Topic: Anyone with experience on MS Server 2016 Bare Metal restore to a Client (Read 5224 times)

jmone · « **on:** March 07, 2021, 10:48:48 pm »

Sorry to cross post this here (just throwing out some hope), as I've not got a response on the MS or Home Server forums.

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Error code: 0xc000000e after bare metal restore for client PC

This is the first time I've tried to Bare Metal Restore a PC from Windows Server 2016 Essentials (I had no issues waaaay back with WHSv1 / V2 / 20012R2). My wife's Surface Pro 7 was replaced so I built a USB Recovery Key that I used to do a full image restore onto the new Surface from 2016 Essentials.

It seemed to work fine but when booting the new Surface into the restored Windows 10 image, I get a Blue Screen with "Error: 0xc000000e" and either "An unexpected error as occurred" or after trying some recovery tool / cmd line attempts "A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed" Any hints? Thanks Nathan

wer · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2021, 10:57:57 pm »

Have you tried to boot from installation media or repair partition, and run a startup repair?

jmone · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:20:19 pm »

Yup - all I end up doing is going from "An unexpected error has occurred" to "A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed". I've tried doing the bare metal restore a couple of time but with the same effect. I've also tried removing all the partitions, installing a clean version of Windows that will boot, then trying a bare metal restore just for the main partition, and also for both the Main and the Windows RE partition that I have backed up on the server.

It's not the end of the world as I can open the backup and get all the documents etc from the backup, but I'd prefer to just do a full restore to prevent having to re-inall all the settings and progs etc.

wer · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:25:53 pm »

Did you do a bootrec /rebuildbcd ?

You could also try this:

At the command prompt, run the bcdedit command. Lists of items appear under Windows Boot Manager and under Windows Boot Loader.

Look for the values for the following items:

Under Windows Boot Manager, the Device item should be set to unknown.
Under Windows Boot Loader, the Device and osdevice items should be set to unknown.

Run the following three commands to correct the settings, and then restart the computer:

bcdedit /set {default} device partition=c:
bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=c:
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=c:

jmone · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:36:34 pm »

I did the bootrec /rebuildbcd but no luck. In fact it kept reporting there was no Windows OS found. Let me try the bcdedit /set stuff.... I'm on it!

wer · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:40:00 pm »

Well it saying no windows OS was found is a pretty significant bit of info, wouldn't you say? Makes me think there's a disk issue or the partition table is not correct.

Check with a partition manager, or try:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot

Make sure the boot device is set correctly in the BIOS.

jmone · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:44:59 pm »

Quote

Under Windows Boot Manager, the Device item should be set to unknown.
Under Windows Boot Loader, the Device and osdevice items should be set to unknown.

Yes

Quote

bcdedit /set {default} device partition=c:
bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=c:
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=c:

All three fail with "A device which does not exist was specified"

jmone · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:49:01 pm »

Code: [Select]

bootrec /rebuildbcdSuccessfully scanned Windows installations
Total identified Windows installations: 0

Code: [Select]

bootrec /fixmbrThe operation completed successfully

Code: [Select]

bootrec /rebuildbcdAccess is denied

wer · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:50:36 pm »

Sounds like no C drive with a windows install. See previous comments about partitions and BIOS.

wer · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:56:04 pm »

In case I am leading you into unfamiliar territory, speak up and be very careful:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
list partition
list volume

jmone · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:58:00 pm »

Disk 0 is Online 238GB GPT (I think this is the Surface's internal SSD)
Disk 1 is Online 29GB (I think this is the USB Key that I used to boot into recovery)

On disk 0 is
Partition 1 System 260MB
Partition 2 Reserved 128MB
Partition 3 Primary 237MB
Partition 4 Primary 880MB

I can simply go to the C: Drive but that is the USB Key. There is also a D: Drive that contains a NIC driver and is marked as a CDROM

jmone · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:02:37 am »

Volume 0 D CDROM CDFS CD-ROM 1026 KB Health
Volume 1 Local Disk NTFS Partition 237GB Healthy
Volume 2 Windows RE NTFS Parition 880MB Healthy
Volume 3 Fat32 Partition 260MB Healthy Hidden
Volume 4 C ESD-USB FAT32 Removable 29GB Health

Note: I booted off the USB Key on Windows Install Media then when to Repair then to the CMD Prompt

jmone · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:09:36 am »

I'll boot back into the BIOS and have a poke around but there is not much there from memory.

jmone · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:13:43 am »

There is not much there:
Secure Boot: I'd already tried "Microsoft Only", "Microsoft & 3rd Party CA), and None : No joy
Boot Configuration: Windows Boot manager is #1, then Internal Storage, then USB Storage, then PXE Network

wer · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:14:41 am »

If you pasted all the info, then it looks like the problem is the partition table.
I think the "bare metal restore" you did borked your partition table. You'll need to fix it in the partition manager.

