Fixing the Windows Bootloader via the setup DVD

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Fixing the Windows Bootloader via the setup DVD

Here we can see “Fixing the Windows Bootloader via the setup DVD”

Using the setup DVD, this article shows how to recover the bootloader for the following Windows versions: Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. (installation DVD).

Recovering the bootloader on Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10

You’ll need to reset your Windows bootloader if it’s been damaged or corrupted in any way before you can use EasyBCD to set up a dual-boot.

Using the Windows Installation DVD to start the computer.

Start your computer by inserting your Windows setup DVD or System Repair Disc into the drive.

You should get a prompt asking you to “Press any key to boot from the CD/DVD…” assuming you’ve properly configured your BIOS to boot from CDs/DVDs before hard drives (or you can press F12 if your PC supports it to boot from the CD), assuming you’ve properly configured your BIOS to boot from CDs/DVDs before hard drives (or you can press F12 if your PC supports it to boot from the CD).

The CD will begin to load once you press a key.

If you’re using your Windows Installation CD, you’ll see a window asking if you want to Install Now or an option to “Repair your Computer” in the lower-left corner, which you should select.

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Move on to the next section if you’re using our recovery CD, Easy Recovery Essentials. If you’re having trouble booting from the recovery CD, check out our tutorials on how to make a bootable CD and how to set up your computer to boot from the CD-ROM drive.

The recovery CD will scan your drive for operating systems after selecting your language. Select the operating system to repair from the list on the screen, then hit Next to continue.

You’ll see a welcome screen like the ones below, depending on whatever version of the CD you’re using:

Step 1: Scan the hard drive

Select the “Launch command prompt” option from the menu.

We’ll utilize the command line feature to execute a filesystem scan, which is designed to discover and fix issues with data integrity and read/writes from/to the disk caused by viruses, hardware failures, unsafe shutdown, power surges, and other factors.

Execute the following command after the command prompt has been launched:

chkdsk C: /f
exit

If it complains that the partition was not found, you may need to change C: with a new letter.

The first attempt was Automated Repair

The recovery CD will attempt to repair your bootloader and boot menu by clicking on the “Attempt automatic repair…” text with the green arrow at the top of the screen.

Assuming your boot files aren’t too seriously corrupted, this procedure should end with a message saying “Issues resolved” and prompting you to reboot. It’s possible that repairing your computer will be as simple as this.

If the automated repair feature does not operate, or your PC still does not work after rebooting, continue reading.

The Automated Repair can only fix one problem at a time, and you may require multiple repairs (MBR, bootmgr, boot folder). So boot from the recovery CD once more and go through the steps again.

Attempt Two: Manually Repairing the Windows Bootloader

In dire circumstances, drastic methods are required.

This time, we’ll try to manually tell the Recovery Console what needs to be addressed by selecting the “Launch command prompt” option. This is about as far as you’ll have to go; hopefully, it’ll suffice.

Select “Command Prompt” from the drop-down menu, and you should see a window identical to the one that appears when you run cmd.exe from Windows.

To begin, use the recovery console to repair our MBR and bootsectors:

bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force

Then politely request that it try to recreate your BCD data from scratch:

bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

If you’re lucky, this will work, and you’ll receive a notification stating that everything went smoothly.

To see if it worked, reboot your computer and attempt booting into Windows again. If you don’t remove your Windows Vista DVD or Recovery DVD from the drive, you’ll find yourself back at the repair shop!

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Attempt Three: Nuclear Holocaust

Return to the recovery center’s main page and pick “Command Prompt” from the drop-down menu.

The first step is to double-check that the MBR and bootsector include the correct references to the Windows bootloader:

bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force

We now delete the old BCD registry and replace it with a new one.

attrib -h -s C:\boot\BCD
del C:\boot\BCD
bcdedit /createstore c:\boot\bcd.temp
bcdedit.exe /store c:\boot\bcd.temp /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager"
bcdedit.exe /import c:\boot\bcd.temp
bcdedit.exe /set {bootmgr} device partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /timeout 10
attrib -h -s C:\boot\bcd.temp
del c:\boot\bcd.temp

The first two instructions may fail. That’s fine; as long as you input them correctly, it only means the BCD hasn’t been created yet.

bcdedit.exe /create /d "Microsoft Windows" /application osloader

We now have a clean and functional Windows bootloader. However, we must add a Windows entry to it:

bcdedit.exe should produce a message providing the GUID for the newly created entry, such as:

The entry {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} was successfully created.

You’ll need to utilize the value returned by bcdedit.exe, as well as the drive letter for the drive where Windows is installed.

Ensure that C: is replaced with the correct driver for your Windows Vista/7/8 installation.

bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} device partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} osdevice partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} systemroot \Windows

Last but not least, instruct the bootmgr bootloader to list the new item, or it will be hidden:

bcdedit.exe /displayorder {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008}

Your bootloader has now been entirely erased and rebuilt from the ground up.

You now have a clean, untouched, and (hopefully) completely functional bootloader with one Windows entry.

Reboot your computer, return to Windows, and use EasyBCD to fine-tune the bootloader to your heart’s desire.

Before making any modifications, we recommend backing up the BCD registry with EasyBCD.

Attempt Four: Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows

If the previous procedures did not help, you should try using our Windows recovery DVDs.

Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows is a one-click bootable repair CD that automates all of the procedures mentioned above and others.

Easy Recovery Essentials (EasyRE) will do the following:

  • Look for and fix problems with partition configuration.
  • Errors in the UEFI/EFI firmware settings should be fixed.
  • Viruses that infect the bootsector prevent Windows from running.
  • The MBR and bootsector must be reinstalled.
  • Make a fresh copy of all bootloader files.
  • To boot into Windows, configure NTLDR and BOOTMGR correctly.
  • Configure Windows so that any partition/bootloader changes you’ve made will work properly.

Conclusion

I hope you found this information helpful. Please fill out the form below if you have any queries or comments.

User Questions

1. What is the procedure for resetting my bootloader?

Follow these steps to execute a hard reset: Turn your device off. Hold down the power and volume down buttons simultaneously until the Android bootloader menu appears. The volume buttons are used to cycle through the many options on the bootloader menu, and the power button is used to enter/select.

2. In Windows 10, how do you boot from a DVD?

Press and hold the Shift key while clicking the “Restart” option in the Start menu or on the sign-in screen in Windows. The boot options menu will appear when your computer restarts. On this screen, select “Use a device” to select a boot device, such as a USB drive, DVD, or network boot.

3. How long does it take for the bootloader to reboot?

It should just take a minute unless the phone is stuck on the “wiping phone” (or whatever equivalent phrase the phone uses). If you just unlocked the bootloader, wiping the phone can take a long, but not an hour.

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4. I accidentally wiped the MBR of Windows and have GRUB installed meaning I can’t boot Windows from GRUB

I accidentally wiped the MBR of Windows and have GRUB installed meaning I can’t boot Windows from GRUB from linuxquestions

5. Need help with Windows 7, Boot BCD failure

Need help with Windows 7, Boot BCD failure from techsupport