{"id":4430,"date":"2016-07-15T02:41:50","date_gmt":"2016-07-15T07:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/?p=4430"},"modified":"2016-11-12T21:57:23","modified_gmt":"2016-11-13T03:57:23","slug":"0xc000000e-the-boot-selection-failed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/0xc000000e-the-boot-selection-failed\/","title":{"rendered":"0xc000000e: The boot selection failed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get the fix to the 0xc000000e: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible<\/strong>\u00a0boot error message affecting Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1<\/strong> and\u00a0Windows 10<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

About the “0xc000000e<\/strong>” error<\/h2>\n

The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.<\/p>\n

Description and Symptoms<\/h3>\n

The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.<\/p>\n

Symptom 1: 0xc000000e error screen on startup<\/h4>\n

As a part of the system startup procedure<\/a>, the BOOTMGR bootloader introduced in Windows Vista and subsequently used in Windows 7, Windows 8(.1), and Windows 10 uses a database of entries and configuration options known as the BCD1<\/a><\/sup>, which acts as a global store for all boot-related options and settings on newer Windows PCs.\u00a0If an error is encountered trying to reach a drive to read\u00a0an entry in this BCD file, the following error message will appear:<\/p>\n

\"Windows-Vista-boot-selection-failed\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:\r\n\r\n1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.\r\n2. Choose your language settings, and then click \"Next.\"\r\n3. Click \"Repair your computer.\"\r\n\r\nIf you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.\r\n\r\nFile: \\Windows\\System32\\Winload.exe\r\n\r\nStatus: 0xc000000e\r\n\r\nInfo: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.\r\n<\/pre>\n
And here is the screen for that error that appears on Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10.<\/p>\n
\"0xc000000e<\/a><\/p>\n
Recovery\r\n\r\nYour PC needs to be repaired\r\n\r\nA required device isn't connected or can't be accessed\r\n\r\nError code: 0xc000000e\r\n\r\nYou'll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media. If you don't have any installation media(like a disc or USB device), contact your system administrator or PC manufacturer.\r\n\r\nPress Enter to try again\r\nPress F8 for Startup Settings\r\n<\/pre>\n
Note that this error message doesn’t usually apply to Windows XP as it does not\u00a0use the bootmgr bootloader with the BCD configuration<\/span> file.\u00a0Windows XP uses the\u00a0NTLDR bootloader with the plain-text boot.ini configuration file instead<\/span>. Please refer to our Windows XP boot process<\/a> guide if you want to know more about this topic.<\/p>\n
There is also a similar error that shares an error\u00a0code with this one but is usually caused by a corrupt BCD file and has a different error message. Feel free to check out linked\u00a0article: 0xc000000e: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt<\/a> for more info.<\/p>\n
Causes of this Error<\/h3>\n
This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:<\/p>\n
Cause 1: BCD is invalid<\/h4>\n
One of the most common causes of this error is the BCD that became either missing, corrupt, or misconfigured. That could happen because of disk write errors, power outages, boot sector viruses, or errors made while configuring the BCD manually.<\/p>\n
Cause 2: An external disk is connected<\/h4>\n
If your BIOS’ boot order is set to boot from external disks first, then the boot process checks whether any of these disks is bootable before loading from your hard drive. If it finds a bootable media, but can’t boot from it properly, then the boot process will be halted.<\/p>\n
Cause 3: Disk is marked as offline<\/h4>\n
Sometimes the disk can be marked as offline by external programs, boot sector viruses, or even by Windows built-in disk partitioning utility Diskpart. For example, if the user decides to change the disk unique ID so that it matches the ID of another disk installed, Diskpart automatically marks one of these disks as offline to avoid read\/write conflicts – and the offline disk becomes unbootable as well.<\/p>\n
Cause 4: HDD data cable is faulty<\/h4>\n
Like all components of our PC’s, hard drive data cables tend to deteriorate as the time passes. If you have used the same cable for several years(or even the same one across several computers), then it might give you periodic read\/write errors that can affect the loading process.<\/p>\n
Cause 5: Incorrect BIOS configuration<\/h4>\n
If the user made changes to the BIOS recently, the new settings he has entered might not be compatible with the hard drive. The UEFI\/Legacy BOOT mode setting is the most infamous one in that regard, so users should take extra care when making changes to the BIOS.<\/p>\n
Another thing that could happen is that the SATA controller has an incorrect work mode selected in BIOS. For most PC’s, there are three main SATA controller work modes available:<\/p>\n
    \n
  1. IDE is the most-basic mode that treats the SATA controller in the same way legacy IDE controllers treat ATA drives: the controller itself contains almost no read\/write-related logic and simply serves as the most ascetic of bridges, simply proxying data to and from the drives.<\/li>\n
  2. AHCI is the more advanced and modern mode that also offers substantial optimized hardware-level read\/write logic and caching, which results in a significant speed increase compared to IDE.<\/li>\n
  3. RAID mode that allows the user to combine multiple physical disk drivers into a single logical unit for optimized performance, redundancy, or combination thereof.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    If the user’s hard drive does not support one of these modes, or if Windows was installed and booted using one mode, but a different mode was configured, then the boot process will be halted.<\/p>\n
    Cause 6: Incompatible drivers<\/h4>\n
    Just like with BIOS, if any custom drivers were installed, especially HDD ones, they might be incompatible with the current OS or hardware.<\/p>\n
    Fixing “0xc000000e” on Windows<\/h2>\n
    Windows Setup CD\/DVD Required!<\/strong>
    Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use     Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows<\/a> instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.<\/p>\n
    Fix #1: Rebuild BCD via Easy Recovery Essentials<\/h3>\n
    Easy Recovery Essentials’ one-click automated system repair feature incorporates full repair and reconstruction of the BCD to resolve the “0xc000000e” error, even in cases where Windows won’t boot as a result of the error.<\/p>\n
    The automated boot repair component of EasyRE will address all BCD-related issues, fixing the BCD or recreating it from scratch using the correct encoding and path for the partition that is refusing to load properly. It will also mark the disk as online to ensure that it works correctly.<\/p>\n