H o w t o M a n u a l l y Re p a i r W i n d o w s 7 B o o t

L o a d e r P ro b l e m s
Published on October 20th, 2010 | Written by: The Geek
If youre having boot problems on your Windows PC, its often helpful to repair
the MBR (Master Boot Record) to restore the Windows 7 boot loaderand
you can do it easily from the Windows installation disc.
This is generally most useful if youve broken something and theres a boot
loader error, or if you have made the mistake of installing an older version of
Windows on the same PC that already has Windows 7 which wipes out the
boot loader.

Note: If your PC starts booting into Windows but fails, you should probably
try using Safe Mode instead.

B o o t Fro m t h e W i n d o w s I n s t a l l D
Diis c
The rst thing youll need to do is boot off the install disc, and then click
through until you see the Repair your computer link in the lower left-hand
corner.

Youll need to choose the correct installation of Windows and then click the

Next button.

And then youll get to the System Recovery Options screen, where you can
get to the Command Prompt.

Re p a i r i n g t h e M a s t e r B o o t Re c o r d
If you want to restore the master boot record, you can simply type in the
following command:

bootrec /xmbr
You can also write a new boot sector onto the system partition with this
command (which is often more useful):
bootrec /xboot
And of course, if you just use bootrec /? youll be able to see all the options.

This is the same way that we xed the BOOTMGR is missing error when
trying to boot up Windows 7 or Vista.

Re p l a c i n g t h e W i n d o w s X P B o o t l o a d e r w i t h W i n d o w s 7
If youve managed to install XP on the same PC that you already had
Windows 7 on, youll noticed that you cant boot into Windows 7 anymore. You
can use this command to x that and restore the Windows 7 bootloader:
bootsect /nt60 all
Depending on the partition that youve installed, you might need to substitute
the drive letter instead of all.

Note: if you want to restore Windows XP back to the menu, you can open up
a command prompt in Windows 7 and run this command:
bcdedit /create {ntldr} -d Windows XP

U s i n g t h e A u t o m a t e d S t a r t u p Re p a i r
Of course, all this command-line stuff is probably not necessary in most
cases. You can usually just use the Startup Repair option from the Recovery
menu

Itll check for problems and probably x them. If not, then you can always use
the command prompt.

Have you ever needed to restore your boot loader to get Windows working
again?

5 4 Re s p o n s e s
1.

vistamike says:
October 20, 2010 at 3:55 am
As has been suggested on the main forums, could this be a sticky?

2.

bassman22 says:
October 20, 2010 at 5:06 am
Great article! This information is SO useful, this wouldve come in handy
about a year ago, when I encountered some trouble after I deleted an
Ubuntu partition. I eventually got to one of the solutions mentioned in
the article, but it did take a while of researching. Thanks!

3.

Penny says:
October 20, 2010 at 9:53 am
I just had to restore the Win7 (dual-booting with Vista) boot-loader after
installing Ubuntu, and I took the automatic path. Now the start-up menu
has (restored) after the Windows 7 choice. Is there a way to get rid of
that?

4.

MJ says:
October 20, 2010 at 10:20 am
Great article, I deal from time to time with this problems and try to
solve them by myself, but its not easy for begginers, as I was one day.
Sometimes the auto-repair option fails.
@Penny You can use EasyBCD. Its a great tool I use a lot, specially since
they updated it to version 2.

5.

Enrique Indacochea says:

October 20, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I would like to know how to proceed in the case of a netbook computer
with Windows 7 Starter Edition that has a pre-installed system that
doesnt come with an install disc. I wold appreciate any suggestion.
Thanks in advance.

6.

henry chapman says:

October 20, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Who has an install disc? Most of us have recovery discs.
I think the repair option is on a repair disc which can be created by most
users.

7.

