Windows 10: Windows 10 Pro failing to boot - HP Z Book 17

HP Z Book 17 – Windows 10 fails to load:
I’ve probably caused a boot fail issue after installing and using Paragon Hard Disk Manager. However I was using it VERY carefully to ONLY copy one external USB drive to another USB external drive so not sure what (if anything) I did wrong. I was not copying or modifying my HP Z Book’s C:/windows folder or drive, and made sure those disks I was working with were ‘USB-ejected’ – not just yanked .
One thing I did do (which may have been responsible for the current problem?) was to label one of the USB drives as letter ‘X’. Having properly ejected disk ‘X’ after doing a full format I noticed that Windows still listed it as a connected drive. The drive could not be removed by right clicking again in File Explorer but after rebooting I was able to remove it. Well, the next reboot was when the problems started. Windows explorer would not work and a couple of reboots later I now cannot boot into Windows 10.
I can get to the Recovery screen after the typical 2 or 3 reboots.
From Troubleshooting> Advanced options> Startup Settings> Restart> I can select and boot to Safe Mode.
When in Safe Mode I can’t identify any obvious problems.
System Restore fails after a VERY long wait.
Startup Repair fails with a log report (attached) that includes a references to ‘E:\Windows’. I do have an ‘E:’ drive but it is my data file store and does not contain a ‘Windows’ folder. Windows 10 is installed on my C:\ drive.
Attached are the repair log files. It looks to me like my Z Book is trying to find Windows on the wrong drive??
I have been into Disk Management while in Safe Mode and all my installed drives are showing with correct identification and all healthy.
If anyone can throw a few clues, better still likely solutions I’d be really grateful. Thanks guys.

:)

 

HP Z-Book 15 crash due to Windows 10 update

We have two HP laptops HP Z Book 15 loaded with Pro-Windows 8 that crashed after a recent Windows 10 update. We use these two computers in our dental lab. This crash has cost our office thousands and of dollars in extra costs and down time. How can Microsoft
and /or HP compensate us for this? They were purchased in 2014 so both machines are out of warranty.

** Moved from: Windows / Windows 10 / Windows update, recovery, & backup **

 

Feature for the Fall update Windows 10

Please Update My HP Pro Book 450 G2

Windows 10 Pro x 64 bit

 

Looks like the recovery environment is set as current in the BCD files. Also looks like you've already attempted Startup Repair. Is that correct? If not, please work through this tutorial: Startup Repair - Run in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums. If so, wiser heads than mine will be needed to sort out your problems, and will probably involve rebuilding your BCD files. I know how to do that for MBR boot environments, but you're using EFI and I haven't worked through that just yet. Maybe we'll both learn something!
--Ed--

 

Ed,
I really appreciate your taking the time to look at those log files. I had run the Startup repair several times but every time it failed with only a log file in the SRT folder.
Just before I saw your response I ran a full disk health check on my C: drive (128GB SSD) from HPs UEFI utility and it came back with a 'Failure ID' code. I think the ID codes are something unique to HP, anyway I got online with HP Support and they are shipping me a warranty replacement SSD. I guess this is a partial failure right now but I have noticed Windows becoming more unstable each time I boot to Safe Mode so the SSD is most likely on the way out. This was a custom order machine in June this year so I got barely 6 months service from that drive even though the machine itself is loved and cared for, etc, etc.
Data files are all on a second 1TB HDD (with backup) so no problem with lost data but many hours work ahead installing 40 + applications some of which need 'persuading' to run in Windows 10. I was actually thinking about imaging the C: drive a couple days back as I'd just about got the thing configured as I wanted it.
Well, woulda, coulda, shouda, don't help now. This machine had lightning fast boot and Windows performance but now I'm really unsure about the reliability of SSDs and there are many similar stories out there. Just an unlucky instance? Time will tell.

 

Some SSDs fail quickly, many last a long time. I've used dozens in my checkered career and never personally experienced a failure. You've apparently experienced one yourself. Hopefully, this will turn out to be an isolated incident for you. Sorry for your trouble: it's ALWAYS a good idea to grab an image when you've got things "just right!"
Hindsight is indeed 20-20 as the old saying goes.
--Ed--

 

Ed,
I started another thread regarding relocating the 'Program Files' folder in my proposed new Windows 10 installation -> long story - short > the benefit of Macrium Reflect was discussed.
So after creating a recovery stick, right now I'm looking at the partitions on my 'failed' SSD in Macrium Windows PE 10 and seem to be able to image the disk although I fear this might be a one-time opportunity. I already know the disk has 'failed' i.e. is not bootable because a hardware issue was reported during a full disk test run in HP UEFI bios. Nonetheless if the failure is purely at a low hardware level I'm hopeful imaging may yet be successful.
I have this question regarding the Macrium UI if you or anyone else could help?:
All partitions are visible and appear as healthy with sensible stats but partition data usage is indicated by a blue bar on all but the c:\Windows partition which is shown in red. I tried to find the significance of the colors which I assume change from blue to red at some value nearing the capacity of the partition? This would make sense as the Windows partition is near capacity and the other partitions are at less than 50%. The only other meaning I could assume (and don't want to hear) is that the 'red' partition is damaged/corrupted *Sad ? Tried to find this info on the Macrium forum but my search terms were returning all kinds of junk. I can't get a screen grab of the Macrium UI but hopefully the attached photos will be informative.
So, if my assumptions are valid the next step is to hook up an external USB disk and hopefully grab a usable image. I'll hang fire for a while in case anyone has any gotchas to look out for.
Again, thanks.
Andy

