Boot failures reward slow readers
Recovery mindset
Changing partitions changes what firmware can find. Slow down, boot WinPE, and collect evidence before destructive fixes.
Confirm whether firmware is UEFI or legacy and whether Secure Boot is on. Mismatched expectations cause instant loops.
If BitLocker prompts appear, you need keys—not clever partitioning tricks.
Use bcdboot and automated startup repair only after you understand which ESP Windows expects.
Diskpart list vol is your friend; label partitions mentally before rewriting boot entries.
If multiple Windows installs exist, be explicit which OS you are repairing.
When in doubt, image the disk sector copy before running aggressive repair scripts found online.