Windows 11 bootup: Missing File: \BCD Error code: 0xc0000098

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On a Windows 11 laptop, booting up stopped at:
Missing File: \BCD (instead of File: \boot\bcd)
Error code: 0xc0000098

We tried Startup Repair but it failed.

The laptop had secure boot enabled in CMOS & Bitlocker was on, so we needed to get the Recovery Key from the customer’s Microsoft account. We were prompted to enter this recovery key during this process. (Fortunately, they had used their MS account on the laptop!)

  1. Boot from a Windows 11 install media on USB created with Rufus using UEFI option.
  2. On the initial screen, choose language, etc., then Next
  3. Click on “Repair your computer” (don’t click Install)
  4. Click Troubleshoot then click Command Prompt and use the following commands.
  5. c:
  6. cd windows\system32
  7. bootrec /fixmbr (this should say it’s successful)
  8. bootrec /fixboot (this returned “Access is denied”)
  9. bootsect /nt60 sys (should be successful)
  10. bootrec /fixboot (now this was successful)
  11. attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s (returned “Path not found” error)
  12. diskpart
  13. list disk (note disk number of bootable disk, usually C. Ours was 0)
  14. select disk 0
  15. list volume (the bootable volume is the one that is FAT32 <500MB.)
    (This was Volume 1 for us)
  16. select vol 1
  17. assign letter=v:
  18. list volume (note Volume 1 now has asterisk with drive letter V)
  19. format fs=fat32 override
  20. list volume (should show same as before)
  21. exit (returns to command prompt)
  22. v:
  23. bcdboot c:\windows  /s  v:  /f  UEFI
  24. exit

Now everything is back to normal.

This was a big help in our fixing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jjmfB20m9o