Media solutions for Windows on ARM platforms
Media solutions for Windows on ARM platforms
You're looking for ways to recover data from a Samsung Galaxy Book S with a Snapdragon 8cx processor running Windows 10 on ARM. Since the BCD file is missing, you'll need to explore alternative recovery options. Parallels' Windows 11 media might not work here, so consider using tools like Ubuntu Recovery or a bootable USB with a Linux distribution that supports ARM recovery. Checking manufacturer support sites or community forums could also yield useful guidance.
Microsoft doesn't release Windows for ARM in public channels. You can install a recovery USB drive containing Windows. Begin by selecting 'Create a recovery drive' and choose it. Check the box, proceed to the next step, and wait a short time. You'll be prompted to insert an 8GB or larger USB flash drive, which will format itself, load all necessary files, and prepare it for booting. You can also back up your system using Windows Backup utility. Unlike Microsoft's Surface devices, Samsung doesn't provide recovery images. They seem inclined to send the device in for repair—data erasure, data wipe, or restoring the original image. They might charge exorbitant fees for this service. Samsung often copies Apple products. You can't obtain a recovery image from the Surface Pro X. Besides needing a serial number, you'll receive only a zip file to extract on a USB drive. The device has a recovery mode accessible through button combinations on the hardware to launch the setup process. To my understanding, this applies only to their line. Your best option is to use UUPDump, but it carries personal risk. Make sure you use the correct version of Windows that matches your system. I'm unsure and haven't tested it before.
As GoodBytes said, Microsoft doesn't publicly distribute Windows on ARM. However that doesn't mean you are SOL - the BCD issue you describe should be trivial to fix, without needing to ship the device back. Windows on ARM uses the same BCD format as Windows - I have successfully used BCD manipulation tools intended for x64 on ARM devices without a hitch. If you could somehow boot into Windows PE, then use a utility called BootICE.EXE to inspect your current BCD. You can create a new one with this tool, but I would rather do a "bootrec /rebuildbcd" or if that didn't work, "bcdboot c:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI" (where Z: is your EFI partition) Even though Microsoft doesn't distribute ready-made images, you can easily build your own image from UUP files distributed by Microsoft via Windows Update. There is an open-source website that allows you to select a Windows version and edition, and generates a ZIP file with a one-click script that fetches the UUP files and compiles them into an ISO. (Edit: UUPDump) Making that ISO into a bootable image is just a matter of copying over the ISO contents to a USB drive - all ARM64 devices use UEFI, so you don't have to worry about MBR/PBR/bootable partitions. Failing that, you can find ISOs online, but beware of breaking Microsoft EULA terms, and you run into the risk of malware, unlike the method above. Whatever you end up doing though, do NOT wipe the computer! The factory Windows install has drivers that you WILL NOT find elsewhere. Better repair the existing install, or if that fails, copy over C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore from the dead installation.