Sophia says:
October 20, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I just started getting this newsletter yesterday and this sounds
impossible but this very article which was in my rst newsletter was
exactly what I needed! I did something while doing a system restore
because (unknown to me) my modem was going off and on. Apparently
it had been doing it for hours while the computer was on but not being
used..so I hope I do it correctly when I try to x it. I just have two
questions. I am totally ignorant in such matters, and need all the help I
can get.. I turn it on while I push F8 to get to safe mode window.
It gives me options (I tried them all) When I hit enter to continue it will
ash the windows XP page and it shuts down every time. How do I get
it to stay on so I can correct it? There is one option that says start it so
it wont shut down everytime. When I do that I get a error message
saying it can go no futher. Any help would be very much appreciated!
The system is windows XP, should I do anything diffrent then what is
recommended for win7? Loved the informative article!

8.

Big Dan says:

October 21, 2010 at 2:37 am
I use bootrec /xmbr after I wipe my Ubuntu partition.

9.

MJ says:
October 21, 2010 at 4:32 am
@Enrique You can install Windows 7 from a USB Flash Drive, just Google
for it. From that USB drive you will be able to access recovery options
too.
If you dont have an install disk but just want to access recovery options,
you can try to download Windows PE (the operating system that you
use to install Windows) and add it to the USB drive.

10.

MAtt says:
October 21, 2010 at 10:16 am
I NEEDED THIS LAST WEEK@!!!!

11.

Brian Carr says:

October 21, 2010 at 12:50 pm
CREATE A WINDOWS SYSTEM REPAIR DISK
Windows 7 and Vista
From the Start menu, select Control Panel.
Click Backup and Restore, and then on the left, choose Create a system
repair disc.
Select a drive, and then click Create disc.
Windows XP
From the Start menu, select Programs or All Programs, then
Accessories, then System Tools, and nally Backup.
On the welcome screen, click Advanced Mode.
On the next screen, choose Automated System Recovery Wizard.
Click Next, and then make sure you have a blank oppy disk in the
oppy drive. Conrm that the path shown under Backup media: or le
name: points to the blank oppy disk. If not, click Browse and
navigate to the blank oppy. Click OK.
Click Next, and then click Finish.

12.

thorgred says:
October 21, 2010 at 3:32 pm
i used that trick after putting my windows 7 acronis image back on a
new harddisk (same size harddisk)
it was very usefull
all what was needed was my windows 7 dvd

13.

TOM says:
October 22, 2010 at 4:04 pm
My window 7 came with the computer so I do not have a widows 7 disk.
I my computer sets for an hour or so it will not start again. I have to
shut down the tower and start from scratch. Once up and running it is
great. :-)

14.

ProstheticHead says:
October 23, 2010 at 8:22 pm
@Tom, it sounds like you have a problem there. Why not post it with as
much information as you can provide over on the main HTG forums?
http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/

15.

sxnin says:
December 1, 2010 at 2:52 am
HI,
please help me, what exactly of theese solution will help to me, I have
win7 but when I instal win8Xtream for just to see it, an i decide to
remove it , I make new clean instalation of win7 7600, an format
partition before instalation, same as format partition where I have
win8Xtream, but, noe when my win boot from HDD I have solutionoption for dual boot for win7, one is from HDD and one is from dvd
drive???, I put back all settings on default in bios, but have this
masage??
So I run on to this article, what from this orders will solve my problem??

16.

sxnin says:
December 1, 2010 at 3:19 am
Uff i dont have option repair in that window whn I put instalation DVD
for instalingWHY??

17.

hardik says:
December 28, 2010 at 8:58 am
I have sony vaio laptop.It has error of bootmgr is missing.I want to
repair without format.Because i want to same my data.I try early to
repair but it format whole internal hardisk.

18.

hardik says:
December 28, 2010 at 9:01 am
thanks , its done.

19.

hello says:

December 31, 2010 at 9:44 am

Hi Thanks for the advice I seem to be having a problem with it though
when I click repair the computer the next step does not load. Is there
any other way I can x it.
Thanks
20.

daveisnotme says:
January 1, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Brian Carr
Not many new computers have a oppy drive. None of mine do and I
cant remember the last time I used one. Can you do this with a
ashdrive instead?

