Bug: On a single boot (windows 10), after windows 10 update the boot order...
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#393 Bug: On a single boot (windows 10), after windows 10 update the boot order changed.
open
nobody
2020-10-19
2020-10-17
No
On a single OS (windows 10) And after windows 10 update, the Boot order in UEFI was changed so that [Windows boot manager] Would be first after [Veracrypt BootLoader...]
Additonaly info: Hence the user was facing Windows [Automatic Repair] blue screen which would looped, and obviously were not facing the "black screen where you input your password" That how I suspect an issue with boot order.
I wonder if this is a bug? and how it got swaped?
PS: I am torned as I installed Veracrypt on many windows 10 home machine for better security, but if this is caused by windows update it means I will get MANY calls. so please take the time to explain it.
PPS: My apologies if this was asked, I search the furom, subreddit, and here and found no one with this issue.
Search the forums for: boot order
Here is a recent thread discussing your problem.
https://sourceforge.net/p/veracrypt/discussion/technical/thread/dad2a2e319
Thank you for your reply, to save you time, just read the bold text.
I actually search "Changed boot order", and I saw this and other threads, it is not related to the issue I faced that why I made sure there is enough keywords for other users in future to find this post.
I changed the boot order already, that is not the complaint.
The issue is that the boot order was changed after clicking on "update & shut down" button That why the user was directed to the Windows Automatic Repair window.
The answer I need is to know why the bootloader was changed?
**
My guess it is eatiher Windows update or less likely a bug in VeraCrypt. I wonder if VeraCrypt have a mechanism to prevent windows update from changing the boot order?**
**THIS IS A HUGE SETBACK, I always install VeraCrypt on machines coming with Windows 10 home edition, but I honestly prefer Microsoft own encryption because of what happned here, I can't video call a non techy person to open UEFI and then change the settings
**
PS: Here is MY PSA: and I hope this is in VeraCrypt Documentation in a troubleshooting section titled What to do if you faced "Automatic Repair" blue screen on windows 10.... The first step is Do not decrypt or use VeraCrypt Recovery disk before checking the UEFI (AKA BIOS) to see if for some bizarre reason the EFI bootloader order was switched.
Thank you for your reply, to save you time, just read the bold text.
I actually search "Changed boot order", and I saw this and other threads, it is not related to the issue I faced that why I made sure there is enough keywords for other users in future to find this post.
I changed the boot order already, that is not the complaint.
The issue is that the boot order was changed after clicking on "update & shut down" button That why the user was directed to the Windows Automatic Repair window.
The answer I need is to know why the bootloader was changed?
My guess it is eatiher Windows update or less likely a bug in VeraCrypt. I wonder if VeraCrypt have a mechanism to prevent windows update from changing the boot order?
THIS IS A HUGE SETBACK, I always install VeraCrypt on machines coming with Windows 10 home edition, but I honestly prefer Microsoft own encryption because of what happned here, I can't video call a non techy person to open UEFI and then change the settings
PS: Here is MY PSA: and I hope this is in VeraCrypt Documentation in a troubleshooting section titled What to do if you faced "Automatic Repair" blue screen on windows 10.... The first step is Do not decrypt or use VeraCrypt Recovery disk before checking the UEFI (AKA BIOS) to see if for some bizarre reason the EFI bootloader order was switched.
Last edit: RandomUser441 2020-10-18
If you have read the forums, then you know the answers are sometimes the Windows update/upgrade will change the boot order. Other times, it is PC vendor causing the bootloader order to change. Starting with version 1.24, VeraCrypt tries to detect and correct the issue which VeraCrypt is not always successful on certain make and models of PCs.
I hope you read my replay, before you acused me, and calm down. I assure I respect everyones time specially with such project and I did my due diligence before I made post.
As you will the image I attached (1.png) I searched for "changed boot order" and I got 182 pages or result I did not read it all, I hope you forgive me for that, I have a life too. However, I read the first 20 results, and there is not mention of what I said.
