Error code 0xc0000098 windows 10 what to do

Good day! Dear readers and guests of the popular IT blog Pyatilistnik.org. More than anything else in the world of computer technology, I love Microsoft products, and do you know why? Everything is simple here, you will never find so many problems and errors as in their products from the Redmond giant. And this is good because it improves your troubleshooting skill. Last time, we successfully eliminated error 0x80300024 when installing the system. Today we will look at another one error 0xc0000098 encountered during system installation, when loading Windows. Over the past month I have encountered it twice, and this is already a reason for an article.

Causes and effects of error 0xc0000098

When you encounter 0xc0000098 when installing Windows, from a flash drive or from a disk, in 99% of cases, this is due to a crookedly recorded image on the media, or the original ISO image was damaged, it could simply have been downloaded incompletely or with damage.
If you encounter an error when loading an operating system, for example, Windows 7 or Windows 10, then the problem is most often in two things: system files are damaged or there are problems on the hard or solid-state drive itself, at the level of logic or physics, which is also requires diagnosis.

Based on the above, you and I will correct and restore this whole matter.

Installing Windows on GPT

Most often, Windows 7 users encounter this problem, however, this does not exclude the possibility of this problem appearing in newer versions of the system. To install on a GPT disk, be sure to select the 64-bit version of the OS. It should be loaded in EFI mode. Most likely, the error appears precisely because the last condition is not met.

First of all, open the BIOS. This is done by pressing a certain key on the keyboard, depending on the computer model, at the time the PC starts. Usually these are the Del or F2 keys. Once you are in the BIOS, change the CSM to UEFI boot. You will find this item in the “BIOS Features” or “BIOS Setup” section. The next step is to select “AHCI” in the “Select SATA operating mode” item. In a regular BIOS, go to the “Advanced” tab, in the “AHCI Mode Control” section set “Manual”, and in the “Native AHCI Mode” item that appears below set “Disabled”. Those who have Windows 7 and older need to turn off Secure Boot mode.

There are different interface options, so the names of some items may differ slightly, so do not be alarmed if your names coincide with those indicated in the article. Don't forget to save your changes before exiting. After this, if you installed the OS from a disk, the error should no longer appear.

Those users who install Windows from a USB drive will most likely have to create a bootable USB flash drive again, only now with UEFI support, for the error to disappear. To support UEFI, after you have created a bootable USB flash drive, you need to transfer the ISO image with the system to it. You need to do it like this:

Mount the image;
Select all files and folders of the image;
Right-click and from the list that appears, select “Send” and then “Removable disk”.

After this, installation problems should disappear.

Fixing error 0xc0000098 when installing Windows

First, we will consider the option when, when you try to install or reinstall Windows, you get this problem. It looks like this. I have a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10. When I tried to boot from it, I immediately got the error shown in the screenshot:

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem: Insert your Windows installation disk and restart your computer. Choose your language settings, and then click “Next.” Click "Repair your computer." If you do not have this disc, contact your system administraor or computer manufacturer for assistance. File\Windows\systerm32\drivers\ pci.sys

Status 0xc0000098

Info: The operating system could not be loaded because a critical system file is missing or contains errors.

As you can see, the Windows installation wizard complains that its distribution does not have the pci.sys driver and without it it will not be possible to continue. Here is an example when the winload.exe file was missing

It is very common that the hal.dll library is missing.

oduzt.sys

ntoskrnl.exe

From all this you see that the problem is clearly in the installation media and error 0xc0000098 just screams about it to you.

How to fix 0xc0000098 when installing the system, you just need to make sure:

That you have downloaded the operating system distribution completely correctly. Make sure that the checksums of the source ISO image and yours match. Very often this problem occurs on assemblies that are riveted by all and sundry. Try to use only original distributions.

I have already told you how you can legally download the original Windows 10. You can also download the original images from my cloud, I haven’t heard any complaints about them

Next, when you already have a working and proven Windows distribution in your hands, you need to burn it to media. In 99% of cases, a bootable flash drive is made. I have already described to you at least 8 ways to create it, take a look and choose what suits you. The simplest is to use the usb dvd download tool or rufus

I remind you that when you create a flash drive, remove it using a safe method from the system itself, otherwise I have seen cases where people burned the media and pulled it right away, as a result of which they damaged some of the files on it

In 100% of cases, error 0xc0000098 when installing Windows 7, Windows 10 and others goes away completely. Here I think you should have no questions left, now let’s move on to the situation when your already installed system cannot start, showing the same message code.

Convert GPT to MBR

Before we move on to analyzing this process, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is better to move all data from the HDD, as they may be lost. If you are not worried about lost files, feel free to proceed to the steps below.

To convert a GPT partition table to an MBR partition table, use the key combination Shift+F10 when you are in the Windows Setup Wizard to launch the command line. Next, you need to repeat the following steps exactly. Display a list of all disks on your PC, enter “diskpart” and then “listdisk”. To select the disk with which you are going to work further, write “select disk M”. In place of “M”, indicate the number corresponding to the desired disk. The previous command “list disk” just displayed the numbers on the screen.

