How to Fix Windows Master Boot Record (MBR)The Master Boot Record, MBR for short, is a part of a hard disk that holds details of the partitions and loads the operating system.
The Master Boot Record, MBR for short, is a region of a hard disk that holds information about the partitions and acts as a loader for the operating system. Sometimes it can get corrupted and your computer may be unbootable. This guide shows you how to repair it using a Windows Recovery disk.
Sometimes after a sudden power cut the hard drive master boot record (MBR) can get corrupt. This can also happen when your computer gets infected with a virus or malware. In this guide, we are going to see how to repair the Windows 10 master boot record using the system recovery tools.
How to Fix Windows Master Boot Record
The main way to fix the MBR in Windows 10 is to use a command prompt and run the bootrec.exe command. In versions of Windows before Windows 8 and 10, you usually accessed the command prompt through recovery media like a DVD or USB drive. That still works in Windows 10 but the latest versions of Windows offer an easier method for running recovery commands without external media.
When you first boot up a Windows 10 PC it should recognize that there's a problem and enter "automatic repair" mode. If that doesn't happen, you can repeatedly press the F8 key when the system starts up.
Once automatic repair mode is ready, you'll see the Automatic Repair screen. From here select Troubleshoot then Advanced options.
On the next screen, click Troubleshoot and then Advanced options once again.
You'll see a screen with six options. If you want, you can select Startup Repair before turning to the command prompt and Bootrec. Startup Repair is an automated program that will try to fix any problems it finds on the computer disk without any intervention from the user.
If this doesn't work then you will need to perform a manual repair using the command line tools.
To enter the command prompt, simply click the Command Prompt icon. Once the command line appears, all you have to do is type the following, then press Enter:
bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd bootrec.exe /fixmbr bootrec.exe /fixboot
Common Master Boot Record Errors
If the Master boot record is broken, your computer may show some of the following errors:
- Error loading operating system
- Operating System not found
- Invalid partition table
- No bootable medium found
- Reboot and select proper boot device
These can all be fixed by repairing the MBR using bootrec tool.
