Add a custom tool to the Windows RE boot options menu

You can add a custom troubleshooting or diagnostic tool to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) image. This tool is displayed in the Boot Options menu.

By developing your custom tool to run in WinRE, you can leverage the touch and on-screen keyboard support available in WinRE.

New for WindowsВ 10: You won’t be able to add WinRE optional components that aren’t already in the default WinRE tools. For example, if you have a app from Windows 8 that depended on the .NET optional components, you’ll need to rewrite the app for WindowsВ 10.

To add a custom tool

Extract and mount a Windows image (install.wim) and its corresponding WinRE image (winre.wim):

For more information about these steps, see the topic: Customize Windows RE.

In Notepad, create a configuration file that specifies the custom tool’s filename and parameters (if any):

Where C:\Tools\OEMDiagnostics.exe is the custom troubleshooting or diagnostics tool, and where /param1 and /param2 are optional parameters used when running this custom tool.

NoteВ В You can only add one custom tool to the WinRE boot options menus.

Save the file using UTF-8 coding. Do not use ANSI:

Click File, and then click Save As. In the Encoding box, select UTF-8, and save this file as C:\mount\WinREConfig.xml .

Create a \Sources\Recovery\Tools folder in the WinRE mount folder, and then copy the custom tool and its configuration file into the new folder:

The custom tool and any associated folders must be in this folder so that it can continue to work after future WinRE upgrades.

Commit your customizations and unmount the WinRE image:

Optional: make a backup copy of the WinRE image.

You can often reuse the same customizations on multiple images.

Unmount and save the changes from the base Windows image:

To deploy the image

In Notepad, create a configuration file that describes the custom tool in the boot options menu. Add descriptions for each language you support. This example specifies both English and French language versions of the tool name and description:

WarningВ В Limit the and values to approximately 30 characters or less to make sure that they appear correctly in the boot options menu.

Save the file using UTF-8 coding:

Click File, and then click Save As. In the Encoding box, select UTF-8, and save this file as E:\Recovery\BootMenu\AddDiagnosticsToolToBootMenu.xml .

Where E:\ is the drive letter of a removable drive or network location.

On your destination computer, during image deployment, but after you register the custom WinRE boot image and the Windows operating system, you must register the description of the custom tool:

If the custom tool is registered properly, the output from running this command will be: .

NoteВ В For more information about deploying Windows, see the Deploy Windows RE topic.

To verify the custom tool appears in the Boot Options menu when launched from Windows

Restart the destination computer, and complete OOBE as your user.

Note
If you are prompted for a product key, click Skip.

Click Start > PC settings, and then select General.

In the Advanced startup section, select Restart now.

The Windows Boot Options menu appears.

In the Boot Options menu, select Troubleshoot, and then click the Fabrikam Utility link.

The computer restarts in WinRE, and the tool that is specified in the section of the WinREConfig.xml file, appears.

Confirm that the custom tool works properly, and then close the tool.

If the custom tool does not appear on the Boot Options menu, you can try the following:

Verify the WinREConfig.xml and the AddDiagnosticsToolToBootMenu.xml files are saved using the UTF-8 encoding format.

Disable WinRE, register the custom tool again, and then enable WinRE. For example:

To verify the custom tool appears in the WinRE recovery menu

In the recovery menu, select Troubleshoot, and then click the Fabrikam Utility link.

Confirm that the custom tool works properly, and then close the tool.

Создание установочного носителя для Windows

Вы можете использовать установочный носитель (USB-устройство флэш-памяти или DVD-диск) для установки новой копии Windows, выполнения чистой установки или переустановки Windows 10.

Чтобы создать установочный носитель, перейдите на веб-сайт скачивания ПО, где вы найдете пошаговые инструкции. На этом веб-сайте вы можете выбрать версию Windows и создать собственный установочный носитель с помощью USB-устройства флэш-памяти или DVD-диска. Чтобы перейти непосредственно к одной из версий, выберите одну из следующих ссылок:

Windows 10 (Затем выберите Скачать средство сейчас.)

Важно: Создайте резервную копию файлов перед установкой и переустановкой Windows на компьютере. Узнайте, как это сделать для Windows 10 или для Windows 7 и Windows 8.1.

Чтобы создать установочный носитель, необходимо следующее:

Компьютер с надежным подключением к Интернету. Время скачивания зависит от скорости подключения к Интернету.

USB-устройство флэш-памяти или DVD-диск. Необходимо пустое USB-устройство флэш-памяти с 8 ГБ свободного места или пустой DVD-диск (и устройство записи DVD). Рекомендуем использовать чистый носитель, поскольку все его содержимое будет удалено. Если при записи DVD-диска из ISO-файла отображается сообщение о том, что файл образа диска слишком большой, необходимо использовать DVD-носитель с двумя слоями (DL).

Ключ продукта. 25-значный ключ продукта (не требуется для цифровых лицензий). Если вам требуется помощь, см. раздел Как найти ключ продукта Windows.

После создания установочного носителя вы можете сбросить или переустановить Windows. Дополнительные сведения см. в разделе Параметры восстановления в Windows 10.

