New Windows 10 install cannot boot (no BCD)

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CyberSimian
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2016 12:13 pm

Re: New Windows 10 install cannot boot (no BCD)

Post by CyberSimian »

ohaya wrote:
> Thanks. I really think that I should have done that (create and format
> partitions to fill all space on the drive).

Exactly right.

(1) When you install a new hard disk (HDD or SSD) in a system that uses EMBRs, the FIRST THING that you should do is create four 1MiB "filler" partitions at the end of the disk (i.e. in the slowest part of a HDD).

If you enable the BIBM option "Align on 1MiB" boundaries, you can create 1MiB partitions. If BING does not have this option (I have BING, but cannot remember), you may be restricted to a minimum partition size of 1 cylinder (which is usually about 8MiB these days). But even in that case, you are consuming only 4*8 = 32MiB.

(2) Ensure that you have done (1) for ALL disks in your system (both OS disks and data disks).

(3) When you are about to install a new OS, create the boot item plus one empty partition for the new OS. Place this in the first entry in the MBR (make this a rule that you always follow). Then fill the other three entries in the MBR with three of the four filler partitions.

For Linux, you need two partitions -- one for the OS, and a second one for the swap partition.

(4) For the other disks in your system, completely fill their MBRs with the filler partitions.

(5) Now proceed with the install, and select the empty partition as the target for the install.

(6) Once the install is complete, edit the boot item and place in the MBR the partitions that you want that installation to be able to access.

By following (1) to (6) you achieve this:

(a) Stop Windows using more than one partition. Windows 10 likes to use three, even on an MBR install. It creates the OS partition, a "Microsoft Reserved" partition, and a Recovery partition. However, Windows will fit entirely into one partition if there are no unused entries in the MBR. (Note: you cannot use BitLocker in this case.) Having Windows in a single partition simplifies creating and restoring drive images.

(b) Stop Windows shrinking one of your other partitions in order to create space for the ancillary partitions. (Yes, this has happened to me.)

(c) Stop Windows placing the ancillary partitions on one of the other disks. (Yes, this has happened to me.)

(d) Stop Windows overwriting one or more of your other partitions which Windows thinks is unused space. (Yes, this has happened to me.)

(e) Stop Windows seeing any other operating systems that may exist on your system, and fiddling with them (e.g. deleting restore points).

(f) Stop Windows including the new installation in the Windows Boot Manager menu (which can cause difficulties if you later change things around).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK
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