I just can't figure this one out.

I had Windows 8.1 Enterprise installed on a UEFI laptop with an after-market SSD. It co-existed with Linux on another partition, and I was able to use Linux's GRUB bootloader to load either of the OS's (or, I could select the Windows bootloader in my UEFI settings).

Then, at some point, I started getting blue "Your PC needs to be repaired" screens when I tried to load Windows 8.1.

I've tried going through the boot-repair process from the Win 8.1 Ent DVD (and also from the Win 8.1 Pro and Win 8.0 Pro, just in case... because Win 8.1 Ent DVD can't repair a Win 8.1 Pro installation, and vice-versa.. and there's no way to tell which version you have on your DVD or on your PC just by examining the files).

What's strange is that I'm able to install another copy of Win 8.1 Ent to another partition on the drive, and the Windows bootloader detects two other "Windows 8.1"s that it offers to boot from (so, 3 menu items total, counting the one I just installed), but trying to boot either of the other two just gives me the "Your PC needs to be repaired" 0xc0000225 error.

I can see the original Windows 8.1 partition and all of its files just fine. And the Windows bootloader on the EFI partition is good, or else I wouldn't be able to boot the new Windows install.

Any ideas? How can I figure out which files are missing on the old Windows 8.1 partition?

Hi Jemenake,
"I was able to use Linux's GRUB bootloader to load either of the OS's "
So the dual system work correctly before ?

"I've tried going through the boot-repair process from the Win 8.1 Ent DVD"
How did you do that ?
We can try the following step to have a check .
Step1 :
Boot from a Windows 8.1 Enterprise installation media .
Step 2:
Choose "Repair my computer " during the "Install now "UI.
Step 3:
Choose the command line mode (Troubleshoot ->Command ->Advanced)and then input the following command to have a fix.
1.Diskpart
2.List volume
3.Select volume=2 (replace 2 with the number that is associated with the ESP label)
4.assign letter=Z
5.exit
6.bcdboot C:\windows /s Z: /f UEFI (replace C: with the volume letter that is named OS)

For more information of these steps ,please refer to the following link :
Solution to your PC needs to be repaired Error code: 0xc0000225
https://itsolutionsblog.net/solution-to-your-pc-needs-to-be-repaired/

NOTE: This response contains a reference to a third party World Wide Web site. Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. Microsoft does not control these sites and has not tested any software or information found on these sites.

Best r

Bravo to you, sir! I shall sing your praises from the highest mountaintops.

I have been searching, for months, for a solution to this problem, and your instructions fixed the problem completely.

Now, given that that fixed it, what was likely wrong (and what did that particular invocation of "bcdboot" do to fix it)?

Here is the way I fixed that problem with one partition (not two like you have).  That error is coming from HP and not windows.  I believe the boot sector or whatever is supposed to be there was corrupted by Windows 10. Because I could press the bios key and see bootload, efi, and windows files on the disk. but none of them worked.

I fixed this basically like this:

1. turn on safe mode in bios
2. change boot order to put USB up front
3. install Ubuntu from USB thus erasing Windows (If I had a Windows start disk I could have used Windows.  But I found no way to do that from Ubuntu.)

Regarding HP bios, I learned that you press f8, f9, f10, or f11 when you power up the computer to get to the bio screens and escape from the vicious circle of the blue screen with the "your pc needs to be repaired error."  You have to wait until the blue screen goes to sleep again and repower the computer to switch to another option.  None of those keys will work until you do that.

Also it appears that with the HP Envy Dv7 there is no way to get it to boot from SSD.  So you have to install Windows on a HDD.

• Edited by Walker Rowe 13 hours 27 minutes ago

Here is the way I fixed that problem with one partition (not two like you have).  That error is coming from HP and not windows.  I believe the boot sector or whatever is supposed to be there was corrupted by Windows 10. Because I could press the bios key and see bootload, efi, and windows files on the disk. but none of them worked.

I fixed this basically like this:

1. turn on safe mode in bios
2. change boot order to put USB up front
3. install Ubuntu from USB thus erasing Windows (If I had a Windows start disk I could have used Windows.  But I found no way to do that from Ubuntu.)

Regarding HP bios, I learned that you press f8, f9, f10, or f11 when you power up the computer to get to the bio screens and escape from the vicious circle of the blue screen with the "your pc needs to be repaired error."  You have to wait until the blue screen goes to sleep again and repower the computer to switch to another option.  None of those keys will work until you do that.

Also it appears that with the HP Envy Dv7 there is no way to get it to boot from SSD.  So you have to install Windows on a HDD.

• Edited by Walker Rowe Tuesday, April 28, 2015 5:56 PM