Windows 11 installer starts to immediately give error saying the BCD on my computer is missing on every attempt to boot into the installer.

Recently, I've been trying to dual boot Windows and Linux on my PC as I use and want to use software that either only runs on Windows, or works best on Windows. I originally tried installing Windows 7, but hit an instant issue where it would complain that my BCD file was missing or damaged. I decided to try Windows 11, but have encountered the exact same issue, every single iso of the installer whether it be regular 11 or different versions of tiny11 throws the exact same error, I'm not sure what could be the issue at this point because I've formatted my USB stick multiple times and reinstalled Ventoy trying to solve the problem but failed. I was wondering if it could be some leftover files
from Windows on my SSD as I used Windows before I installed Linux on my SSD and there was a Windows Boot Manager entry still in my boot device menu. But even after clearing it, the issue persisted. Any help would be much appreciated. I'm trying to install on a ThinkPad L490 with a quad core Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256 gigabyte SSD.

You should tell us exactly what error message you are getting.

Are you seeing the error message after Windows Setup restarts your computer for the first time?

Are you trying to install Windows 11 on the same disk as Linux?

edit: On a Lenovo ThinkPad L490, the one-time boot menu is opened by pressing F12 or Fn+F12 (if Function Lock is on).

I suspect the issue experienced is related to attempting to create Windows/Linux dual boot setup by starting with an existing Linux powered setup. All the guides I've ever seen require Windows to be the first OS installed and then appplying the coosen Linux installation after creating the necessary disk space/partition because of the differing Boot reqiuirements of each OS.

There's a detailed Guide (written from a Linux perspective) at Dual-Boot Linux and Windows: 5-Minute Install Guide which seems to cover the process thoroghly; and it offers advice and trobleshooting guidance on many of the possible issues that can be experienced. I'm sure the "5-minute" reference applies to the time it takes to read, digest and understand the general process. as it will certainly take longer to actually complete and test an installation.

Celery said:

You should tell us exactly what error message you are getting.

Are you seeing the error message after Windows Setup restarts your computer for the first time?

Are you trying to install Windows 11 on the same disk as Linux?

edit: On a Lenovo ThinkPad L490, the one-time boot menu is opened by pressing F12 or Fn+F12 (if Function Lock is on).

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I'm getting the error the second I try to boot into the installer, not after any reboots, the status code is 0xc000014c, and yes, I'm trying to install on the same disk, just on another partition.

LeLibran said:

I suspect the issue experienced is related to attempting to create Windows/Linux dual boot setup by starting with an existing Linux powered setup. All the guides I've ever seen require Windows to be the first OS installed and then appplying the coosen Linux installation after creating the necessary disk space/partition because of the differing Boot reqiuirements of each OS.

There's a detailed Guide (written from a Linux perspective) at Dual-Boot Linux and Windows: 5-Minute Install Guide which seems to cover the process thoroghly; and it offers advice and trobleshooting guidance on many of the possible issues that can be experienced. I'm sure the "5-minute" reference applies to the time it takes to read, digest and understand the general process. as it will certainly take longer to actually complete and test an installation.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll follow the guide and see if it works.

ndphlpr said:

I'm getting the error the second I try to boot into the installer, not after any reboots, the status code is 0xc000014c, and yes, I'm trying to install on the same disk, just on another partition.

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ChatGPT:

Error 0xc000014c means the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is missing or corrupted. Since you're getting it immediately when booting the installer, it’s most likely an issue with the bootable USB, not your SSD or existing Linux install.

Try using something other than Ventoy. Note that many Linux tools cannot reliably create a bootable Windows 11 USB, so you may need a dedicated tool like WoeUSB or use Windows with Rufus.

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Celery said:

ChatGPT:

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I would do WoeUSB, but both the GUI version of WoeUSB-ng and the CLI version of WoeUSB-ng and CLI version of WoeUSB end up giving me an installer that never boots. I also tried to use a Windows VM on my PC to use Rufus to create a bootable USB stick, but that didn't boot either, even though the installer creation went fine.

ndphlpr said:

I would do WoeUSB, but both the GUI version of WoeUSB-ng and the CLI version of WoeUSB-ng and CLI version of WoeUSB end up giving me an installer that never boots. I also tried to use a Windows VM on my PC to use Rufus to create a bootable USB stick, but that didn't boot either, even though the installer creation went fine.

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ChatGPT:

Make sure your BIOS is set to UEFI-only mode (no Legacy/CSM) and try disabling Secure Boot. Also avoid creating the USB from a VM—Rufus often doesn’t work correctly through USB passthrough.

If possible, try creating the installer on a real Windows machine with Rufus. If that still fails, try a different USB stick or port.

When I try to install Windows 10 /11 using Ventoy:

Normal Mode: I get the error: Windows Boot Manager: 0xc000014c – The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is missing or contains errors.

Wimboot Mode : After clicking Install, I see this error: A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB, or hard disk driver.

Same issue with WoeUSB ( the later one )

And flash drive made with Balena Etcher isn't even detected during boot menu

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During a YouTube tutorial, I used Diskpart and wiped all my SSDs.

By this command diskpart list disk select disk 0 clean convert gpt exit

So now, there's no OS or bootloader left on my system. I'm just trying to reinstall Windows from scratch

But still the same issue why

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it got solved Thank you for your suggestions Just use Rufus and create a bootable drive using a different windows pc

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