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How to fix UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME (0x000000ED) on my Windows XP DELL laptop?
How do I fix “Unmountable Boot Volume”?

I have my computer partitioned into 2 separate partitions. One for Vista and the other for Windows 7. This has never been a problem before. I have only used Windows 7 for a long time now and because I run various things on this desktop I have it running 24/7 and I give it a break every few days or so.

It was running fine when I turned it off for an hour or so then when I turned it back on I got a bunch of errors and nothing would respond on my desktop after logging on. I had to hard reboot it. After I restarted my computer would get stuck at the loading screen. I tried safe mode, it froze, I tried Repair Computer, it froze.

I tried the vista partition and I got blue screened with the following error. UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

Nothing works. Can someone please tell me what happened and possible solutions?

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Nick122
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  • **Related:** [When you restart your computer or upgrade to Windows XP, you receive the "STOP 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" error message](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297185) – Tamara Wijsman Oct 22 '11 at 02:27
  • **Related:** [Trouble with UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME 0x000000ED](http://superuser.com/questions/177440/trouble-with-unmountable-boot-volume-0x000000ed) – Tamara Wijsman Oct 22 '11 at 02:28
  • What makes you 99% sure? Your hard drive might be just fine, **throwing it away just because of a BSOD would be a shame**. [Verification can spare you money](http://superuser.com/questions/349267/how-do-i-troubleshoot-boot-freezes-and-unmountable-boot-volume/349268#349268), you stated that you didn't have funds? – Tamara Wijsman Oct 22 '11 at 02:56

3 Answers3

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You can make or download system repair discs which will let you do basic repairs from a windows 7 system.

In this sort of situation, i'd start by booting up a linux livecd (i use some ubuntu varient, usually xubuntu) and

  1. force mount the partitions in question in linux, and attempt data recovery
  2. install gsmartctrl in the livecd and run smart tests. Compare values against this list
  3. attempt to do a repair of the install off a system repair disc - you could get a friend to make one. You might also considering getting a copy of the windows 7 installer from a friend and converting it into a universal install disc using the keys from your system

By this point you should

  • have your data copied out
  • know with a good level of certainty if your drive is ACTUALLY damaged
  • be able to fix a drive with logical but not physical corruption
Journeyman Geek
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Do not assume that a HDD is bad, just because you see a blue screen.

Without making any assumptions, let's diagnose whether the possible causes exist:

  1. Check if the disk is still properly working, check SMART table and do an error scan. Back-up if not...

  2. Try to run chkdsk /r on the partition(s) and check if the I/O cables are connected properly.

  3. Do a memory test, ensure that there are no errors or else replace it.

  4. As a last resort, back-up your data then do a format and reinstall...

Try an installation medium and hit SHIFT+F10, an alternative could be Hiren's Boot CD with which you can do all of the above steps as they are all provided by Hiren's Boot CD...

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Tamara Wijsman
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  • How do I do that? – Nick122 Oct 21 '11 at 23:40
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    I don't have the installation medium which is the problem. – Nick122 Oct 21 '11 at 23:45
  • The problem is I don't have access to an installation medium so I cannot access a command prompt window. Also, how would I go about running an error scan and a "check SMART table" if I cannot access either partition? – Nick122 Oct 21 '11 at 23:51
  • Unfortunately I don't have the funds or the means to get a new disk... is there any other way you can think of? – Nick122 Oct 21 '11 at 23:57
  • Well, another option is to get [Hiren's Boot CD](http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/). – Tamara Wijsman Oct 21 '11 at 23:59
  • Select W7 from your dual boot menu and keep hitting F8 for a list of options. One of them should be "Repair your computer" - you can access a command prompt from there. Run **chkdsk /F /R** on the according volume. It might take quite a bit, depending on the drives condition and overall drive size. Once complete - try booting. However, this is not a stable solution - but it might help you to recover a more or less operational state. The real problem is the drive going bad.. You probably have a lot of reallocated sectors and heaps of pending to be reallocated. Only simple cases are auto handled – XXL Oct 22 '11 at 00:02
  • @XXL: Read the question, your comment makes no sense. – Tamara Wijsman Oct 22 '11 at 00:05
  • @Tom Wijsman: you are actually right, my bad. I must have overlooked OPs post - he did say that he already tried the "repair" option and it froze – XXL Oct 22 '11 at 00:31
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If you boot from another disc, while having this drive in the system - it might be accessible, it might not. What I would recommend doing is getting a bootable linux system - check out debian live. You can install it on an USB pendrive and boot from it. Once inside, you would need a pair of tools like smartmontools (smartctl) and ntfs-3g. The first one will give you an overview of the drives SMART data, that is a good indicator of its health, while the second one will enable you to mount your NTFS partition. As suggested by Tom - you will need a chkdsk /F /R run over the drive/filesystem before mounting. All of this assumes some basic Linux literacy.

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XXL
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