Advanced startup “Troubleshoot” option disappears when restarting while volume is mounted

[Wally White]

Short version:

Whenever I restart Windows to enter the advanced startup menu whilst a particular external encrypted drive is mounted in VeraCrypt, the advanced startup menu’s “Troubleshoot” button disappears, leaving only “Continue” and “Turn off your PC”. Dismounting the drive first and then restarting restores the missing option.

Long version:

I’m using VeraCrypt v1.24-Update6 and Windows 8.1 Pro. I have two encrypted external hard drives, HD3 and HD4, that I automount at boot using System Favorite Volumes (my system drive is also encrypted). Until now this setup has worked without issue. Recently, I upgraded HD4 to a larger hard drive, which I encrypted using the same password/PIM as the old one, and I verified that it also automounted at startup without issue.

However, when I later tried to enter Windows’s advanced startup menu (pictured), out of the three options that are always there – “Continue”, “Troubleshoot” and “Turn off your PC” – the “Troubleshoot” option was missing.

After a whole lot of trial and error, I found the cause: When the new HD4 is mounted in VC, initiating the restart and entering the advanced startup menu causes the “Troubleshoot” button to disappear. But if I dismount HD4 first and then enter the menu, “Troubleshoot” is there and works fine. I also tested automounting at boot vs. mounting it manually, and tried mounting it to different drive letters – none of it made a difference. All the while, it works just fine if HD3 is mounted when entering the menu; the cause really seems to be HD4 specifically.

I really need the “Troubleshoot” option to be available in the advanced startup menu, and whilst I can work around this by dismounting HD4 before restarting for the time being, I’d rather the button stop vanishing altogether.

I’d appreciate any help on this. Thanks.

[petitlou60]

Hello,
I know this problem
reagentc command fail with rc=3 when any veracrypt volume is mounted
after analysis i have found that any mounted veracrypt volume lock extraction of disk ID an cause this error and consequently also lock access on avanced startup option.

Unmount all veracrypt volumes and all things are ok
i think that problem comes from veracrypt-64.sys driver
best regards

[Wally White]

Thanks for the explanation, though I’m not knowledgeable enough to understand the technical stuff you laid out. To be clear though, I don’t need to unmount all VC volumes for “Troubleshoot” to reappear – just the HD4 drive. It still works fine with HD3 and even other internal encrypted drives mounted.