21.

Mattie says:
January 22, 2011 at 9:09 am
Thanks for this article, it saved me today!

22.

amrish says:
February 8, 2011 at 9:56 am
thanks

23.

Gopal says:
March 3, 2011 at 1:46 am
not working

24.

kms says:
March 7, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Thanks alot I use ur guide and it worked on my pc. It got me depressed
today .

25.

Nancy says:
March 9, 2011 at 11:27 am
This is helpful, thank you!

26.

kutta says:
March 9, 2011 at 7:23 pm
i tried to boot from the repair disk that i put on a usb ash but my
system is not listed when it gives the option for recovery system. it now
says that i need to load drivers and i dont know what ones i need to
load or if i have them. im working with a hp mini netbook so i had to

use a ash hd. if anyone knows what dirvers i need or what to do plz
help. thx
27.

danb says:
April 13, 2011 at 6:14 pm
i dont have a Windows installation disc the laptop didnt come with cds
software please help ive done almost everything and nothing work
where i nd a windows 7 installation image cd for download my laptop
didnt came with one and now i need it

28.

Rajan says:
April 16, 2011 at 2:31 am
on my PC i have windows 7, but it does not boot completly to desktop, it
stops booting at my documents folder. then i go to windows folder and
run explorer.exe le then windows boot to desktop

29.

jake says:
April 18, 2011 at 11:22 pm
When i try to boot up my computer with the disc in (my bios has been
changed so my computer boots from the cd) it totally ignores the cd and
goes straight onto trying to load windows, the loading bar doesnt
appear, then i get another loading bar saying *loading windows les* (im
guessing this part its switching to the vista loading screen. and sure
enough the vista loading screen pops up and its trying to load vista, but
since i dont have vista on my computer, it goes to a black screen and
stays like that til i turn it off. how do i x this. please

30.

Geoff says:
May 4, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Thanks!!! Worked like a charm!!!

31.

Zarquon says:
June 7, 2011 at 5:39 pm
Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou All I had in my Win7 laptop was a
ashing curser no error messages I read your article re How to
Manually Repair Windows 7 Boot Loader Problems rebooted and now
have the login screen i have now signed up

32.

a says:
June 22, 2011 at 5:54 pm
I needed your mom last week Tom

33.

Talha says:

July 3, 2011 at 9:32 am

when i type the command
bcdedit /create {ntldr} -d Windows XP
it gives me an error :(
this is what it writes
A description for the new entry must be specied.
Run bcdedit /? for command like assistance.
The parameter is incorrect.
Please anyone help me here i really need to x this :(
34.

Chris says:
July 6, 2011 at 10:25 pm
thanks a lot!!

35.

buyoy says:
July 12, 2011 at 11:29 pm
Thanks! this solves our hp mini blank screen during windows 7 boot

36.

Jack Gura says:

July 13, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Is there a way to perform bootrec /xmbr and bootrec /xboot or
bootsec /nt60 all type commands from a freedos environment for
Windows 7 partitions? I have an old free drive cloning program that
clones my Windows 7 just ne, but when I restore the image i have to
use the Windows 7 system recovery disk to repair the startup
environment for it to boot and work. I restore my c: drive
(system,boot,active partition) from a freedos environment and would
like to just command line repair the startup environment in my batch le
after the restore partition event completes.

37.

mike chandler says:

July 19, 2011 at 2:53 pm
my lenovo laptop just keeps restarting and running the automated
startup repair tool. i cant get it to boot form a rescue disk, external
drive, cd drive. it just keeps saying it is loading les and then begins the
startup repair tool again. any assistance would be appreciated.

38.

Rohit says:
August 9, 2011 at 7:56 pm
You all are just good.. KEEP IT UP!!

39.

