(Solved) Bootrec: The Requested System Device Cannot Be Found

Bootrec console command, when run from USB thumbdrive or USB HDD in Windows Setup/Recovery session, sometimes produces the following error: "The requested system device cannot be found". This error is caused by multiplicity of System Reserved Partitions. First one exists on your HDD, another one exists on the USB thumbdrive you are running Windows Setup/Recovery session from. An attempt to update System Reserved Partition located on USB removable storage device leads to the "The requested system device cannot be found" bootrec error.

Instead of Bootrec console command, Mount & Boot Center of Emergency Boot Kit can be used to fix various Windows boot problems.

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1. Symptoms of this problem

Bootrec console command produces the "The requested system device cannot be found" error message:

The Requested System Device Cannot Be Found - Bootrec Error
The Requested System Device Cannot Be Found - Bootrec Error

2. Cause of this problem

When Bootrec console command is run from USB thumbdrive or USB HDD, it has two System Partitions available:

  • True Windows Reserved Partition on the internal HDD or SSD.
  • Partition on USB thumbdrive where the current Windows Setup/Recovery session is running from.

So there are two NT6 bootloaders, two BCD hives and two of other System Reserved Partition's features.

Bootrec console command is confused by multiplicity of System Reserved Partitions, and unable to update BOOT_CONFIGURATION_DATA Registry Hive of System Reserved Partition located on the removable disk, because under normal conditions this hive is supposed to be located on the fixed disk. Hence the error.

3. How to solve this problem

Don't use Bootrec console command. Use Mount & Boot Center of Emergency Boot Kit instead. It can:

  • fix various boot problems (see list below)
  • reassign and fix missing drive letters (mount points), including disk C:
  • easily edit boot menus (BCD registry hive of BOOTMGR and boot.ini file of NTLDR)
  • change disk signatures and GUIDs (in sync with MountedDevices key in SYSTEM hive and device descriptors in BCD registry hive)
  • resolve conflicts of disk signatures
The Requested System Device Cannot Be Found - Emergency Boot Kit alternative
The Requested System Device Cannot Be Found - Emergency Boot Kit alternative

List of boot problems Mount & Boot Center can fix:

  • Operating System not found
  • Missing operating system
  • Error Loading Operating System
  • NTLDR is missing
  • BOOTMGR is missing
  • Status: 0xc000000e
    Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible
  • Status: 0xc000000f
    Info: An error occurred while attempting to read the boot configuration data
  • Status: 0xc0000098
    Info: The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry

Detailed User Guide for Mount & Boot Center of Emergency Boot Kit