but the hard drive is listed anywhere in the boot order, I get an error screen. Its been corrupt/missing file or just a generic error. So the question is, what to do now? It appears that all the files on C: (system and programs) and D: (data) are still there. I can see them from a command prompt in the Rescue environment. It seems like there should be some way to rebuild the MBR or whatever else is bad. When I search for a solution, there are hundreds. But Im not clear which if any I could even get to run in the first place. It would have to be a program I could copy to the Rescue media and run from a command prompt. Or it could be a program that would create a new, bootable USB stick on a different machine. One of those costs $150! Then Id still have to see if my laptop would boot from this USB stick. There is also a hidden partition that according to the bios can be used to wipe the hard drive and restore to the factory setup. I guess that could be a possible last resort #1. It would leave me with a four year old version of Win 10 and nothing else. If it did actually restore the boot sectors as well, then I might be able to restore the one year old C: and D; partitions from the backup. But what if it left the boot sectors still trashed. (Rhetorical question) As a last resort #2, Id be willing to just do a clean Windows install and lose all the other programs on my C: drive, if theres a way to do it given the mess my ssd drive is and my not knowing how to get a clean install onto a USB stick. I assume there are other threads on the board that could get me started with this. Help, please !

:)

 

Macrium Reflect v.8 rescue media trashes boot sectors and I'm stuck

Panasonic Toughbook SX2 running Windows 10 Pro (probably last updated a couple of months ago, but I can't tell now)

I recently upgraded from Macrium Reflect (backup program) v.7 to v.8. I immediately created a new rescue media on a USB stick. It uses a Win/PE version. Naturally I wanted to test it, I rebooted into the Bios (F2 on startup) to make the USB stick the first boot source.

I restarted up the machine and it booted in the rescue environment. That worked. Then I rebooted back into the Bios with the rescue USB stick still plugged. No reason, I just didn't think to pull it. I meant to reset the Bios to boot first from the hard drive but accidentally put “optical drive” into the boot sequence. This didn’t work, of course.

Then I pulled the Rescue USB stick. When I tried to reboot and reset the bios for the internal SSD drive, I got a blank screen from the get-go. I couldn't even get into the Bios with F2 any more. UPDATE TODAY (8/12/21): Today I can get into the bios with F2 and without having the USB stick inserted, though it’s still listed as the only boot device.

When I reinserted the Rescue USB stick with the hard drive still selected as the first or second in boot order, I'd get a blue screen (don't remember which color) with a message that Windows\System32\winload.exe was defective or missing. It said to run the recovery disk, which I don't have. If I did not have the Rescue USB stick plugged, I’d just get a totally blank screen, not even into the Bios if I pounded on F2.

Then I removed the hard drive from the boot choices and was able to startup, hit F2, and get back to the bios. I was also able to boot into the Macrium Rescue environment. I tried the option to “fix Windows boot problems.” It didn't make any difference.

Eventually I tried restoring the C: partition from a year old image file. Made no difference. If the Rescue USB stick isn’t inserted, I get a blank screen on startup. If it is inserted but the hard drive is listed anywhere in the boot order, I get an error screen. It’s been “corrupt/missing file” or just a generic error.

So the question is, what to do now? It appears that all the files on C: (system and programs) and D: (data) are still there. I can see them from a command prompt in the Rescue environment. It seems like there should be some way to rebuild the MBR or whatever else is bad.

When I search for a solution, there are hundreds. But I’m not clear which if any I could even get to run in the first place. It would have to be a program I could copy to the Rescue media and run from a command prompt. Or it could be a program that would create a new, bootable USB stick on a different machine. One of those costs $150! Then I’d still have to see if my laptop would boot from this USB stick.

There is also a hidden partition that according to the bios can be used to wipe the hard drive and restore to the factory setup. I guess that could be a possible last resort #1. It would leave me with a four year old version of Win 10 and nothing else. If it did actually restore the boot sectors as well, then I might be able to restore the one year old C: and D; partitions from the backup. But what if it left the boot sectors still trashed. (Rhetorical question)

As a last resort #2, I’d be willing to just do a clean Windows install and lose all the other programs on my C: drive, if there’s a way to do it given the mess my ssd drive is and my not knowing how to get a clean install onto a USB stick. I assume there are other threads on the board that could get me started with this.

Help, please !

 

Macrium Reflect v.8 rescue media trashes boot sectors and I'm stuck

The hard drive boot sectors being trashed has nothing to do with booting from a USB flash drive.

 

Macrium Reflect v.8 rescue media trashes boot sectors and I'm stuck

This is looking more and more hopeless. I downloaded Windows 10 onto a USB stick. When I tried to boot, I get a screen with Kmode Exception Not Handled. So, no way even to get into the Rescue environment.

- - - Updated - - -

This is looking more and more hopeless. I downloaded Windows 10 onto a USB stick. When I tried to boot, I get a screen with Kmode Exception Not Handled. So, no way even to get into the Rescue environment.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm not sure it would make any difference, but I could put Windows 10 onto a dvd instead of the USB stick. My SX2 has a dvd drive built in so I could boot from it. But somehow I doubt it will do any better.

Maybe I'll just try Ghot's idea of resetting the bios. Though there, too, I wonder how that could help if the hard drive boot sectors are trashed.