How To Repair The Boot Loader

If your Windows PC is throwing an error message at yous before it fifty-fifty begins to load Windows, it'south possible that the boot sector on your system partition is damaged, corrupted, or has missing files. Here'due south how to troubleshoot those problems.

What Are the Boot Sector and Master Boot Record?

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The boot sector is a small section at the kickoff of a difficult drive that gets created whenever you format the drive. The boot sector contains some code and data that helps BIOS manus off command of the startup procedure to Windows. The kicking sector also hosts the Primary Boot Record (MBR), which contains the disk signature, segmentation table for the deejay, and a small-scale bit of code called the master boot code.

When a PC starts, the initial ability-on routine is handled by the BIOS. The BIOS then loads the chief kick code into the PC's RAM and hands off the startup processes to information technology. The master boot code scans the sectionalization table, determines the active partition, loads a copy of the kick sector into the PC's RAM, and hands off the startup process to that lawmaking. It's this boot strapping process that allows the initial bits of the Windows code to start loading.

The boot sector can experience the same types of problems as any other part of your hard drive—missing files, corrupted files, and even physical damage. When the kick loader process fails, it volition happen subsequently yous see the BIOS data but before Windows really begins to load. You'll usually come across error letters like the following:

• Error loading operating system
• Missing operating system
• Reboot and select proper boot device
• Invalid partition table
• Bootmgr is missing
• FATAL: No bootable medium found! System halted.

If yous are seeing whatever of these messages, it ways y'all won't be able to start Windows and will have to use the Windows Recovery Environment to do your troubleshooting. We're hither to walk you through that.

Note: If your PC starts to load Windows, but so fails, and so the bootloader is not the problem. Instead, you lot should try starting the PC in Condom Manner and troubleshooting from there. Performing a System Restore would exist a good place to start.

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Kicking From the Windows Installation Media or Recovery Segmentation

The commencement affair you'll need to do is start your PC into the Windows Recovery Environment. Information technology'due south possible that your PC has a special recovery partition that will allow yous to first the Windows Recovery Surround without needing a concrete disc. How you lot do that varies with what brand of PC you own, but y'all'll often see a message during startup telling you lot what key to press to first recovery and repair. If your PC doesn't have a recovery division—or you lot're but not sure how to access information technology—y'all can also start your PC using a DVD or USB with the Windows installer on it.

If you don't have an installation disc, you'll have to use some other PC to download a re-create of Windows. You lot can then create a DVD or USB install disc that you tin can employ to boot your ain PC. And by the style, if your PC is still operational you lot might desire to take the precautionary step of creating a recovery drive or system repair disc that you can use in the future.

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If you start your PC using an installation disc, click through until you see the initial Windows installation screen and then click the "Repair your computer" link instead of starting an installation. If you're starting from a recovery partition or repair disc, the screens might look a little different, but you'll end upwardly at the aforementioned options we're going to cover here.

Windows will so load the recovery environment. On the first page, click the "Troubleshoot" selection.

The Avant-garde Options page volition appear adjacent and information technology contains the options nosotros'll be discussing in the adjacent couple of sections.

Note that if you lot're using Windows 7, the screens may expect a flake different. Y'all'll run across most of the same options, though, including the ones nosotros're going to cover adjacent.

Repair Startup Automatically

In near cases, you should let Windows attempt to automatically repair startup. Not just will information technology endeavor to fix the Master Kicking Tape or recreate the kick sector, it will scan for and attempt to fix other common startup issues equally well. On the Avant-garde Options page, click "Startup Repair."

The side by side page displays all operating systems detected on your PC—even if you just have i installed. Click the operating organisation y'all want to repair.

Windows will brainstorm checking for startup bug and attempting repairs.

When the procedure is consummate, Windows will let you know whether the repairs were successful. Either way, you'll exist given the option to restart your PC or return to the Advanced Options page.

If Windows cannot automatically repair your PC, you can e'er try repairing the Primary Boot Tape or rebuilding the boot sector manually from the Command Prompt. It'southward unlikely it volition work if the automated repair didn't, since these commands are performed as part of the automatic repair procedure, but it won't injure to endeavour.

Repair the Primary Boot Record from the Command Prompt

If you prefer treatment things yourself—or an automated repair failed—and you're pretty sure that the problem is with your Master Boot Record or kick sector, you can also drop to the Command Prompt for a quick set up. On the Advanced Options page, click "Control Prompt."

Once you're at the Command Prompt, yous'll be using the bootrec command, and there are a couple of options that can be useful in fixing bootloader errors.

To restore the Master Boot Record, type the following command and hit Enter. This control writes a new Windows-compatible Master Kicking Record (based on any version of Windows you're using) to the boot sector without overwriting the existing partition table. It's a skilful start for repairing boot loader errors resulting from file corruption.

bootrec /fixmbr

To write a whole new boot sector to the system partition instead, type the post-obit command and hitting Enter. This option does overwrite the current partition tabular array and thus tin sometimes crusade issues if you're set to boot to multiple operating systems. It won't overwrite any information on your actual partitions, but you lot may need to reconfigure your multi-kick options afterwards using this command. This command is useful when you suspect your boot sector may have been overwritten past another operating system installation or malware, or if you suspect the boot sector itself is damaged.

bootrec /fixboot

And of course, the bootrec tool too offers other more advanced options. You can always type bootrec /? to meet more options for and go assist with the command.

Steps to Take Later Recovery

Afterward you've successfully repaired your PC and are able to start Windows, nosotros highly recommend going ahead and performing a couple of other steps. Kickoff, run the Bank check Disk utility to scan the integrity of your file system and hd. Information technology's always possible that your bootloader error stemmed from concrete problems with your hd.

Second, apply the System File Checker utility to browse for and set up any corrupted organization files. Information technology's unlikely that using the steps nosotros've talked virtually will cause problems with system files, but information technology is possible. And information technology's a very easy matter to cheque on and ready.

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While boot loader errors tin be a bit intimidating when they pop up—mostly considering of how little data you lot're given when they happen—they are reasonably piece of cake to repair. You simply accept to know what to await out for and have a recovery solution ready to load.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/32523/how-to-manually-repair-windows-7-boot-loader-problems/

Posted by: herreranorigh.blogspot.com

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