Next, clean the disk by typing “clean”. When the cleanup is complete, enter "convert mbr" to convert GPT to MBR. Please note that with this approach all data will be lost. At the end, write the “exit” command. You can now close the Command Prompt or continue working with it to create partitions.

There is an alternative option that will save all data. This method involves using special utilities. One of these is MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable. “Bootable” means that this version can be written to a USB drive (the flash drive must be bootable) and run even if Windows is not working. After downloading, you will see a menu in which you need to select the item corresponding to the name of the utility. Once in the MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable window, select the desired disk and click on the “Convert GPT Disk to MBR Disk” item, which is located on the left. Then click the "Apply" button.

If the system installed on your computer is working properly, then you can, which have similar functionality, for example, Acronis Disk Director or Aomei Partition Assistant. You can also use the built-in Windows tools. To immediately go to the desired utility, use the Win + R “diskmgmt.msc” combination. Going to the Disk Management window, select the drive you want to convert and click Delete Volume. After that, click on it again and click on the “Convert to MBR disk” item. Ready.

After reading the material presented, you will know what to do if, during the installation of Windows OS, an error warning appears that it is impossible to install Windows on this disk. All the methods discussed above will help you solve the problem. Write in the comments whether the article was useful to you and ask if anything was unclear.

How to fix error 0xc0000098 when starting a computer or laptop

This case is the most common and it looks like this. You start your computer, after which you immediately see a black screen and error text:

Status 0xc0000098

Info: The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid os entry

Also in the Info field you can see Info: An unexpected error has occurred

Well, or the classic blue screen when loading Windows 10:

Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. The Boot Configuration Data file doesn't contain valid information for an operating ststem. File: \Boot\BCD Error code: 0c=xc0000098

You'll need to use recovery tools. If you don't have any installation media (like a disk or USB device), contact your PC administrator or PC. Device manufacturer

This message tells you that your boot files are corrupted, your device cannot boot, try contacting your system administrator or device manufacturer.

If in the case of Windows 7 you can click in recovery mode, boot from last known known good configuration or select restore from point, then in the case of Windows 10 they simply do not exist, this is a new concept from Microsoft. In their new system, nothing ever breaks and Windows restore points are simply disabled by default, that's how things are. But don’t rush to get upset, I’ll still show you a method for eliminating “error code 0xc0000098 windows 10 and others.”

How to fix error 0xc0000098 Windows 10

I'll start with a more modern OS. And so I have Windows 10 Pro 1809, which needs to be fixed. For repairs, you and I will need an installation disk with this operating system, which must be recorded either on a DVD or on a bootable flash drive, see 8 methods for how to do it, the first is the simplest.

Next, boot from the flash drive; if you don’t remember how to set the boot priority in the BIOS from the flash drive, then look at the note on the link on the left. When you see the message “press any key to boot from CD or DVD” press enter.

You will start booting from the installation disk. In the installation wizard, leave the default language and click next.

On the next window you will see a “System Restore” link in the left corner.

Also, if you press the key combination Shift+F10, you will see the WinPE command line.

You will see a window for selecting actions; you need the item “Troubleshoot”

It will take you to the “Advanced Options” menu, there will be three items that will help us get rid of the code 0xc0000098:

System Restore - provided you have restore points enabled
Startup Recovery
Command line

Select the item “System Restore“, if there are several of them, select the one you need, in my example, it is one Windows 10.

If you have restore points, you will see them here, select the desired date and follow the wizard’s instructions. If there are no points, then you will receive an error that “There are no recovery points on the system disk of this computer,” so using this method you will not be able to fix error code 0xc0000098. Click cancel and return to the selection of troubleshooting tools.

Next, select the “Startup Repair” item, where you also select a specific OS. You will start diagnosing your WIndows,

After which the wizard will try to correct the errors found.

If you cannot restore your computer, you will see a message that says “Startup Repair was unable to restore your computer. Click "Advanced options" to try other options or quit, there will also be a link to a log where everything will be recorded. We return to additional parameters.

All we have left is manual editing of boot files via the command line. Select the menu item “Command Line”

On the command line, enter the following commands one by one. We scan the hard drive for errors using the command:

bootrec /scanos

This process may take some time, so please be patient. At the output you will see the number of errors detected in the system and the correction status. The next step is usually to restore the boot record. To do this, enter the command:

bootrec/fixmbr

Next, we register a new bootloader on the system partition using the command:

bootrec/fixboot

If you receive access denied in the bootrec /fixboot command,

then run the commands (If it also says that access is denied, then reboot and run them again)

bootrec /rebuildbcd bootrec /fixmbr bootsect /nt60 SYS bootrec /fixboot

Reboot and check that error 0xc0000098 has been fixed and your Windows 10 has loaded successfully.