Just to make sure, select each partition in turn, and do a "detail partition"

jmone · « **Reply #15 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:19:34 am »

Well I typed the info (no copy pasta). I'm back in diskpart

wer · « **Reply #16 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:21:26 am »

Phone+Picture+Post=Data

jmone · « **Reply #17 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:25:39 am »

Nothing is marked as Boot or System - https://behome.dyndns.info/index.php/s/nfY8ixWSjTAdKPa

wer · « **Reply #18 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:31:57 am »

So, what I said before: Just to make sure, select each partition in turn, and do a "detail partition"

select partition 1
detail partition
select partition 2
detail partition
select partition 3
detail partition
select partition 4
detail partition

jmone · « **Reply #19 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:39:43 am »

https://behome.dyndns.info/index.php/s/FqWiMfbnDGQK7gC
https://behome.dyndns.info/index.php/s/ytp7F8Q6S3jrLEA

C: / Boot will be the 237GB drive (Vol 1 / Partition 3)

jmone · « **Reply #20 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:41:42 am »

I should say, I'm really not worried about stuffing anything up on this PC, as I can always drop down another restore from the server or just do a clean Windows install.

wer · « **Reply #21 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:59:23 am »

So you are configure with a GPT partition table, which means you have to have to have UEFI BIOS firmware to boot it.

You said you did a bare metal restore. Is a GPT partition table what you intended and what you originally had?

I'm hesitant to tell you to go poking around in the BIOS to fix it, since I don't have a machine like that at the moment to guide you or check anything.

You're booting from your USB stick now, right? If you remove it, are you able to boot in to the repair partition by using F8 or F3?

wer · « **Reply #22 on:** March 08, 2021, 01:11:00 am »

By the way, in the future I recommend you use Macrium Reflect instead.

jmone · « **Reply #23 on:** March 08, 2021, 01:15:23 am »

Yup.
- Exactly the same make and model between the old and new (there may be under the hood changes but ??).
- UEFI is the only option of the Surface IFAIK.
- I'd been backing up the Old Surface just fine (I can open the backups and extract documents etc)
- I built the restore key on the WS2016
- I used the restore key on the new Surface that then splatted down the image
- Yes I'm booting from a USB Stick with a Windows Install Image on it, then before the install, I go to repair --> Cmd prompt
- I "think" the PC boots into recovery as when I power it up without intervention it comes us on a Blue Screen called "Recovery" that then tells me it needs to be repaired with the error code. and that "You'll need to use recovery tools, .....(like a disc or USB device).

jmone · « **Reply #24 on:** March 08, 2021, 01:20:39 am »

mmmm. I found this quote "I have a feeling that you are trying to restore a UEFI/GPT initialized disk from the server, which is not fully supported by Essentials."

jmone · « **Reply #25 on:** March 08, 2021, 01:39:13 am »

Thanks for the help. I'm deleting all the partitions, and will try a restore again. Then I'm giving up and just doing a clean install.

wer · « **Reply #26 on:** March 08, 2021, 01:43:02 am »

Yeah, I don't have a lot of confidence that Essentials did the restore correctly.

If you haven't already, I would try following the instructions here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-essentials/manage/restore-a-full-system-from-an-existing-client-computer-backup

If that doesn't work, I'd agree: do a clean install, restore your data. Then get a copy of Macrium Reflect. It works.

jmone · « **Reply #27 on:** March 08, 2021, 02:00:05 am »

Yeah I've read that info. At some point I'll just give up.

I find it "odd" that MS own backup service is so finicky..... I do love however that it keeps only unique clusters, so that backing say 5 PCs does not take 5 time the disc space. I also like that (in theory) one backup gives you BMR and access to all the files for selective restore across all the backups (so I can get a single file as it was from 1 year ago if needed). Turns out the BMR is not working for me.... at least I have access to all the files.

I guess I'll need to look at other options as the latest version of WS2019 Essentials has removed client backups altogether. What started as Home Server has got more and more complex, more expensive, and continued to drop features (first drive pooling now client restore).

I'll have a look at Macrium Reflect.

jmone · « **Reply #28 on:** March 08, 2021, 02:11:39 am »

...and the other thing I hate about Windows Server backup is when a Windows Client PC does a big update the connector breaks and you remember to reinstall it or the backups no longer trigger. Complete PITA.

jmone · « **Reply #29 on:** March 08, 2021, 02:17:10 am »

Quote from: jmone on March 08, 2021, 01:39:13 am

I'm deleting all the partitions, and will try a restore again. Then I'm giving up and just doing a clean install.

That failed the same way. I'll try (again) to do a clean install of W10 on the client PC then just restore the C: Drive from the server (but I'm pretty sure I've already tried this combo).....

jmone · « **Reply #30 on:** March 08, 2021, 02:54:27 am »

Nope - clean install time. Life is too short (well at my age!!!)

Scobie · « **Reply #31 on:** March 09, 2021, 04:01:27 pm »

Yeah looks as though the boot partition / partition table is hosed.

Partition Magic used to be the way to go, this tool is more or less the modern equivalent: https://www.easeus.com/partition-manager/epm-free.html

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Author Topic: Anyone with experience on MS Server 2016 Bare Metal restore to a Client (Read 5224 times)