You get 0xc000000e error code on Windows 10 when there is a problem with boot loader or wrong Boot configuration data.

If you have multiple disks, only one of them is the boot disk.

I have a similar but different mystery. The system is Win7 on a Compaq CQ57. Trying to format a purchased, used Fujitsu MHT2080AH. The denial says Q: is not available. Access is Denied. So far all problems are the same. Unable to set new owner on Local disk (Q:) Access denied. Tried all three methods without success. At the left column, click Make Bootable Media.Then click Next to continue. Click USB Boot Device and then click Proceed. It will remind you the USB drive needs to be formatted and all the data on it will lose. If there are importan.

So, the boot configuration data is stored on one disk of all the related settings to boot different Windows OS.

Even though you use bootrec commands to fix the boot loading options, it is important you change the order of the boot disk. You can have Metro bootloader or Windows 7 type, but the cause of the problem is the same.

The typical error message for 0xc000000e will be like this –

Recovery
You’re PC/Device needs to be repaired…….
File: Windowssystem32winload.efi
Error Code: 0xc000000e

This can appear when your Windows 10 OS was deleted on one HDD, which is the boot drive. The boot order options could also have changed.

For example, having two disks like Samsung 850 Evo 1TB and Samsung SM951 m.2 NVME 128GB, can complicate the issues.

You may get confused that the problem is with the hardware or some software. But many-a-times the real problem is with the boot loader configuration stored on your disk.

There are different causes which can cause this Windows 10 error code issue.

  1. A required device isn’t connected or cannot be accessed
  2. Required device is inaccessible
  3. The selected entry could not be loaded
  4. The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt
  5. The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.

Source : thewindowsclub.com

As you can see above, the real cause for this error code 0xc000000e is either winload.exe file is not accessible or is corrupt or the boot loader location of Windows 10 is not accessible.

How to Fix Error Code 0xc000000e in Windows 10

The following solutions may be tried to fix this problem.

  1. Change the boot order of the disk, if you have multiple disks like HDD and SSD.
  2. Use Windows 10 Startup Repair feature using Installation Disk
  3. Apply BCD command to rebuild it manually
  4. Make your Disk Online
  5. Try third-party software

Most-of-the-times, the above fixes will show you the way to solve error code 0xc000000e in Windows 10.

  1. Change the Boot Order in BIOS

RufusDenied

The first preliminary fix is to check, whether the boot disk is the first disk loading during booting.

This can be done, by changing the options in BIOS.

Most of the times, pressing F2 or F2 or F10 or ESC or DEL keys during booting will take you to BIOS settings.

This depends on your PC manufacturer model and the BIOS software you are using.

For example on Phoenix AwardBIOS CMOS setup utility, under “Advanced BIOS features” you have the following options.

  1. Hard Disk Boot Priority
  2. First Boot Device

You can have multiple devices like USB, DVD, HDD etc connected to your PC.

  1. First make sure your HDD is the First Boot Device.
  2. If you have multiple hard disks or solid state drives on the same system, then you have to use Hard Disk Boot Priority.
  3. Go to the first option and press Enter. Then select the disk which is your boot disk and press F10.

It will save your changes and Restart. If nothing is corrupt, you should be able to fix error code 0xc000000e and enter Windows 10.

  1. Use Startup Repair in Windows 10 Installation Disk

Create a bootable Windows 10 installation disc. This could be either a DVD or USB. You can use an utility like Rufus to boot from USB. Otherwise, you can use software like MagicISO to boot from DVD.

Insert the appropriate hardware and change the BOOT options to load from it, as mentioned above.

Source : https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/windows-10-advanced-startup-options-menu

The installation disc will boot up and select language and keyboard layout. Click Next. You will be taken to the next screen. On this screen, at the bottom you see, “Repair your Computer”.

Then click “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced Options” > Startup Repair.

If it’s a small issue, this will fix problems that keep Windows from loading. This will also automatically solve the 0xc000000e error, as startup problem is the main cause for this issue.

