Tips & Tricks ***TIPS AND TRICKS*** Restoring windows when all else fails.

[Baronstragen]

So, you've reached the end of your road. You've tried everything to fix your Windows, but it won't boot. You know your data is still there but the boot sector has been corrupted and Automatic Repair, even command prompt fixes like using bootrec don't work. You spent hours installing all that software and it looks like you'll have to copy your data and start over.

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There may be a solution! It'll require a little time, but nothing compared to starting from scratch. Here's how you go about it.

You will need a spare storage device (HD/USB) and a bootable copy of a partition manager (I use Easeus or Aomei, anything like that is fine).

First, you will need to copy your existing partion that has your windows on it to another device. I won't get into details but I'm sure you can find help depending on the partition manager you use. You can shrink the volume to the space used on the disk (so 100GB HDD but only using 35GB - shrink to 36, etc.). Once you have a copy of your partition on another device you can proceed.

Second, format the drive and install a fresh copy of windows. Just Install your copy of windows up to the language part. You don't have to go through all the settings again. Now boot back into your partition manager. Delete the windows partition (the one you just installed), leave the system reserved partition and copy your partition back (resize to fit).

Last, you will need to run Automatic repair again. It should rebuild the boot partition and the OS and connect the two. If it doesn't, go into Advanced Options - Command prompt. Type bootrec /ScanOS - type A when prompted, then bootrec /rebuildBCD and restart.

You will be back to your working copy of Windows. Keep in mind that depending on your windows installation size, this can take some time, so it's up to you to judge whether to do this or re-install everything.
It's saved me a lot of time in the past, and I keep a copy of Easeus PE on a USB for just this problem, as I tend to mess up things a lot.

If this helps anyone, I'm glad to be of help. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

Cheers.

 

[Light_Eater]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge @Baronstragen, much much appreciated

 

[Mr. Spacely]

Ya know @Baronstragen I'll do just that, I also mess up things alot

Thanks

 

[The Professor]

@TheMacGyver I think it is not in the correct place is it true

 

[BarryXDAOT]

Cool. surely gonna try it when i am in this situation . Thanks for Sharing

 

[hamabe]

neat trick, will try this
theoretically it should work if there were no hardware corruptions involved

the old adage, "Prevention is better than a Cure"

back ups should save you time when things break unexpectedly
Hardware backup, local or external HDD or USB
Software backup, Deepfreeze & Shadow Defender reboot to restore function

Reboot to Restore functions
restores the system to its original state by performing a reboot, and it will look as if nothing happened

Deepfreeze, ones which are used in cafe clients
Shadow Defender a more user-friendly app over Deepfreeze

 

[leperdu]

Thank you for this trick - tutorial - help - share !

 

[Charles]

I just buy a USB flash Drive large enough to store the OS, use Macrium Reflect to build a bootable USB drive, and create a folder in that USB drive for the Macrium Image. Boot From Macrium, create the image in the Bootable USB drive, and then store it somewhere safe. For clients, I usually place the drive inside the unit, with some velcro, to keep them from misplacing it. Then, I can simply boot off the USB drive, open Macrium Reflect, and push the image back to the new drive. After that, it's just a matter of recovering their data off the damaged hard drive. This usually saves me about two hours worth of installing Windows 10, Office, etc, and is customized for the particular client... so, if they need printers, drives mapped, etc... I just restore from the Macrium Backup I made, when everything was working after the initial setup.

 

[Elzeger]

Nice trick. Works for me many times with MBR partitions but GPT and Secure Boot becomes hard the things. SSD nvme drives so let me crazy!! All is more difficult!!

 

[Jimmy Collaros]

Why don't you use Macrium Reflect ??? You wil be OK in 5 mimutes..
Charles gave the best solution.

 

[Baronstragen]

Why don't you use Macrium Reflect ??? You wil be OK in 5 mimutes..

This is in case you forgot to do any backups, like most standard users. Of course there are better tools, but if you don't have them this is a workaround. Also most backups are dated unless you are rigorously scheduling them.

 

[Jimmy Collaros]

This is in case you forgot to do any backups, like most standard users. Of course there are better tools, but if you don't have them this is a workaround. Also most backups are dated unless you are rigorously scheduling them.

You are right.. Now i understood your thread.. I will try to do it.

 

[kenzaki]

nice, a new knowledge to be learned.

 

[dragon9]

Thank you good trick i will have to try this

 

[sandyss18]

Nice and elaborative trick.
Thanks

 

[RedDove]

I sure wish I found this before, it sure would
have helped me, but at least I know now.
Thank you,

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[GRiM R3AP3R]

WiCKED, THANX 4 Sharing Your Knowledge With Us - - - U Rock.

 

[SydneyM]

Thank you for this trick, Baron. Copied and saved just in case.This scenario happened to me although I had a few month's old backup. Thanks again @Baronstragen.

 

[erobbins]

This is in case you forgot to do any backups, like most standard users. Of course there are better tools, but if you don't have them this is a workaround. Also most backups are dated unless you are rigorously scheduling them.

This is what I was wondering too. I have used Macrium for years, just after a new install. If I set to keep going with differential or incremental and the system got so it wouldn't boot, wouldn't those failures be in the differential/incremental backup? Wouldn't I be restoring the same unbootable Windows?

 

[alaadin]

really interesting and I'll try it , it worth it , thanks for this hit .