No bootable devices found - Cannot boot Dell XPS 9360R

Question

Hi, for the third time with my XPS 13 9360R I have the problem that I start my notebook and am confronted with the message 'No bootable devices found'. This is unbelievable. This error has occurred, I think, since the latest 1909 Update for Windows 10. At least it happened the first time when I was installing the update. Now I don't know why the problem occurs exactly, but it is so serious that the problem cannot be solved with the other solutions suggested in the forum. I use Bitlocker with password prompt at boot time, this could be related to the problem. In any case, as soon as the error occurs, there are no more boot entries in the BIOS. If I try to create new boot entries, the error 'File System Not Found' occurs. If I connect the Windows 10 USB stick, I can create a boot entry, but this is then just on the USB stick, which does not help. The computer repair options that can be accessed via the USB stick are all not working. When I select 'Restore System', the Bitlocker recovery codes of both my partitions are queried, but nothing is found. The message is: To use System Restore, the Windows installation to be restored must be specified. Restart your computer, select an operating system, and then click System Restore. If I select Startup Repair, it says Startup Repair could not repair your PC. Click Advanced Options to try other repair options for your PC, or click Shut down to turn off your PC. Log file: blank] If I want to select a system image backup, it says: No system image was found on the computer. Connect the backup hard disk or insert the last backup DVD from a backup set and click Repeat. Alternatively, you can close this dialogue box to see more options. Updates cannot be uninstalled either. The sfc /scannow command does not find errors, but the logged messages cannot be transferred to the event log. Status: 50. DISM does not work either. bootrec.exe runs /FixMbr and /FixBoot just fine, but /RebuildBcd either does not find a Windows installation, or when it does, it says while adding: The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable. When I then ran chkdsk c: /r, it said the volume was read-only. However, ePSA or other on-board diagnostic tools cannot detect hardware problems. With all this I have run out of ideas; this error has now occurred for the third time and could only be fixed each time by a complete reinstallation of Windows. I would like to know how I can avoid this error or at least how I can fix this error. Will it help if I install a version before 1909? Thanks for your help.

HamburgerJung · Answer

Apparently some of that troubleshooting wiped my whole SSD...

Mary G · Answer

Did you disable Bitlocker before upgrading? If you didn't, that is the problem. The computer must reboot several times by itself.

HamburgerJung · Answer

Hi Mary, no I did not disable Bitlocker, but I've been using password on boot for quite a while and this problem only started recently.

It would be counter productive anyway though, as I'd have to disable updates in order to not get caught in an update while having Bitlocker, a Microsoft product, on. Also mind that Dell's software able to disable the Bitlocker encryption to do a BIOS update, which required multiple reboots, too.

ejn63 · Answer

From the sound of what you've described, you've been seeing the steady decline toward oblivion of the solid state drive. Have you run a full diagnostic on it? It sounds like the SSD needs to be replaced.

HamburgerJung · Answer

Hi @ejn63, I have been running the ePSA test on my SSD. I haven't been able to run anything else as there is no OS on the device for now. But I also have to add that the SSD is a Crucial SSD that is just over a year old. It shouldn't be breaking down already. I'm trying to create a Live Linux USB in order to try to access some of my Bitlocker encrypted files. I'll run some checks on the SSD as well.

HamburgerJung · Answer

So, I've run an extensive self test on the SSD. It didn't show any errors. My guess really is that there was another Win 10 Upgrade, which failed because of Bitlocker. And now the partition table is gone, too, as my SSD is just an unallocated volume now. I don't know how to recover the partitions as both boot and data partition were encrypted...

U2CAMEB4ME · Answer

Welcome to the Dell Community @HamburgerJung  What model SSD do you have installed??? Best regards, U2

HamburgerJung · Answer

Hi, it should be a Crucial MX500 w 500 GB storage.

XPS

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