  1. Rebuild BCD manually

This solution is appropriate if the problem is due to corrupt boot loader. If the boot configuration data has been erred by some hardware change, then the BCD commands will fix this. This is the most common solution for error code 0xc000000e and in many-a-times solve the problem.

  1. Boot using the Windows 10 Installation dsic.
  2. Then go to “Advanced options”.
  3. But this time select “Command Prompt”.
  4. Enter the following commands one by one.

Upon completion of each command, you will get a successful message. If you get any other error message then you can try these troubleshooting steps.

  1. Access is denied while apply the fixboot command.

Then you have to type the following commands in the Command Prompt.

Step 1: Type diskpart and press Enter key.

Step 2. Type list disk and press Enter. Now check disk number to identify boot disk, this is usually Disk 0. if not, use the correct boot disk number.

Rufus Error Access To The Device Is Denied Another

Step 3. Type select disk 0 (or your boot disk number) and press Enter.

Step 4. Type list volume and press Enter. Now look for the volume number of EFI partition.

Step 5. Type select volume 1 and press Enter. (Change volume to your number)

The

Step 6. Type assign letter=V: and press Enter. V: can be replaced by any drive letter that is not in use by any partition.

Step 7. Type exit and press Enter.

Step 8. Now type V: (or the drive letter you just assigned) and hit Enter.

Step 9. Type md efimicrosoftboot and hit Enter.

Step 10. Type — /d V:efimicrosoftboot and hit Enter.

Step 11. Now type bootrec /fixboot command, the problem should be solved now.

Step 12. b–boot c:windows /l en-us /s V: /f all

The below YouTube video will show how to fix the Access is denied error while using the Fix MBR command.

If you have multiple OS on the same PC, you can add all of them to the new boot configuration. A prompt with different options is displayed during the /scanos command.

If this still fails to boot your computer, then the correct order of the boot disc is the problem.

So using the BIOS settings, you have to do trial and error of the correct disc on which the boot loader is situated.

This happens when you have multiple disks.

  1. Make the Boot Disk Online and Scan Disks

Sometimes, the boot drive can go offline and is not added to the boot loader settings. Then you have to apply the following commands.

In the Command Prompt of your Repair Disc or Installation disc, as mentioned before, enter the following commands.

  1. diskpart
  2. list disk
  3. list volume
  4. select disk # (or) select volume #
  5. online disk # (or) online volume #

Press Enter and restart the computer.

  1. Use EasyBCD kind of repair software

There are several third-party software that will recover your corrupted boot loader. They will also scan the disks and do other functions. They are kind of repair software. You just have to boot them using an USB or DVD and make the disc bootable.

Once loaded, find the right options to regain your old boot order. This can check your hard disk for bad sectors and also make the correct drive bootable. The following are some of the software.

  1. Easy Recovery Essentials
  2. AOMEI Partition Assistant
  3. EasyBCD

Some of the case-studies of the above error code can be like this.

I just upgraded to Windows 10 on my laptop from windows 7 on a solid drive, All seemed to work fine at first, then I had this boot failure problem.

“Recovery
Your PC need to be repaired
File: Windowssystem32winload.exe
Error Code: 0xc000000e
You’ll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media, etc……
Press Enter to try again
Press F8 for Start-Up Settings”

I updated my Windows 10 OS few days back due to the forcible prompts to update.

My laptop went out of power completely yesterday and after that I get the error Error Code 0xc000000e during startup.

Tried many options like below :

– bootrec /fixmbr
– bootrec /fixboot –> Got Access is denied at this step
– bootrec /rebuildb– –> Total identified Windows installations: 0

The 2 TB SATA drive is not being recognized. I have important data in the hard drive, any ideas how to recover the data by a repair?

My Final Thoughts

As you can see, the main cause of this error code 0xc000000e is to install the winload.exe on each OS and repair the boot configuration data. Then load the correct boot hard drive and you are back to normal.

Sometimes, you have to try 2 to 3 different solutions mentioned above to solve your problem. Otherwise, you can use any of the software told above to repair your startup problems caused by the above error code.