Second method to fix bcd bootloader with code 0xc0000098

Surely many of you know the sfc utility, which is very often used to diagnose and solve problems in Windows 10 and others. On the command line, the first thing you need to do is specify the drive letter on which you have the system installed. This is done through the Diskpart command. Enter the command:

diskpart (Press Enter) list volume (Look at the list of partitions)

In my example, this is “Volume 2” with the letter C. Next, we write exit and exit the Diskpart utility. There is a wonderful sfc utility that restores the integrity of system files; they can very often become damaged, more so in Windows 7, a little less in Windows 10, thereby causing error 0xc0000098. Let's try to execute the command.

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows\

This process is not fast, so you will have to wait 5-10 minutes; at the end you will get the result of whether your files can be restored.

If the integrity is not broken or could not be restored, then we will try to eliminate the error code 0xc0000098 by checking the hard drive for bad sectors or file system damage. To do this, Windows 7-10 has a command line utility called chkdsk. Enter the command:

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

You will complete five verification stages, based on the results of which you will see whether everything is fine and whether there are any errors. In 20% of cases, this fixes error 0xc0000098 when starting Windows 7, Windows 10. A lot depends on the correct operation of the disks. When everything works, be sure to enable system restore points for yourself.

Problem 2

The second most common error is error code 80070570.

The reasons why 0x80070570 appears are usually hardware components rather than user actions.

Damaged sectors on the magnetic platters of the hard drive - when trying to write a file, the installer is faced with the fact that the hard drive refuses to write the proposed bit to the specified sector. This is due to the fact that this sector is not operational, therefore it is impossible to write to it.

Run the chkdsk system program, which will get rid of problems with code 80070570 and 0x80070241 via the command line.

In the window where you click “Install”, move the cursor down and click “System Restore”.

Next, launch the command line and enter chkdsk c: /f into it (instead of with write the letter of the volume on which we are installing the system).

This way you will avoid error 80070570 if the HDD is the culprit.

The second factor in the occurrence of the message with code 80070570 is the problematic functioning of the RAM. In this case, download, for example, MemTest and test the RAM for unhealthy cells.

The testing procedure can take several hours if you have 8 GB or more of RAM - keep this in mind.

The third reason why a message with code 0x80070570 appears is the use of a fairly outdated BIOS. If Checking RAM and HDD did not give any results, ask yourself: “When was the last time I updated the BIOS and did I update it at all?” There are plenty of instructions on how to perform a BIOS upgrade on the Internet – we won’t dwell on that.

Remember: if previously “Seven” was installed from a flash drive normally, then the problem with error 80070570 lies in disk or RAM, or in the use of a very old version of Windows 7 - download a newer image.

Error 0xc0000098 when starting Windows 7

In the Windows 7 operating system, a problem with the BCD boot loader is treated in the same way as in the top ten, but in most cases even faster, due to the fact that recovery points are enabled by default. Thanks to this, before practicing the Kama Sutra on the command line, you have two methods to use:

Loading Last Known Good Configuration
Troubleshooting computer problems.
If it doesn’t help, then scan the disk for errors, as above for Windows 10 and restore the boot area

The first item, “Last Known Good Configuration,” will try to load the latest working version of the system (You can get to this menu by pressing the F8 key when booting your computer). If you were able to load the latest working configuration, then run chkdsk and sfc /scannow on the system, as I described above.

If that doesn't work, you'll have to try using the troubleshooter . WinPE will start downloading

Select the keyboard layout language, select the one on which you will need to enter the password

Next, specify the required account for access

Well, the “System Recovery Options” window appears in front of you, here the following points will be useful:

Startup recovery - will help with problems with the bootloader, an analogue of what we entered manually, helps eliminate error 0xc0000098 when booting the computer.
System Restore - From a restore point
Command line

Select System Restore

You will be notified that once this process is started, it cannot be canceled, you need to understand this. Please note that your personal data will not be deleted, the only thing that may be lost is some updates or programs that you installed after creating this rollback point. We agree.

You will be shown which drive will be restored, in most cases it is the C:\ drive, click ready.

You may have more than one rollback point in your system; choose the most acceptable date for you, when you definitely did not experience error 0xc0000098.

Click next.

The Windows 7 recovery process will begin; it may take some time, especially if your system is not installed on an SSD drive.

If the recovery is successful, you will see a window like this where you will need to reboot.

If there were no errors, you will receive the message "Startup Repair was unable to detect an error"

After the reboot, check for error code 0xc0000098 and whether your system boots. If not, then boot back into the recovery options, open the command line and run the commands described for Windows 10 , they also apply here. I hope you managed to return your system to working condition, and Ivan Semin, author and creator of the IT blog Pyatilistnik.org, was with you.

Recovering a hidden partition

In order to restore missing files, you need to boot from a Windows 8 or 8.1 disk (flash drive). After the installation window appears, click “ System Restore ” below on the left, then “ Diagnostics ”, “ Advanced options ” and “ Command line ”.

If you don't know what letter each section is labeled with, run notepad.exe at the command prompt. Once Notepad opens, click “ File ”, then “ Open ”, “ My Computer ”. Let's see how the disks are marked.

Now let's move on to recovery, namely, enter the following command into the command line

bcdboot D:/Windows

The letter D in this case stands for the system disk. It is usually referred to as (C:).