Joeeisie says:
August 10, 2011 at 6:26 am

I mean seriously. A xmbr command when others had me deleting,

reinstalling, and many more crazed procedures. I know sometimes it has
to be done the hard way, but with the right info. life can become whole
again. I am trying to be a better geek, and now I aspire to be a
howtogeek! Thanks yall and you do make a diff!!!!!!
40.

suraj says:
August 16, 2011 at 12:16 pm
it worked for me.thank q so much

41.

ahmed7 says:
August 20, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I was have windows XP sp3 and windows 7 sp1 and then i format the
partition which contain xp with xp compact disc and reinstalled windows
xp, after installing complete i tried to make repair to windows seven
startup but it didnt success. Then i installed EasyBoot 2.2 in xp and it
cant start after complete installation it give me ()

42.

ahmed7 says:
August 20, 2011 at 3:37 pm
This is the error message t the boot conguration data store couldnt be
opened the system cannot nd the le specied
You should know that my windows 7 installation disc isnt with SP 1 but
i install it later

43.

Dave says:
September 3, 2011 at 8:19 am
THANKS MAN, I attempted in cloning my OS drive which is a share of
WIn7&Linux, after ghost both failed to startup, not even after reloading
linux which usually sort it out, this repair got my windows loader back
and now I can nally trash linux, ,
Thanks again

44.

bob white says:

September 12, 2011 at 3:28 am
Does this work when Microsoft taps you out?

45.

Grace says:
September 17, 2011 at 10:25 pm
After Following these steps, are you les deleted? Is there any hope that
your les are still on your hard drive if your computer goes to Startup
Repair? Does this help if you accidentally download a virus? I had the
Frostwire program open while I was gone, and when I got back, it was

on the sign on screen, where I type my password normally, but all I

could see was the mouse, so I powered off and this happened.
46.

ali says:
October 4, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Thank you very much. Very helpful :)

47.

fred says:
October 13, 2011 at 4:43 am
good article

48.

Muna says:
October 13, 2011 at 3:37 pm
I installed windows xp on my external hard disk,after that when i boot
my laptop which came with win 7 OS, it shows windows could not start
because of a computer disk hardware conguration problem.could not
read from this selected boot disk.check boot path and disk
hardware.plz need help on what to do.

49.

In2Deep says:
October 14, 2011 at 2:25 am
Thank you. /xmbr worked like a charm.
I was familiar with old windows commands such as fdisk/MBR option.
Dont know why Microsoft luv to confuse things.

50.

In2Deep says:
October 14, 2011 at 2:25 am
Thank you. /xmbr worked like a charm.
I was familiar with old DOS commands such as fdisk/MBR option. Dont
know why Microsoft luv to confuse things.

51.

Anees says:
October 16, 2011 at 2:02 am
I have the following issue:
My laptop is: DELL N5110, core i5 with 4 GB RAM.
Initially I installed WIN VISTA 32 bit on C drive and then applied crack.
worked ne.
Then I tried to install WIN 7(cracked version) 32 bit in my other
partition. worked ne.
Again, when I loaded VISTA desktop, in the System Properties, the
crack is no longer valid.(I see a message, 15 or 30 days trial).
I would like to use both OS(cracked verison). Please help!!

52.

chancll says:
October 24, 2011 at 7:57 pm
How do you use the command promt at the end? It just keeps saying
attempting repairs and never does anything. When I click cancel it says,
The current repair operation cannot be cancelled. I click ok and it
keeps doing the scan.

53.

CFJ90210 says:
October 26, 2011 at 7:08 pm
chancll, I am having the same problem. Ive xed the MBR before using
this method in the past, but in my current situation, it skips past the
recover options menu altogether after choosing my OS. It is stuck in
some Startup Repair mode, looping the message Attempting repairs
as you have mentioned. If anyone knows how to reset the system in
such a way as to get back the recover options menu, I would be
appreciative.

54.

Dr.sms says:
October 28, 2011 at 6:23 am
Thanks a lot man..

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