 

According to this Windows 7 thread a red bar in Macrium simply means that 90% or more of the disk space is in use for the associated partition. It's not an outright indicator of pathology. If you can image what you've got, do so right away. Worst case, you'll be able to recover some of the files you want; best case, you'd be able to reimage to a new disk.
Try it, please, and see what happens.
--Ed--

 

...... hmmm .... So I got an error message '21' when I tried to image the entire disk but imaging partitions 3, 4 & 5 seems to be progressing smoothly with about 40 minutes yet to run. So essentially it looks like I might recover the c:\windows partition and the small Windows RE tools and the HP tools partitions. One of the two 'missing' partitions is just a tiny unformatted area and the other is presumably the boot. Not totally sure where that gets me?

 

If you have created a Macrium Reflect rescue drive, boot the computer from it. Under the restore menu is a Fix Windows Startup Problems utility. Might want to give that a try.

 

Yes, that was a promising start and it did look like that was going to be the only fix needed. Unfortunately Windows 10 would still not boot and I could only access it in Safe Mode. In running chkdsk /r from the command prompt in Macrium Reflect the process failed with:


A disk read error occurredc0000185
The disk does not have enough space to replace bad clusters detected in file 75863 of name .

I thought the process had hung at that point but I left the command prompt window open anyway and 7 minutes later:

A disk read error occurredc0000185
The disk does not have enough space to replace bad clusters detected in file 75864 of name .

There are 397568 files total so I'm hoping the process (still running) will speed up after if has done with trying to read the bad clusters.
I've no idea how long the chkdsk /r process is likely to run but it is still going - albeit SLOWLY, so I will leave it go as long as practical.

This is a 128GB SSD with only about 10GB unused and my objective is to be able to get a good image to reinstall on a replacement SSD as the failing disk contains Windows 10 + many specialist programs some of which are fairly tedious in themselves to install. I'm accepting at this point that I'll probably end up having to create a new installation on a new SSD. However it would be both a huge time saving and a good learning experience to get the disk condition back to a point where I could image it. So this is not really a Windows 10 boot issue now but a bad drive issue.

So a few more questions -sorry- :
1) Is it feasible that if I were to put the failing m.2 SSD in a USB caddy hooked up to another pc it might be 'repaired' with a disc repair utility? Anyone care to recommend one?
2) If the process in 1) above was successful would the image likely be compromised in some way?
3) I currently have 2 x 1TB SATA drives in this machine as well as the failing SSD. If I were to remove the SSD and install Windows 10 to one of the 1TB drives (one of them is currently empty) and then image that would I be able install and run that successfully on the new SSD when HP eventually get it to me (currently they have no stock)?

Thank you to those who have already contributed.

 

Q&A: Items 1-3
1) Is it feasible that if I were to put the failing m.2 SSD in a USB caddy hooked up to another pc it might be 'repaired' with a disc repair utility? Anyone care to recommend one?
Repairing a failing SSD is not something you hear or read about. I'd recommend replacing it rather than repairing it.

2) If the process in 1) above was successful would the image likely be compromised in some way?
It's possible. If you were to repair it, I'd recommend re-imaging it immediately thereafter, and then retiring just as quickly.

3) I currently have 2 x 1TB SATA drives in this machine as well as the failing SSD. If I were to remove the SSD and install Windows 10 to one of the 1TB drives (one of them is currently empty) and then image that would I be able install and run that successfully on the new SSD when HP eventually get it to me (currently they have no stock)?
Depends on the nature of the UEFI setup on the HP device. If you try it and it works, then the answer is "yes;" if not, then the answer is "no." Without the same machine to test this scenario there's no real way for me to give any answer other than "Maybe."

This is not a cut-and-dried or "simple question, simple answer" situation. Sorry if this proves less than satisfactory!

HTH,
--Ed--

 

Thanks Ed,

I guess a satisfactory answer is a complete answer and you have provided that. I was asking these questions to get enough information to be able to make a judgement as to how to best invest my time i.e. pursuing a potential disk repair solution or just jumping into a new Windows 10 + programs install. There is no data recovery necessary so that is not a concern. The need for a new SSD is a given but I have concerns about the limitations that HP have imposed on the m.2 SSD slot on these machines so I have decided to swap out one of the two 1TB HDDs for a 1TB SSD for the OS + programs and demote the m.2 drive usage (when I eventually get it) to media and temporary files. The Z Book 17 G2 is a really great laptop but the m.2 2260 PCIe only drive limitation is definitely a downside given that the disks are now only available from HP at a plainly ridiculous cost. This makes post warranty replacements untennable.
Running incremental Macrium Reflect disk imaging should prevent me falling into this hole again.

Best wishes,

Andy

 

Given all this new information, you are absolutely on the right track. You might want to visit Notebookreview or Notebookcheck and ask those forums if they know of valid and affordable M.2 SSD replacements. In many cases, the user community cheerfully ignores HP (and other vendor) restrictions and find out what kind of 3rd-party hardware works to replace expensive vendor components. Give it a try!
--Ed--