Can't restore windows thinks virtual machine is the only OS

[orerockon]

I'm in a real bind here, my main OS is Windoze 10 x64 & it won't boot after a MS update last night and I'm stuck with no PC and a ton of files I need to at least use the laptop while I try to get it back. I have Win 7 running in the the Oracle virtual machine to use Win 10 incompatible software. After the usual attempts to fix it I am trying to boot from the Win 10 disk using system restore, as it created an automatic restore point before the update (at least I assume it did). Selecting system restore from the boot disk all I see are restore points created in Win 7 under the VM, not Win 10. Trying the other troubleshooting options it comes up with Win 7 as well. Is there any way to make it recognize Win 10 is the main OS and do a system restore from there? This is an emergency for me, my income depends on those at least getting to those files.

 

[Regedit32]

Hi orerockon,

Do you have a Windows 10 DVD?

If you do you can boot computer with that DVD in the drive and ought to get the option to Boot to Safe mode where as you all ready assumed, you'll find your restore points for your Windows 10.

If you do not have a Windows 10 DVD, you can download the ISO here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench

Then download the Media Creation Tool to burn to DVD from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You'll be doing this all from your Virtual Windows 7 of course. I'm assuming you still have Internet access.

Regards,

Regedit32

 

[orerockon]

I'm not sure you understand the question, I don't have the option to do that. I already booted from the Win 10 DVD and get no option to boot to safe mode. My choices are system restore, system image recovery, startup repair, command prompt, go back to previous build. None of the options offer Windows 10. I expected to see it under troubleshoot but it does not. The options are reset your pc, system image recovery, which goes to Win 7, startup repair, command prompt, go back to previous build. All go to Win 7 except command prompt which goes to the DVD. I did this once before when Win 10 had done the same thing (updated itself and failed to boot) and system restore pointed to Win 10 on the C: partition. That was before I had installed the Oracle VM.

 

[Trouble]

This is an emergency for me, my income depends on those at least getting to those files.

You might consider acquiring a Linux Distro
https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=205
Burning the ISO to a DVD or USB ThumbDrive and booting from that to rescue your files.
Even if you have to mount in /ro (read only) you should still be able to copy them off and onto external media.

 

[Saltgrass]

Did you upgrade that machine from Windows 7?

I don't run virtual machines but I was wondering if you turned off the Virtual stuff in the Bios might that allow the repair options to work?

As you mention, when you boot into recovery it should see the Windows 10 install but in this case it is not. Possibly the boot files are no longer available so the recovery cannot see that install.

If you can get into the Recovery system, can you get into the command prompt? There are a couple of commands you can run to replace or rebuild the boot files for Windows 10.

The first is Bootrec /RebuildBCD to rebuild the BCD store for Windows 10. If the system cannot find Windows 10 it may not be able to rebuild something which isn't there.

The second command is bcdboot C:\Windows where C: is the partition which contains the Windows 10 directory. One problem you might encounter with this command is C: may not be the actual OS partition when booting into the Recovery option. Something you could do to see where that partition is would be to use Diskpart and then the lis vol command which is short for list volume. Verify where your Windows 10 partition is and use that drive letter.

One of these commands should replace the boot files for Windows 10 and you should be able to boot after making sure the correct device is selected as the primary boot device in the Bios.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>diskpart
Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.10586
Copyright (C) 1999-2013 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: DELL

DISKPART> lis vol

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
Volume 0 D DVD-ROM 0 B No Media
Volume 1 C Windows 10 NTFS Partition 600 GB Healthy Boot
Volume 2 E AIO Data NTFS Partition 700 GB Healthy
Volume 3 F Images NTFS Partition 548 GB Healthy
Volume 4 ESP FAT32 Partition 500 MB Healthy System
Volume 5 WINRETOOLS NTFS Partition 852 MB Healthy Hidden
Volume 6 Image NTFS Partition 13 GB Healthy Hidden

 

[Regedit32]

I'm not sure you understand the question

Hi again,

Sorry about that I did misread your post completely.

The symptoms you are describing are incredibly similar to issues that arise when one Dual-boots and then later discovers their System restore points for primary OS are over written by the dual booted OS.

That should not occur in a VM environment though.

 

[Saltgrass]

We should also check to make sure you are using a recent version of the Windows 10 media. If you were using an earlier build it may not work correctly.

 

[Trouble]

The symptoms you are describing are incredibly similar to issues that arise when one Dual-boots and then later discovers their System restore points for primary OS are over written by the dual booted OS.

That should not occur in a VM environment though.

Exactly.
I've never heard of that happening before.
Over the years I've used VirtualBox (Oracle) VMware Player (free version), VMware Workstation (paid version) and now pretty much only Hyper-V.
I'm not doubting what the OP is explaining or experiencing, I've just never experienced anything remotely similar and don't understand how a virtual construct consisting of a folder or a couple folders and a few files, would or even could impact that actual physical machine.
Dual boot.... yes... happens all the time.

 

[Regedit32]

Over the years I've used VirtualBox (Oracle) VMware Player (free version), VMware Workstation (paid version) and now pretty much only Hyper-V.

Oracle's Virtual Box is usually the one I suggest a novice use when it seems appropriate.

I may have to resist the suggestion until we get to the bottom of what is going on here.

Actually I think I'll email the Oracle team and describe this alleged issue to see if they have come across this while testing their system in a Windows 10 environment.

Orerockon, before you installed Windows 10, what was your Disk management setup?

• Were you all ready running a Dual boot system?
• Or was it just the single partition with Windows 7?
• If it was the single OS installed, when you installed Windows 10, did you install that on a separate partition or just upgrade over the top of Windows 7?