[SOLVED] Corrupted Driver hive, Component hive looks OK

[Darkk]

Hopefully someone will have some ideas on repairing my corrupted driver hive.

This is Windows 10 Pro and the issue happened just as the hurricane hit and my PC blipped off and immediately on. My UPS did not stop the blip, but the UPS is actually working as I tested repeatedly later. So I'm not sure how the interruption could have happened. Many of my drivers disappeared and this was my first indication that something was wrong. I couldn't trigger a driver install for these, it looks like it finds a driver and installs it but it is never really available. And some installs or reinstalls fail if there are drivers involved. Windows Update has been working well but it cannot complete an update now, so it just tries and then rolls back after a reboot. USB sticks are not recognized, phones and tablets either, nor are other USB devices or my printer. Windows Update suggests about a dozen driver updates now, these were not there before, and I suspect these are some of the missing drivers Windows is trying to repair but can't.

I did all of the usual DISM steps and the sfc /scannow checks. But nothing has helped the driver hive. I did use a tool from this site to check the components hive and that had no errors. Registry Explorer reports that the primary and secondary sequence numbers do not match. It does offer to replay transaction logs but there are none listed when it opens the Explorer window. Sequence Number Checker does nothing when I drag a file over it. A flash on screen and that's all. Running it from a command prompt doers nothing either.

I have a zip archive of the Components and the Drivers hive and the component hive scanner report:

Dropbox

I hope someone will have some advice for me on how to repair the driver hive and get Windows healthy again. I'm trying to avoid a bare metal reinstall (a repair install in-place did not work either and it errored out).

Thanks in addvance for any ideas and help.

Darkk

 

[Darkk]

Below is a Dropbox link to the CBS archive:

Dropbox

Forgot to attach it last night.

TIA

 

[Maxstar]

Hi and welcome to Sysnative,

Replace Drivers Hive Manually

Warning: this fix is specific to the user in this thread. No one else should follow these instructions as it may cause more harm than good. If you are after assistance, please start a thread of your own.

1. Download DRIVERS.ZIP and save to your desktop.
2. Right-click on it and select Extract all.... Make sure the "Show extracted files when complete" is checked and click Extract.
3. Now we have the DRIVERS file that we will be using to replace your current one.
4. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config
5. Right-click on the current DRIVERS file and select rename. Rename it to DRIVERS.bad.
   Note: If you get an error that the file is in use, reboot your computer and then try again.
6. Take the file from the Drivers folder on your desktop and paste it into C:\Windows\System32\config

Afterwards reboot the system and attempt to update. If it fails attach the latest CBS logs and the following logfile.

Upload the setupapi.dev.log file

• Open Windows Explorer and browse to the C:\Windows\INF folder.
• Right-click on the file setupapi.dev.log and choose Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
• Now the message will appear, "Windows cannot create the Compressed (zipped) Folder here. Do you want it to be placed on the desktop instead?"
• Click on the Yes button here.

• Attach the file setupapi.dev.zip in your next reply.

 

[Darkk]

I copied over the Drivers file and rebooted. It fails as before after downloading and going through installing the updates and then it rolls back the updates, saying it can't complete them.

Links to the CBS folder and setupapi files below:

Dropbox

Dropbox

I hope this will help and thanks so much for what you have done so far. Please let me know if I can do anything else.

 

[Maxstar]

The DRIVERS hive is successfully repaired, but we'll need to repair some drivers as well.

Download

SFCFix and save it to your desktop.

Warning: This fix was written specifically for this system. Do not run this fix on another system.

• Save any work you have open, and close all programs.
• Download the attachment SFCFix.zip and save it to your desktop.
• Drag the SFCFix.zip file over the SFCFix.exe executable and release it.

• SFCFix will launch, let it complete.
• Once done, a file will appear on your desktop, called SFCFix.txt.
• Post the logfile (SFCFix.txt) as attachment in your next reply.

Afterwards attempt to update again. If it fails attach a new copy of the CBS logs and the Setupapi.dev.log.

 

[Darkk]

Here is the SFCFix text file, and trying the update again right after this.

Thanks again :)

 

[Maxstar]

Great, let me know the result. If it fails provide the new logs (CBS and Setupapi.dev.log)...

 

[Darkk]

That last one did it :) Thanks so much.

I ran Update and it completed successfully. Is there anything else I need to do?

And thanks again, I will sure be donating to you folks...

 

[Maxstar]

Hi,

You're welcome. Glad to hear the update installed successfully, so we can mark this thread as solved...