Master Bootrec.exe Tool: Your Guide to Easy Windows Recovery

I. About Bootrec.exe

1. What is Bootrec.exe?

Bootrec.exe is a utility provided by Microsoft in the Windows recovery environment. When your computer cannot start, in addition to using the “Startup Repair” function in the Windows recovery environment to repair, you can also use Bootrec.exe in the command prompt to repair. Bootrec.exe can repair damaged master boot record (MBR), boot sector, boot configuration data (BCD) storage. This is useful for troubleshooting and possibly fixing errors that prevent your computer from starting.

Let’s take a look at the command parameters of Bootrec.exe.

① Bootrec.exe /fixmbr

This command writes an MBR compatible with Windows Vista/7/8/10 to the system partition. This option does not overwrite existing partition tables. Use it when you need to troubleshoot MBR corruption or when you need to remove non-standard code in the MBR.

② Bootrec.exe /fixboot

This command writes a new boot sector to the system partition using a boot sector compatible with Windows Vista and Windows 7/8/10. You can use it when one of the following conditions is met:

●The boot sector has been replaced with a non-standard Windows Vista, Windows 7/8/10 boot sector.

●The boot sector is damaged.

●Earlier versions of Windows operating systems are installed after Windows Vista and Windows 7/8/10 are installed. In this case, the computer starts with the Windows NT Loader (NTLDR) instead of the Windows Boot Manager (Bootmgr.exe).

③ Bootrec.exe /scanOs

Scans for installations on disks compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7/8/10. It also shows any entries not currently held in BCD storage. You can use this command when Windows Vista, Windows7/8/10 installation is not listed in the boot manager menu.

④ Bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

This command scans all disks for installations compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7/8/10. Additionally, you can choose which installations to add to the BCD store by taking arguments to this command. Use this option when you have to completely rebuild the BCD store. If regenerating the BCD store does not resolve the boot issue, you can export and delete the BCD store and run this option again. This ensures a complete regeneration of the BCD store, click here for details.

After understanding the relevant information about Bootrec.exe, let’s continue to learn how to access and use this tool.

2. How to access and use the Bootrec.exe tool?

Below we take the Windows 10 system as an example to teach you how to enter the recovery environment to use the Bootrec.exe tool.

Step 1: You can enter the Windows recovery environment in two ways

① On the user login interface, click the shutdown button in the lower right corner, press the button Shift and click restart to enter the Windows recovery environment.

② Insert the Windows 10 installation disk (DVD or U disk) into the computer. When starting up, press F2 or F10 or DEL or ESC shortcut keys continuously (varies with the computer brand) to enter the BIOS setting interface, set the first boot sequence to Windows installation disk, save the settings and restart the computer. Make the computer boot from the installation disk, and select the option Repair your computer on the Windows Installer interface to enter the recovery environment.

Step 2: After entering the recovery environment, select Troubleshooting – Advanced Options – Command Prompt in turn.

Step 3: In the command prompt window, enter the following commands in sequence, and press Enter after each command.

Bootrec.exe /fixmbr

Bootrec.exe /fixboot

Bootrec.exe /scanOs

Bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

What needs to be reminded is that when there is a boot problem in the Windows system, we cannot enter the system normally. In order to avoid the loss of important data in the computer, it is recommended that you use a professional system rescue tool to restore the important data in the device before repairing the fault. Transfer or restore, the following is the detailed operation method.

II. (Extended reading) Use Renee PassNow to transfer or recover important data

1. What is Renee PassNow?

Renee PassNow is a professional system rescue software, which can help Windows users clear Windows account passwords, create new administrator accounts; restore disk/memory card data, recover data after hard disk formatting; transfer disk files; erase or scan Disk files, etc. In addition, this software also supports repairing Windows system problems, such as: repairing MBR boot records, DBR error parameters, 0xc00000e, Windows system startup failure, and some problems that cause black screen or blue screen, etc. As a system rescue tool with various functions, it is perfectly compatible with multiple systems including Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista, and can meet the system rescue needs of different users.

2. How to use Renee PassNow to transfer or recover data?

When your computer cannot start normally, you can create a startup disk through Renee PassNow, and then start the computer through the startup disk, and then use the functions provided by the software to transfer or restore data. Specific steps are as follows:

Step 1: Download and install Renee PassNow on other computers that can log in and run normally, then connect the U disk to the PC, run Renee PassNow, and then check in “Step 1: Select creation method” (Create a Live USB) option. (Note: Before performing this operation, please make sure that the important files in the U disk have been saved in other locations, because the operation process will delete all the data in the U disk.)

Step 2: Next, select (x64) or (x86) according to the system type, click the (Download Now) button to download the ISO file, click the (Create a Live USB) button after the file is downloaded, and click the (Eject USB) button.

Step 3: Connect the created boot device to the computer that needs to transfer data, turn on the computer, and then the shortcut key to enter the BIOS will be displayed on the computer screen (the display time of this interface is very short, maybe only one or two seconds), click continuously BIOS shortcut key to enter the BIOS setting interface, and then set the boot U disk as the first in the boot sequence in Boot Priority, then save the settings and restart the computer.

Step 4: Wait for a while, after Renee PassNow is loaded, select (Data Transfer). If you need to transfer the data of the entire hard disk, you can select the (Data Backup) option.

Step 5: You can click on each disk drive letter (C/D/E/F, etc.) to check whether important files are lost. If not, it is recommended that you transfer them to an external disk. The operation of transferring data is very simple. For example, if you want to transfer the data in the C drive to the G drive, you can first select the C drive on the upper left, select the G drive on the upper right, and then select the files in the C drive, and click the Copy function button in the middle. Disk data can be easily transferred. If there is a file you want to delete, you can also click the (Delete) button in the middle after selecting the file, but the deletion operation cannot be undone, please operate with caution.

Step 6: If you find that there is data loss, please select the (Undeleter) option on the main interface of the function, and click the (Run) button.

Step 7: Select (Fast Partition Scan) to scan the target hard disk.

Step 8: After the scan is complete, select the file to be recovered, click the (Recover) button to execute the data recovery command, please save the file in another external disk, eject the U disk after the recovery is complete, and then perform other operations on the computer, such as maintenance , replace the hard disk or reinstall the system, etc.