When I posted on reddit the first thing I got, is to use the rescure disk, such advice will distant new users, will distant even adavanced users, Microsoft solution just works and for most cases it is secure, but some are poor and they can't afford the pro version and as a volunteer I feel bad for a teenager PC to be unsecure and their private data accessed if their pc got stolen, specially for the region I help out with.
AND
, I solved the issue for myself and in future I would know how to handle this, but I still rather other solutions because Veracrypt need better documentation, not every user have time to read 4550 threads, I am already over whelmeed financially, and behind my schedule. I tried my best to read the 20 threads word by word. some of them twice, but no mention of this, maybe it is the crappy algrothim (I don't think that is the issue)
What I think is that too many users are facing this, and creating clutter in the forum because when you search for an answer you are not finding it, and that why I made this post, and NO, I don't think post is the solution. It should be empassized when encrypting the system drive and it should be in the documentation in the trouble shooting secton.
I read Truecrypt documentation cover to cover, and that was the BEST read, very well written and I always relied on it instead of going online. And not just that it guided you while using the software, I honestly was amazed by the User experience and the UI.
Lastly, why the judgmental attitude!? I did everything I could , I even googled "site:sourceforge.net/p/veracryp Boot order changed windows update" I tried my best.
Okay? Ginger have souls!
Don't replay if you are no in mood, but if you did, please read the whole thing?! And if you will post a link, post a link to the answers.
lastly, I did not revise this a billion time to save you time or others who try to help me because clearly I don't feel like I am helped here. GINGER HAVE SOULS!
I did read your replies completely and what caught my eye was the last statement "...and found no one with this issue.".
My apologies for my bad assumption that the various threads you had read did not provide the various causes which I summerized in my second reply.
To date, I have not seen any users reporting a solution to prevent the VeraCrypt bootloader from getting rearranged when it occurs on their system. The only solution, if it is possible, is for the VeraCrypt developer to determine if there are any other improvements that can be made in the code to rearrange the VeraCrypt bootloader order back to the first bootloader which was introduced in 1.24, 1.24-Update2 and 1.24 Update7.
Also you make a great point for UEFI encrypted systems in the troubleshooting documentation:
Not just the documentation, it sould be in FAQ's, and everywhere. Specially, Since this happned several tims this week , I asssume it is a common issue.
Specially when the user encrypt system drive, a bold not easily missed text stating that sometimes the boot order get rearranged after windows 10 updates and a blue screen titled "Automatic Repair" will appear (add a screenshot!!!) it is needed to rearrange the boot order in UEFI in order to boot back to windows 10.
Also advised the user learn how to change the boot order in UEFI before continuiong.
Additionally adding a link to help file or explaining breifly, what a boot partions and bootloaders are, and when you see blue screen title "automatic repair" what it really means.
users will panic, and even advanced techy users sometimes don't know everything.
That why I think this is important!
This looks serious to me because I think it hurt Veracrypt becoming a mainstream FDE for windows 10. Also, idealy a software should automatically and seamlessly autoupdate, I think that is not possible with VerCrypt, and Idealy it hsould just work.
Lastly, I am not sure about your roll with VeraCrypt, but please consider this. And I would disagree if you say this will intimedate new users, TrueCrypt didn't because it explained everything. it guided you step by step, it expllained what might happn. and what is the solution.
What will scare off users, is when they install Vercraypt after an update they will face this, and most almost everywhere online is suggested to decyrpt the whole drive and re-encrypt it! (faceplam)
sorry this is long, but I see it very serious.
example of what i faced. The person I support didn't sleep all night waiting for me, to wake up(different time zone) and when they googled and looked in the forums they found exactly what I found, user rescure disk and decrypt the drive, but just for a second I thought maybe the boot order was changed.
Additonal feedabck:
Never used Vracrypt Resuce disk, maybe the rescue disk should have a troubleshooting step to first check the UEFI boot order and then advise the user to restart and see if the issue is solved.
sorry if this was long, and wasted your time, my apologies.