Advanced troubleshooting for Windows boot problems

This article is intended for use by support agents and IT professionals. If you’re looking for more general information about recovery options, see Recovery options in Windows 10.

Summary

There are several reasons why a Windows-based computer may have problems during startup. To troubleshoot boot problems, first determine in which of the following phases the computer gets stuck:

Phase	Boot Process	BIOS	UEFI
1	PreBoot	MBR/PBR (Bootstrap Code)	UEFI Firmware
2	Windows Boot Manager	%SystemDrive%\bootmgr	\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
3	Windows OS Loader	%SystemRoot%\system32\winload.exe	%SystemRoot%\system32\winload.efi
4	Windows NT OS Kernel	%SystemRoot%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

1. PreBoot

The PC’s firmware initiates a Power-On Self Test (POST) and loads firmware settings. This pre-boot process ends when a valid system disk is detected. Firmware reads the master boot record (MBR), and then starts Windows Boot Manager.

2. Windows Boot Manager

Windows Boot Manager finds and starts the Windows loader (Winload.exe) on the Windows boot partition.

3. Windows operating system loader

Essential drivers required to start the Windows kernel are loaded and the kernel starts to run.

4. Windows NT OS Kernel

The kernel loads into memory the system registry hive and additional drivers that are marked as BOOT_START.

The kernel passes control to the session manager process (Smss.exe) which initializes the system session, and loads and starts the devices and drivers that are not marked BOOT_START.

Here is a summary of the boot sequence, what will be seen on the display, and typical boot problems at that point in the sequence. Before starting troubleshooting, you have to understand the outline of the boot process and display status to ensure that the issue is properly identified at the beginning of the engagement.

Click to enlarge

Each phase has a different approach to troubleshooting. This article provides troubleshooting techniques for problems that occur during the first three phases.

If the computer repeatedly boots to the recovery options, run the following command at a command prompt to break the cycle:

Bcdedit /set recoveryenabled no

If the F8 options don’t work, run the following command:

Bcdedit /set bootmenupolicy legacy

BIOS phase

To determine whether the system has passed the BIOS phase, follow these steps:

1. If there are any external peripherals connected to the computer, disconnect them.
2. Check whether the hard disk drive light on the physical computer is working. If it is not working, this indicates that the startup process is stuck at the BIOS phase.
3. Press the NumLock key to see whether the indicator light toggles on and off. If it does not, this indicates that the startup process is stuck at BIOS.

If the system is stuck at the BIOS phase, there may be a hardware problem.

Boot loader phase

If the screen is completely black except for a blinking cursor, or if you receive one of the following error codes, this indicates that the boot process is stuck in the Boot Loader phase:

• Boot Configuration Data (BCD) missing or corrupted
• Boot file or MBR corrupted
• Operating system Missing
• Boot sector missing or corrupted
• Bootmgr missing or corrupted
• Unable to boot due to system hive missing or corrupted

To troubleshoot this problem, use Windows installation media to start the computer, press Shift+F10 for a command prompt, and then use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Startup Repair tool

The Startup Repair tool automatically fixes many common problems. The tool also lets you quickly diagnose and repair more complex startup problems. When the computer detects a startup problem, the computer starts the Startup Repair tool. When the tool starts, it performs diagnostics. These diagnostics include analyzing startup log files to determine the cause of the problem. When the Startup Repair tool determines the cause, the tool tries to fix the problem automatically.

To do this, follow theseВ steps.

For additional methods to start WinRE, see Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).

Start the system to the installation media for the installed version of Windows. For more information, see Create installation media for Windows.

On the Install Windows screen, select Next > Repair your computer.

On the System Recovery Options screen, select Next > Command Prompt.

After Startup Repair, select Shutdown, then turn on your PC to see if Windows can boot properly.

The Startup Repair tool generates a log file to help you understand the startup problems and the repairs that were made. You can find the log file in the following location:

%windir%\System32\LogFiles\Srt\Srttrail.txt

Method 2: Repair Boot Codes

To repair boot codes, run the following command:

To repair the boot sector, run the following command:

Running BOOTREC together with Fixmbr overwrites only the master boot code. If the corruption in the MBR affects the partition table, running Fixmbr may not fix the problem.

Method 3: Fix BCD errors

If you receive BCD-related errors, follow these steps:

Scan for all the systems that are installed. To do this, run the following command:

Restart the computer to check whether the problem is fixed.

If the problem is not fixed, run the following command:

You might receive one of the following outputs:

If the output shows windows installation: 0, run the following commands:

After you run the command, you receive the following output:

1. Try restarting the system.

Method 4: Replace Bootmgr

If methods 1, 2 and 3 do not fix the problem, replace the Bootmgr file from drive C to the System Reserved partition. To do this, follow these steps:

At a command prompt, change the directory to the System Reserved partition.

Run the attrib command to unhide the file:

Run the same attrib command on the Windows (system drive):

Rename the Bootmgr file as Bootmgr.old:

Navigate to the system drive.

Copy the Bootmgr file, and then paste it to the System Reserved partition.

Restart the computer.

