If you are currently facing the “A required device isn’t connected or cannot be accessed” error with codes 0xc0000185, 0xc0000225, 0xc0000001, 0xc00000f, and 0xc000000e on your Windows 10 computer, worry not for this post will help you resolve this problem. All these error codes point out the same thing – your computer needs to be repaired. Some of these error codes are related to the “winload.efi” file which means that you are using the UEFI system. This file also loads up important drivers in order to start the Windows Kernel. And if you got a remark from any of these error codes indicating that there is a hardware failure or that the driver configuration is incorrect, then you must physically check if the wires are connected properly.
This kind of error occurs mostly when your computer wasn’t able to locate the system files that are needed to boot up your computer. Thus, the only way to fix this problem is to correct the boot record. It is recommended that you utilize the “/RebuildBCD” option in order to rebuild the BCD files. To do so, follow these steps:
- You can start by booting into the installation environment for Windows 10 from an installation media.
- After that, click on Repair your computer and on the blue screen, select Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced options menu.
- From there, select Command Prompt and once you open it, enter each one of the commands given below by sequence.
- bootrec /FixMbr
- bootrec /FixBoot
- bootrec /ScanOS
- bootrec /RebuildBcd
- Once you’re done executing the commands given above, type “exit” to close the Command Prompt window and then restart your computer and see if it fixed error code 0xc000014c.
On the other hand, if rebuilding the BCD using the /RebuildBCD option didn’t help, you can try a crude way to rebuild the boot record from scratch. You can do that by following the given steps below which will export and delete/backup the BCD available in the system.
- Go to the Advanced Recovery Mode.
- From there, go to Command Prompt and execute the commands given below and make sure to enter them one after the other.
- bcdedit /export C:BCD_Backup
- c:
- cd boot
- attrib bcd -s -h –r
- ren c:bootbcd bcd.old
- bootrec /RebuildBcd
If it still didn’t help, then troubleshoot the problem further with the help of the following instructions.
Option 1 – Disable the Secure Boot in the BIOS
Disabling the Secure Boot in the BIOS settings is definitely recommended to resolve the error. To disable Secure Boot, here’s what you have to do:
- First, boot your computer into Windows 10.
- Next, go to Settings > Windows Update. From there, check if there is anything that you have to download and install if you see any available updates. Usually, OEMs send and update the list of trusted hardware, drivers, and operating systems for your computer.
- After that, go to the BIOS of your computer.
- Then go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options. If you click on Restart Now, it will restart your computer and give you all the advanced options.
- Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options. As you can see, this screen offers you further options including System restore, Startup repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
- Select the UEFI Firmware Settings which will take you to the BIOS.
- From there, go to the Security > Boot > Authentication tab where you should see Secure Boot. Note that every OEM has its own way of implementing the options so it varies.
- Next, set Secure Boot to Disabled and set Legacy Support to On or Enabled.
- Save the changes made and exit. Afterward, your computer will reboot.
Option 2 – Run System File Checker
You could also run a System File Checker or SFC scan. All you have to do is select Command Prompt from the Advanced Options. Once you’ve opened Command Prompt, type the “
sfc /scannow” command and tap Enter to execute it.
Option 3 – Disable the Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection
- You need to restart your computer in the Start Menu first while holding down the Shift key on your keyboard.
- After that, it will restart your computer to Startup Settings.
- Now ensure that the 8th option is labeled as “Disable early launch anti-malware protection.
- Then tap the F8 key since the aforementioned option above is listed at number 8. This should launch and load Windows on your PC with the Early Anti-malware protection disabled for that session only when you try to carry out the same task and then check if the error related to the Winload.efi file is now fixed.
Option 4 – Try to run Automatic Startup Repair
In this option, you need to boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options and from there, run the Automatic Startup Repair and then wait until the process is completed.
Option 5 – Try to reset the BIOS or the UEFI Settings
If updating the BIOS didn’t help in fixing the error, you can try to reset the BIOS instead.
- Start your computer and tap the F10 key during the booting process to enter the BIOS. If it does not work, you can try tapping the F1 or F2 key as well as the Del key.
- Once you’re already in the BIOS, tap the F9 key to get the prompt to RestoreLoad default configuration now for the BIOS.
- Next, click on Yes and then follow the next on-screen instructions that appear to set the BIOS back to its default settings.
- Once you’re done restoring the default settings of the BIOS, restart your computer and then check if it now boots properly.
Option 6 – Try to physically check the hardware
You should also check the physical status of the hardware in your computer. You can clean the dust off the hardware components like the Network Card of the computer. You might want to use a small blower or you could also use a soft cloth and run the components gently. Make sure that you don’t damage any parts with moisture or cause harm to any circuits while you carry out this task.