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Windows boot error 0xc000014c on an Azure VM

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Original product version:   Virtual Machine running Windows
Original KB number:   4010141

Symptoms

Windows doesn't start. Instead, the system generates the following error:

File: \Windows\System32\config\system
Status: 0xc000014c
Info: The operating system could not be loaded because the system registry file is missing or contains errors.

Cause

This issue occurs because either the hive is corrupted or it is not closed correctly.

Resolution

Tip

If you have a recent backup of the VM, you may try restoring the VM from the backup to fix the boot problem.

To fix the issue, follow these steps.

Repair the corrupted hive

  1. Delete the virtual machine (VM). Make sure that you select the Keep the disks  option when you do this.
  2. Attach the OS disk as a data disk to another VM (a troubleshooting VM). For more information, see How to attach a data disk to a Windows VM in the Azure portal.
  3. Connect to the troubleshooting VM. Open Computer management > Disk management. Make sure that the OS disk is online and that its partitions have drive letters assigned.
  4. On the OS disk you attached, navigate to \windows\system32\config. Copy all the files as a backup in case a rollback is required.
  5. On the OS disk you attached, copy the files in \windows\system32\config\regback and replace the files in \windows\system32\config.
  6. Detach the repaired OS disk from the troubleshooting VM. Then, create a new VM from the OS disk.

Contact us for help

If you have questions or need help, create a support request, or ask Azure community support. You can also submit product feedback to Azure feedback community.