Method 5: Restore System Hive

If Windows cannot load the system registry hive into memory, you must restore the system hive. To do this, use the Windows Recovery Environment or use Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) to copy the files from the C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack to C:\Windows\System32\config.

If the problem persists, you may want to restore the system state backup to an alternative location, and then retrieve the registry hives to be replaced.

Starting in Windows 10, version 1803, Windows no longer automatically backs up the system registry to the RegBack folder.This change is by design, and is intended to help reduce the overall disk footprint size of Windows. To recover a system with a corrupt registry hive, Microsoft recommends that you use a system restore point. For more details, check this article.

Kernel Phase

If the system gets stuck during the kernel phase, you experience multiple symptoms or receive multiple error messages. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

A Stop error appears after the splash screen (Windows Logo screen).

Specific error code is displayed. For example, «0x00000C2» , «0x0000007B» , «inaccessible boot device» and so on.

The screen is stuck at the «spinning wheel» (rolling dots) «system busy» icon.

A black screen appears after the splash screen.

To troubleshoot these problems, try the following recovery boot options one at a time.

Scenario 1: Try to start the computer in Safe mode or Last Known Good Configuration

On the Advanced Boot Options screen, try to start the computer in Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking. If either of these options works, use Event Viewer to help identify and diagnose the cause of the boot problem. To view events that are recorded in the event logs, follow these steps:

Use one of the following methods to open Event Viewer:

Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Event Viewer.

Start the Event Viewer snap-in in Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

In the console tree, expand Event Viewer, and then click the log that you want to view. For example, click System log or Application log.

In the details pane, double-click the event that you want to view.

On the Edit menu, click Copy, open a new document in the program in which you want to paste the event (for example, Microsoft Word), and then click Paste.

Use the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keyВ to view the descriptionВ of the previous or next event.

Clean boot

To troubleshoot problems that affect services, do a clean boot by using System Configuration (msconfig). Select Selective startup to test the services one at a time to determine which one is causing the problem. If you cannot find the cause, try including system services. However, in most cases, the problematic service is third-party.

Disable any service that you find to be faulty, and try to start the computer again by selecting Normal startup.

If the computer starts in Disable Driver Signature mode, start the computer in Disable Driver Signature Enforcement mode, and then follow the steps that are documented in the following article to determine which drivers or files require driver signature enforcement: Troubleshooting boot problem caused byВ missing driver signature (x64)

If the computer is a domain controller, try Directory Services Restore mode (DSRM).

This method is an important step if you encounter Stop error «0xC00002E1» or «0xC00002E2»

Examples

Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Error code INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (STOP 0x7B)

To troubleshoot this Stop error, follow these steps to filter the drivers:

Go to Window Recovery Environment (WinRE) by putting an ISO disk of the system in the disk drive. The ISO should be of same version of Windows or a later version.

Open the registry.

Load the system hive, and name it as «test.»

Under the following registry subkey, check for lower filter and upper filter items for Non-Microsoft Drivers:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class

For each third-party driver that you locate, click the upper or lower filter, and then delete the value data.

Search through the whole registry for similar items. Process as an appropriate, and then unload the registry hive.

Restart the server in Normal mode.

For additional troubleshooting steps, see the following articles:

To fix problems that occur after you install Windows updates, check for pending updates by using these steps:

Open a Command Prompt window in WinRE.

Run the command:

If there are any pending updates, uninstall them by running the following commands:

Try to start the computer.

If the computer does not start, follow these steps:

Open A Command Prompt window in WinRE, and start a text editor, such as Notepad.

Navigate to the system drive, and search for windows\winsxs\pending.xml.

If the Pending.xml file is found, rename the file as Pending.xml.old.

Open the registry, and then load the component hive in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE as a test.

Highlight the loaded test hive, and then search for the pendingxmlidentifier value.

If the pendingxmlidentifier value exists, delete the value.

Unload the test hive.

Load the system hive, name it as «test».

Navigate to the following subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\TrustedInstaller

Change the Start value from 1 to 4

Unload the hive.

Try to start the computer.

If the Stop error occurs late in the startup process, or if the Stop error is still being generated, you can capture a memory dump. A good memory dump can help determine the root cause of the Stop error. For details, see the following articles:

For more information about page file problems in Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016, see the following:

For more information about Stop errors, see the following Knowledge Base article:

If the dump file shows an error that is related to a driver (for example, windows\system32\drivers\stcvsm.sys is missing or corrupted), follow these guidelines:

Check the functionality that is provided by the driver. If the driver is a third-party boot driver, make sure that you understand what it does.

If the driver is not important and has no dependencies, load the system hive, and then disable the driver.

If the stop error indicates system file corruption, run the system file checker in offline mode.

To do this, open WinRE, open a command prompt, and then run the following command:

If there is disk corruption, run the check disk command:

If the Stop error indicates general registry corruption, or if you believe that new drivers or services were installed, follow these steps:

1. Start WinRE, and open a Command Prompt window.
2. Start a text editor, such as Notepad.
3. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\Config.
4. Rename the all five hives by appending «.old» to the name.
5. Copy all the hives from the Regback folder, paste them in the Config folder, and then try to start the computer in Normal mode.