Error 0xc00000e9 means it’s an I/O error i.e. it is mostly hardware related and more specifically related to the hard drive. It occurs when a removable storage device is removed while it is in use or is failing. It can also occur if a corrupted system file is encountered during the boot process. In this article, I’ll suggest you few tips that could fix this and understand the exact cause for the error.
The usual causes are:
- Corrupt Windows files or Registry
- Failing external hardware or PC components
- Damaged I/O ports
- A disconnected hard drive that doesn’t connect with the motherboard
- Improperly configured UEFI, BIOS, or CMOS settings.
Fix Error 0xc00000e9 in Windows 11/10
If you receive this error during boot, try these suggestions. But first, make sure that your storage device is physically properly connected and then restart your computer and see if it has helped.
1] Run ChkDsk in Safe mode
Boot Windows into Safe Mode, open Command prompt, and run the ChkDisk tool to fix disk errors.
You may also need to check your hard drive for any bad sectors or other problems. You need to run a series of Hard drive diagnostic. Follow this article to Scan and Fix Hard Drive Bad Sectors.
2] Run Automatic Startup Repair
You may want to run Run Automatic Startup Repair. This is likely to help.
3] Corrupted or bad partition
Sometimes the partition you choose to install might be corrupted or bad. Or maybe that particular partition might not be visible when you try to install it.
In such cases, you need to format the partition. So my advice would be to backup your data to an external drive or some other source and then delete the partition and reformat it.
For some reason if you’re not able to get into Windows, then download MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable CD – it’s a freeware – and burn it into a disk.
Using these tools is fairly simple; just follow the wizard. The website also has tutorials on how to delete a partition and format it.
Once you complete these, try to install it again and see if it works.
4] Check for other environmental conditions
Other environmental conditions mean if for instance, you have an external hard drive or other USB drive connected, please disconnect them. It’s a good idea to rebuild your MBR as well.
5] False Positive Check
If you see this error during Installation then this suggestion may apply. 0xc00000e9 means that something is wrong with your hard drive – but sometimes the error could just be a false positive – i.e. it may be something else. So first check the consistency of your installation media. To do so, download MD5 Hash Checker and install it.
MD5sum hash check is a utility that checks if you had a bad ISO image when you burned it to disk. Microsoft has published the Md5sum hash on the download page of Windows. So compare that value with the file you have downloaded and make sure the Md5sum hash value matches.
There are also other tools available specific to hard drive manufacture so check their website for more troubleshooting tips on fixing hard drives.
All the best.
