Received a recent CPU upgrade, but Windows 11 isn't launching anymore.
Received a recent CPU upgrade, but Windows 11 isn't launching anymore.
I upgraded my HP Z2 Mini G9 from 12500 to 14700k. Windows 11 won’t boot now, but Ubuntu Jammy on a separate SSD works on both CPUs. I can access the recovery and unlock my drive using BitLocker. Everything is intact. When I reinstall the old CPU, it boots normally. However, the Windows installer on USB doesn’t load at all—even with the 14700k installed. The BCD error message appears: File: \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD Status: 0x000014c. The recovery environment is functional, but I’m unsure what to try next. I’m not very comfortable with Windows and haven’t used it in a while. Automatic startup repair didn’t help, now it shows “startup repair couldn’t repair your PC.” I can open Command Prompt from RE and see my volume and files are all present. What should I do next?
It’s loading the newest BIOS updates. I’m unsure if it’s listing the two NVME SSDs for some odd reason—I have no clue. Right now, I can’t even reinstall Windows because the installer won’t start. Not with the old drive still connected. I can use the “reset my PC” option from the recovery setup. Is there a way to fix the BCD manually?
I found the solution. I had to turn off “configure storage for VMD” in BIOS; at one point I was using Intel’s VMD RAID1 for testing but disabled it, opting instead for NVME drives as separate volumes. Interestingly, Windows 11 still functions and boots fine even with that change, and the older i5 CPU with Ubuntu Jammy works too—whether enabled or not. I’m confused about why Windows can’t handle this on its own… Anyway, everything is now working lol.
Excited to see your understanding. It means more fun for Cinco de Mayo weekend. Stay safe and have a great time!