Windows 10: Cannot upgrade due to unsupported disk layout for UEFI firmware

Hello again,
My method would ERASE YOUR HARD DRIVE COMPLETELY LEAVING NO TRACKS AND TRAILS. I suggested you moved your important files to another flash drive and when the process has finished, drag them back onto your desktop. I can help you make a Backup Drive of Everything but I would recommend just backing up your important files. Yes, you will need to reinstall your software, but if you backup everything, you don't.

 

Thanks. Yes I appreciated all of your help with the extremely detailed instructions. That must have taken you a long time to compile. I tried Steve's method first but it would not work in my situation. My drive partitions were just too badly stuffed.

I tried your method next. I now have everything back as before (I used Macrium Reflect to copy my data and reinstall it). At first it would not boot, so I ran the Boot fix in Macrium and it booted up. The system is reasonably stable but there are still a couple of issues. The first is Windows takes a very long time to boot up now (like about 3-4 minutes). The second problem is that I am intermittently getting a BSOD with the error message: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (Storahci.sys). I managed to open CCleaner and did a registry scan for errors. It fixed about two dozen errors. I know people say to never use the registry cleaner in CCleaner, but I did and it stopped the BSOD in its tracks... so far. I also ran sfc /scannow and it fixed a very large number of problems.

I will retry the update to see if it will install now.

 

Did you run bcdedit /export <yourfilename> from an elevated command prompt? If this is successful then you probably don't have my problem and the fix I posted may not work.

The boot configuration fix I posted is for a UEFI based system so be very careful what you do to avoid ending up with an unbootable system.

 

Okay, so I just ran bcdedit /export <yourfilename> and nothing happened. What is it supposed to do?

I am still plagued by problems. Although the disk layout is now correct, Windows is running extremely slowly, booting is extremely slow, and on every second or third boot I get the BSOD with error message DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (storahci.sys). Yes indeed, another totally vague error message from the wonderful folks at "Microhard". And there is another BIG problem, the update still will not complete. It gets to about 24%, then restores the system to its previous version.

I give Windows 10 a huge thumbs down. It has to be the most time-consuming, finicky, and confusing version of Windows yet conceived. I can think of a far easier solution to this problem. Wipe the hard drive completely and install Windows 7. Problem solved.

Windows 10 is the problem!!!!!!! It is one big bug.

 

You need to run the bcdedit command from an elevated command prompt and did you insert a file for yourfilename eg c:\temp\bcdinfo?

The BSOD indicates a driver problem probably connected with the disk or motherboard drivers. You could right click on each item in Device Manager and ask Windows to automatically search for updates before you upgrade. Also don't let Windows search for drivers when you upgrade. I agree you are close to the stage when frustration exceeds the desire to upgrade!

 

Try to run Disk Cleanup.

 

Does anyone know if these symptoms and solutions are the same for Windows-To-Go?

I have a Windows 8.1 Enterprise and had created a Windows10-To-Go booting from USB. It has been working fine until this 'Upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise, version 1511, 10586' started failing.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yes this is beyond a joke. Would you believe, I have tried almost 20 times to install this upgrade and ended up having to re-install Windows 4 times!! If anyone from Microsoft reads these forums, I can only say "Congratulations, you seem to have successfully crippled your entire operating system in a single upgrade."

One good thing that has come from this exercise is I now have a GPT hard disk on a UEFI machine. This part of the problem is all resolved, BUT it still will not update. So I give up.

Thank you to everyone on this forum for their help. The problem is still not resolved, but that has not been without considerable effort.

 

MSMPlayz, I have done that numerous times. It does not help. Yesterday I tried your method again and this time followed it to the letter. Well at first things went great. I got to 41% during the installation, then the screen went black. I waited almost an hour. Still black. It was the black screen of death. When I shut the PC down and rebooted, nothing. It had completely wiped my hard drive and there were no longer any partitions. I had to start from scratch.
I am also a member of the Microsoft community forums. They posted up a solution to my problem. But it is no surprise to me that it does not work either.
I now have the original Windows 10 system running again. Boot up is very fast and I am not experiencing any problems. I would like to keep it this way. Is there any way to disable updates in Windows 10? Can I disable this one update from constantly trying to install over and over without success?

 

My advice is DO NOT install version 1511, 10586 under any circumstances. It is full of bugs and will mess up your computer and your life. Revert to your former version if you can.

 

I wonder what international software quality assurance (QA) standards (e.g. ISO) Microsoft have been granted and how often they are subject to external audit to monitor and maintain their software QA standards? I hope Windows 10 is not being used in safety critical applications!

 

Agreed! One would not want to be an astronaut flying to Mars with your life depending on this software. Half way there and next thing: "Critical system failure because upgrade could not be installed due to incompatible hard drive. You must now wipe your drive and re-install system. This will take some time. In the meantime you may experience some death." LOL!

 

There is not way I can follow the comments in this thread and know what the current status is.

If I had to guess, you used some Linux utility to alter the partitions on the drive. I suppose copying partitions might have been partially responsible. I normally try to image my system so I can move it to another drive.

Linux can install about any you want it, but Windows cannot. Your original Disk Management picture shows the System partition as being active, which means it appears to be a legacy install.

If you are not where you want to be, please explain where you want to be and let us know if the original Disk Management presentation has changed. If you have the original source drive, it might be nice to see a picture of it also.

 

No I do not use Linux and never have. I have not used any Linux tools. You must not be reading the problem correctly. It is a Windows upgrade problem (from the original Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 version 1511, 10586) and has nothing to do with Linux. The current status is that although I now have the correct disk layout and Windows 10 is working fine, I still cannot upgrade to version 1511, 10586. After so many failed attempts and having lost so many hours having to re-install everything (including all of my apps) over and over, I have decided to call it quits. I no longer want this upgrade if it is going to continue to cause me so much grief and expense.

 

You have a Legacy install with a Fat32 ESD partition instead of a UEFI install with a Fat32 EFI system partition. It is a little messed up. I don't think I am reading incorrectly.

Where was the original install, do you still have that hard drive?

If you want something done, let us know where you want to end up and there may be a way. Remember, a UEFI install can read the UEFI firmware, a Legacy install cannot. So, if you can determine for sure how the original install was configured, please do so.