Blue screen recovery

[15s-eq225ng]

from the 16Sept there was an update to HP laptop 15s-eq225ng, I started up my laptop and I get into the recovery screen and get an error code 0xc000098.

I cannot get onto the laptop!

I tried to boot via USB and when in cmd prompt I can’t log select C drive. 

It looks like C drive is maybe locked but I didn’t lock it and not I do not know how to unlock it. Does anyone know how to unlock it?

[Nal_NR]

Hi @15s-eq225ng ,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

The error code 0xc000098 indicates a boot configuration data (BCD) issue, and the fact that you're unable to access the C: drive suggests that it may be locked or corrupted. Here's a step-by-step guide to help resolve the issue:

1. Check if the C: Drive is Locked

Step 1: Boot from a USB Recovery Drive

• If you have a Windows 10/11 installation USB, insert it into your laptop and boot from it.
• When prompted, select your language and click Next.
• Click Repair your computer at the bottom of the window.
• Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.

Please find the remaining steps in the next post.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @15s-eq225ng ,

Please find the remaining steps below.

2. Repair the Boot Configuration Data (BCD)

Once you've ensured the C: drive is accessible, you can try fixing the BCD, which is likely the root cause of the error code 0xc000098.

3. Disable BitLocker (if enabled)

If BitLocker encryption is enabled and you don’t have the recovery key, you might face issues accessing the C: drive.

• If you have the BitLocker recovery key, use it to unlock the drive.
• If you're not sure if BitLocker is enabled, you can check with:

4. Reset the PC Using Installation Media

If the above steps don’t work, you may need to reset Windows using the installation media.

Step 1: Boot from the USB Installation Drive

• Insert your Windows 10/11 installation USB, boot from it, and choose the Repair your computer option again.
• Navigate to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
• You’ll have the option to keep your files or remove everything.

5. Perform a Clean Installation

If none of the above options work, you might need to perform a clean installation of Windows.

• Boot from the Windows installation USB, and instead of choosing Repair, select Install Windows.
• Follow the prompts to format the C: drive and install a fresh copy of Windows.

6. Use HP Recovery

If your laptop has a built-in HP Recovery Partition, you can try accessing it by pressing F11 during startup to access the recovery environment, where you can restore your system to factory settings.

1. Boot into Command Prompt from a recovery USB and try to access the C: drive.
2. Repair the BCD using bootrec commands.
3. Check for disk errors using chkdsk.
4. Disable BitLocker if it's enabled.
5. Reset the PC or reinstall Windows if other methods fail.

Let me know how it goes!

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[15s-eq225ng]

Hello Elohi

i have the recovery key from my windows account but it is not accepted, which tell me something has changed the key.

I have tried your suggestions below but as the key has changed I don’t know what to do next, besides formatting the drive and installing windows new. This would be a disaster because some of the information would be lost.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @15s-eq225ng ,

We apologize for the inconvenience, but it seems that the issue persists even after attempting the troubleshooting steps mentioned above.

This might require one-on-one interaction via remote assistance to fix the issue. 

I've sent you a private message with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!