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Level 1

4 points

0x0000034 BCD Error Bootcamp, No Startup Repair

Hi! I have a late 2013 15" Macbook Pro which has been dual booted with OS X 10.11.3 and Windows 10.

After a particularly large set of Windows updates, upon restart I get an error stating that there are missing boot files (error 0x0000034). I have followed other threads and created a Windows 10 install media on an SD card, and am attempting to run Startup Repair to fix the BCD error.

However, when booting from the SD EFI icon in bootcamp, I get a message stating that it looks like I have begun an upgrade to Windows, would I like to continue the upgrade by removing the installation media, or instead perform a clean installation of Windows 10. If I remove the media, I get returned to the original blue error screen. If I attempt a clean install, I go through a few windows asking for language, input etc and then arrive at a window which asks where I want to install Windows 10.

There are 5 possible partitions available in the dialog window, and a variety of options including "Refresh" and "Format", but there is no option to run Startup Repair.

There is another icon/option that appears in bootcamp which is simply labeled "Windows". Attempting to boot from that icon gives the same results as booting from the EFI icon, but at a much lower screen resolution (everything is bigger and more jagged).

TL;DR: How do I run Startup Repair off of a bootable SD card, when Windows believes I was in the middle of an upgrade when the BCD files were lost?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Tech Specs:
Late 2013 15" Macbook Pro

OS X 10.11.3, Windows 10

2.3 GHz i7

16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2048 MB

500 GB Flash storage (334 GB on OS X, 164.6 GB on bootcamp partition)

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Apr 13, 2016 10:12 PM

80 replies

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 10:30 AM in response to DietDrPhil

DietDrPhil wrote:

Looks like there are 4 volumes, two of which have drive letters (C and D, corresponding to Bootcamp and WININSTALL respectively).

Link to picture: http://imgur.com/mZ3ahx8

If it is too hard to read, I can transcribe it.

Perfectly legible. Notice the EFI (volume 1) has no drive letter assigned. Please see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc757491(v=ws.10).aspx to assign a drive letter using the assign command to the EFI part, and then use https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/927392 to /rebuildBCD but use the drive letter you chose/assigned, rather than C: used in the second link.

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 14, 2016 9:04 PM in response to Loner T

The previous picture was booting from W8.1. Booting from W10 is very similar (extra "empty" disk); doesn't look like there is any change regarding the instructions you provided just now. http://imgur.com/AjWUmx2

Will follow directions drive letter assign instructions and report back in a few minutes.

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 14, 2016 9:12 PM in response to DietDrPhil

It is safer to use the bootrec.exe and diskpart binaries from the version that is also installed on the internal disk.

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 14, 2016 9:17 PM in response to Loner T

Named EFI disk successfully to "Z".

Entered "Sources>bcdedit /export Z:\BCD_Backup

Operation completed successfully

Went to Z:

Entered "cd boot"

"The system cannot find the path specified."

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 14, 2016 10:37 PM in response to Loner T

Inputting "dir" returns three entries:

11/19/2014 05:33 AM <DIR> EFI

11/19/2014 05:33 AM 106 BOOTLOG

04/15/2016 05:32 AM 24,576 BCD_Backup

2 File(s) 24,682 bytes

1 Dir(s) 154,710,016 bytes free

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 5:41 AM in response to DietDrPhil

EFI should be your highest level directory. Try the following command...

dir/s/p BCD

This should show you where the file is located (cd EFI/EFI/Microsoft/Boot) . It should look similar to the listing you posted from the OS X side.

/Volumes/EFI/EFI/Microsoft:

total 9

drwxrwxrwx 1 staff 4096 Apr 13 22:31 Boot

drwxrwxrwx 1 staff 512 Oct 8 2015 Recovery

/Volumes/EFI/EFI/Microsoft/Boot:

total 8569

-rwxrwxrwx 1 staff 8192 Apr 14 2016 BCD

You will need to traverse this tree.

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 15, 2016 10:33 AM in response to Loner T

Using the correct tree, I navigated to the boot file and rebuilt successfully! Upon reboot, a "Windows didn't update correctly" GUI displayed; I just selected continue to Windows 10 and everything booted fine.

Obviously, I got a message saying that Windows did not install all updates. Is there anything else I should do to protect/repair before reinstalling the updates (BCD got screwed up during those updates)? Should I run Autorepair?

Link to output of Bootrec: http://imgur.com/AjWUmx2

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 10:40 AM in response to DietDrPhil

Create Windows System Restore point, before you let in any more Windows Updates. Good to see it back and functional.

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 15, 2016 10:50 AM in response to Loner T

Will do.

Thank you so much for your assistance in resolving this issue! If possible, I'd be more than happy to compensate you for your help (or buy you a beer). Two different computer techs I tried had no idea where to even start, and you knew exactly what to do.

Not having to reinstall Windows as well as all of my CAD programs, plus not having restore/lose data, saved me days of work. You killed it!

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 11:05 AM in response to DietDrPhil

DietDrPhil wrote:

Thank you so much for your assistance in resolving this issue! If possible, I'd be more than happy to compensate you for your help (or buy you a beer).

A virtual Guinness or Macallans will work. 😉. Please post back, if you run into any issues.

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 15, 2016 11:13 AM in response to Loner T

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want.

If you are looking for beer, I can tell you don't have enough beer in your life, but what you do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills you have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make you a legend to people like me.

If you want me to let you go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don't, I will find you, and I will send you some Steam keys because I have an extra key for FTL: Faster Than Light and it is an awesome game.

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 11:19 AM in response to DietDrPhil

My email is

l o n e r t m a c a t g m a i l

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 11:40 AM in response to DietDrPhil

Thanks, Z. I like Liam Neeson. Wonderful actor.

DietDrPhil Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 15, 2016 12:04 PM in response to Loner T

Unfortunately, my celebration was a little premature:

Attempting to start from the Bootcamp partition shows the circling dots, then causes a hang on a black screen. However, if I select Bootcamp as my startup disk (in OS X) and have the W10 media USB plugged in, I get the Windows Troubleshooting GUI (good!).

Running Startup Repair returns that Startup Repair is unable to solve the issue.

Log: C:\WINDOWS\System32\LogFiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt

If I then select "Continue to Windows 10", I get the dots to hang again . Interestingly, this is different behavior than what happened the very first time when I selected EFI Boot, then removed the installation media. It then showed me the GUI, and when I selected "Continue" it booted correctly into Windows.

Next move?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Apr 15, 2016 12:17 PM in response to DietDrPhil

Are you able to boot W10 in Safe Mode? Did your W10 updates succeed? There are some issues with Windows Updates, where you get invalid drivers. Did you create a Windows Restore point?

0x0000034 BCD Error Bootcamp, No Startup Repair