Applying the commands in the Command Prompt properly is also important.

If you can rebuild MBR using the bootrec commands, then this error code will disappear. But sometimes, you may get error like access is denied, which can be fixed as mentioned above.

If you have solved your error, mention your experience in the below comment section.

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Nov 12, 2020 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

When your computer runs into a booting issue, executing 'bootrec /fixboot' is one of the ways to fix the error. However, there are many situations when users have reported to encounter another error after running the said command in Command Prompt.

The 'fixboot access is denied' is a common Windows error that many people encounter while trying to fix an existing booting issue. Several reasons can cause the fixboot issue on your system and it is imperative to choose the right method accordingly.

So, if you're also facing the same error, stick along, the following guide explains different causes and appropriate solutions to troubleshoot the error.

What Causes the Fixboot Problem?

Like I said, several things can cause the 'fixboot access is denied' error on your system. So, let's quickly discuss some of these causes so that you can easily identify the root of the problem.

Booting Issues

In the majority of cases, fixboot access is denied due to a booting issue. For instance, if your system has a corrupt BCD (Boot Configuration Data) or damaged MBR (Master Boot Record), the system is most likely to return the error. In this case, you'll have to follow a step-by-step process to repair the BCD or MBR to fix the issue.

Disk Partitioning

As surprising as it may sound, but improper disk partitioning can also cause the 'fixboot access is denied' error. If your system partition drive has gone corrupt, it won't allow the boot manager to load the required boot files.

In addition to this, furthermore, the same corrupt system partition can also deny access while executing fixboot command. If that's the case, you'll have to repair the system partition using the Diskpart command in the Advanced Windows Recovery screen.

Corrupt EFI Directory

Corrupt EFI Directory is the most common reason why you may run into this fixboot error. So, to fix the error in this situation, you'll have to repair the corrupt EFI directory. The most convenient way to do this task is to completely format the EFI directory and recreate it by assigning a new drive letter.

Issue With 'Bootrec' Command

Finally, you can also encounter the error if there's an issue with the Bootrec command itself. You can try to execute other bootrec commands to see if they work or not. In case they don't, there's a huge possibility that the fixboot error is caused by the 'Bootrec' command only.

Solutions - How to Fix Fixboot Access is Denied

Since the fixboot error can be caused due to several reasons, you'll have to choose the most appropriate troubleshooting method. Here are a few solutions that'll help you fix fixboot access is denied error.

Create EFI Directory Structure

If a c corrupt EFI directory has caused the fastboot error, you'll have no other option but to format it. Once the corrupt EFI directory is successfully formatted, you can create a new one using the BCDBOOT command and assign it a new drive letter as well.

Follow these steps to format your corrupt EFI directory and create a new directory structure from scratch.

Rufus Error Access To The Device Is Denied

Step 1 - Given that you're already in the command prompt window, type the following command and press enter.

format X: /FS:FAT32 (Make sure to replace 'X' with the partition letter).

This will format the EFI directory and there'll be a new unassigned partition on your disk. At this stage, you'll have to recreate the EFI partition.

Step 2 - Create the new EFI directory by executing the following command.

bcdboot C:windows /s X: /f UEFI

Now, try executing the fixboot command and see if you encounter the same 'access denied' error or not.

Run a Startup Repair Using an Installation Media

For this solution, you'll need a Windows Installation Media. In case you don't have one, use Rufus to create a bootable USB drive using a Windows disc image. Once the Installation Media is successfully created, follow the below-mentioned instructions to perform a startup repair.

Step 1 - Boot your system using the Windows Installation media you just created.

Step 2 - Based on the operating system, follow the right steps to launch startup-repair.

For Windows 7/XP/Vista - Once you're at the initial screen of the Windows installation process, select your preferred language, date & time, and click 'Next'. Now tap 'Repair Your Computer' in the bottom-left corner to launch the Advanced Recovery window. Choose 'Startup Repair' from the top of the screen and tap 'Restart' to continue with the remaining process.

