Windows 10: Windows Update when run is corrupting the MBR and laptop will not Boot

Hi Folks,

Don't know if anyone else has experienced the same 'problem'?

On 3 occasions now when different Windows Updates have been Downloaded and Installed my Win10 HP Laptop has failed to start/boot up with the usual messages from Windows and asking me to 'try again' which didn't help.

I also went through the 'Advanced Repair' process with HP and that also failed.

While at that point I was very glad I had Macrium installed which worked every time in restoring a recently made good image to my Laptop and get back up and running.

So if anyone has experienced the same situation after Windows Update has finished but you resolved the 'problem' of a corrupt MBR then could you please advise how you did it?

Thanks

:)

 

Windows 10 - Did Windows Update Corrupt MBR?

Did a Windows update corrupt my MBR?

This morning (8/10/16) my PC running Windows 10 Pro 64 would not boot. After displaying the Dell logo, it showed a line and a half of garbage characters and hung.

Fortunately I do a daily automatic backup of my C: drive SSD using Acronis True Image. I restored the MBR from a backup and it booted normally.

During the boot it displayed "Completing update - 75%" or something to that effect. So I wonder if an automatic update corrupted the MBR.

Has anyone else seen this?

 

system fails after feb 2018 update

My 1.5 year old Dell XPS running Intel i7 wont boot because MBR is (probably) corrupt. On boot runs bios then crashes. Tried to restore disk image w Macrium Relief Free, but then saw the problem, the C drive is now the D drive and the D drive reads as C.

About to attempt repair of MBR.

 

Is your disk actually MBR or gpt? How cool you know MBR is corrupted can you post a screenshot from disk management showing all drives partition

 

1) When you power on the computer now are you able to open safe mode, safe mode with command prompt, or safe mode with networking?
2) If not > create a bootable windows 10 iso with a flash drive that you can format ( > or = 8 GB)
Download Windows 10
3) If you are able to boot normally now then run these commands using administrative command prompt:
4) sfc /scannow
5) dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
6) dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
7) chkdsk /scan
8) When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread

 

Disk is MBR.
Disk Management picture attached (Hopefully!)

 

As I used the Boot DVD that was created when Macrium was installed then I restored a good image from the backups I have made and kept so the laptop starts normally now.

I have also found a rather useful article from PC World in repairing the MBR at this link:

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3113...ricked-pc.html

Which I will try using should the 'problem' reoccur, as I am not holding my breath that it will not.

Cheers

 

Your disk isn't mbr it's such so it may be worth imaging that partition

 

On disk management right click on the C: drive > click properties > post an image into the thread > this should display whether it is GPT or MBR.
Viewing EFI indicates that it is not MBR.

 

Imaging is what I said I had done in my reply to 'zbook' using Macrium Imaging Software on several occasions one of which was after the laptop was configured and all software programs installed and activated when I got the machine.

I have also carried out (Thankfully) other Macrium Images at various times up to a few days ago just before the start up 'failed' after Windows Update finished it's download and install.

 

'C' Drive Properties opened up and cannot see either GPT or MBR referred to in any of the views.

If it is GPT, then what do those 3 letters stand for please?

 

You can tell it's GPT/UEFI because the text in the window for the first partition reads "Healthy(EFI, System..." Only UEFI produces EFI partitions during install, and perforce that means the drive is GPT. You can't see that information on the General tab in the drive properties, but you can see it on the Volumes (which I don't see in your screencap, curiously enough):





FYI, GPT stands for GUID Partitition Table wherein the GUID Partition Table replaces the master boot record and its associated layout. Here's a further definition: GPT Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia. Furthermore, GUID is a Globally Unique IDentifier, a Microsoft method for identifying objects uniquely using 128-bit hexadecimal numbers. This MSDN document explains GUID Structure.

HTH,
--Ed--

 

Thanks for the explanation of the Three & Four Letter Abbreviations.

You didn't get to see the GUID on the screencap as it was not taken in the same place as yours.
When I went into File Explorer, then 'This PC' then 'Windows C Properties' and chose the 'Toshiba HDD' calling up the 'Properties of that and then under Volumes got it 'Populated' I got this:

 

OK, then: what comes next? I don't have the sense that we've defined a course of action just yet. Are you still experiencing the boot problem? If so, I would try performing some boot repairs. If you have a Macrium Rescue Media USB drive at your disposal, you could boot to that Windows image and use its excellent boot repair tool to see if that helps. Here's a link: Fix Boot Problems.
HTH,
--Ed--

 

I was suggesting imaging the efi parition as that may be the problem its worth a try if it goes just reimage that and see if it fixes it