For Windows 10/8/8.1 Users - Like the previous step, choose preferred language & time and click 'Next'. In the next window, click 'Repair Your Computer' and select 'Troubleshoot'. Now, click on 'Advanced Options' and choose 'Startup Repair' from the list.

Step 3 - Once the 'Startup Repair' window launches, simply follow the on-screen instructions to successfully repair your computer.

Repair Broken EFI Bootloader

Here's the step-by-step process to repair a broken EFI bootloader.

Step 1 - Boot your system using the Windows Installation Media.

Step 2 - Select 'Repair Your Computer' at the Windows installation screen.

Step 3 - Select Troubleshoot>Advanced Options and click 'Command Prompt'.

Step 4 - Once you're in the command prompt window, type 'Diskpart' to launch the Diskpart utility.

Step 5 - Type 'Sel Disk 0' to select the hard drive. Now, execute the 'List Vol' command.

Step 6 - Use 'Sel Vol ' to select the EFI partition. Make sure that it is formatted in the FAT32 format.

Step 7 - Assign a new drive letter to the EFI directory using the 'assign letter = ' command.

Step 8 - Type 'Exit' to the exit diskpart.

This will repair the broken EFI bootloader and you won't face the 'Fixboot access is denied' error again.

Repair the Bootrec Command

In case the error is caused due to Bootrec command, follow these steps to repair it.

Step 1 - Perform the first three steps from the previous method to launch Command Prompt through the Advanced Recovery window.

Step 2 - Type the following command and press enter.

bcdboot N:windows /s M:

Make sure to replace 'N' with the windows partition letter and 'M' with the system partition letter.

Try executing the 'Bootrec' command again and check if the issue is gone or not.

Still Can't Fix the Error? Reinstall Windows Using Windows Installation Media

If none of these solutions work for your system, the only way to access your system and save the data is to reinstall Windows using a Windows Installation Media. However, this method will remove everything from the system partition. So, only proceed with this solution if you're willing to lose data.

Step 1 - Use Windows Installation Media to boot your system.

Step 2 - After selecting the preferred language and time, click 'Next'.

Rufus Error Access To The Device Is Denied Error

Step 3 - Click 'Install Now' to initiate the Windows Installation process.

Step 4 - Choose the right operating system from the list and click 'Next'.

Step 5 - Click 'Install Windows Only' and follow the next on-screen instructions to complete the process.

How to Recover Data from Computer When All Solutions Fail to Resolve the Issue

No doubt, when you're unable to fix fixboot access is denied error, reinstalling Windows will help. However, before removing the existing Window, you may consider recovering the files so that you don't have to lose any valuable data.

To do so, we recommend using Wondershare RecoverIt. It is a dedicated data recovery tool that's primarily designed to restore lost data from different storage devices. However, thanks to its 'System Crash Data Recovery' feature, you can also use it to recover files from an unbootable PC. The tool lets you create a bootable USB that you can use to launch RecoverIt through the boot menu and restore all your files before reinstalling Windows.

Follow these steps to get back all your data using Wondershare RecoverIt on an unbootable PC.

Step 1 - Launch RecoverIt on a different PC and select 'Recover from Crash Computer' at the main interface.

Access Is Denied Rufus

Step 2 - Insert the USB drive and tap the 'Create USB Bootable Drive' radio button.

Step 3 - Tap create and click 'Format Now' to format the USB drive.

Step 4 - Once the USB drive is successfully formatted, RecoverIt will automatically start creating a bootable version. Do not interrupt this process otherwise you'll have to start from scratch.

Step 5 - Insert the USB in an unbootable PC and make the system boot from it. Check out how to set the computer to boot from a USB drive.

Now, launch RecoverIt and recover your data on external storage easily.

Once you have successfully recovered the data, simply use the Windows Installation media to reinstall Windows.

Conclusion

So, that's how you can fix fixboot access is denied error on your system. It doesn't matter what has caused the error, the above-mentioned tricks will help you fix the error instantly. And, in case nothing works, use Wondershare RecoverIt to retrieve all your data and reinstall Windows to access your system.

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