How to Fix the 'BOOTMGR is Missing' Error in Windows

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 24, 2024

Please provide the list of languages you need translated, I'll translate them one by one into English for you.

Some users might have encountered a black screen with the error message BOOTMGR is missing, or a similar error, when attempting to boot their Windows 10/8/7 PCs.

BOOTMGR is Missing. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

Here are the translations of the provided Chinese phrases into English:
• "BOOTMGR is Missing. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart"
• "BOOTMGR is missing Press any key to restart."
• "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The system cannot boot."
• " Couldn't find BOOTMGR"
These messages are actually error messages commonly displayed on Windows computers when there's an issue with the Boot Manager, which is responsible for loading the operating system.

Remain on this page if you're encountering a similar "BOOTMGR is Missing" error as displayed above, and proceed to read from the tools section. You'll find a satisfactory solution to restore the BOOTMGR file and regain the ability to boot your computer normally:

"?"

This guide will discuss how to fix the "Bootmgr is missing" error on Windows 10 or Windows 7. Let's begin. Also, don't forget to share this fantastic page to assist more of your friends in resolving this issue online:

How to Fix the BOOTMGR is Missing Error on Windows 7/8/10

BOOTMGR (Windows Boot Manager) is a read-only, hidden file located in the root directory of a partition marked as Active, typically a system-reserved partition without a drive letter. BOOTMGR automatically loads volume boot code and initiates the startup of your operating system from the hard drive.

Below, we've listed 10 fixes you can try to resolve the Windows 7/8/10 BOOTMGR is missing issue. Go through them one by one and see which one works for you.

Fix 1. Restart Your Desktop or Laptop Solution 1: Restart Your Desktop or Laptop

This isn't a deceitful trick; sometimes, restarting your PC can help you fix BOOTMGR. Press the power button on your PC to turn it off and then turn it back on again.

And if it doesn't work, try the next approach.

Fix 2. Reset All Internal Data and Power Cables Translation: Solution 2. Reset All Internal Data and Power Cables

The BOOTMGR missing error might be caused by disconnected, loose, or faulty power or controller cables. Here's how to address this:

• Press the power button on your computer to shut it down.
• Remove and reconnect all SATA cables and power cables between the PC and hard drives.

Reboot the PC again.

Fix 3: Remove External Storage Devices Step 1: Unplug USB devices If you have any external storage devices connected to your computer, such as USB drives, external hard drives, or memory cards, disconnect them temporarily. These devices can sometimes cause startup issues. Step 2: Eject media Make sure to safely eject any connected media before removing them to prevent data loss or corruption. On Windows, you can do this by right-clicking the device in File Explorer and selecting "Eject." On macOS, click the Eject button next to the device in the Finder. Step 3: Restart your computer After removing the external devices, restart your computer and see if it boots up normally. If it does, one of the disconnected devices might have been causing the problem. You can reconnect them one by one to identify the problematic device. Step 4: Check the devices If a specific device causes issues upon reconnection, try updating its drivers or firmware, or contact the manufacturer for support. In some cases, the device itself may be faulty and require replacement.

To eliminate the possibility that the 'BOOTMGR is Missing' error appears due to your PC attempting to boot from a non-bootable device, ensure that you have removed all removable media, such as a USB flash drive, a floppy disk, or any other unbootable disks.

Unplug removable devices from PC

If the above physical fixes worked, remember to share these tips and help your friends who are experiencing a similar issue online right away:

Fix 4. Change the Boot Order in BIOS If your computer is not booting from the USB drive, you might need to adjust the boot order in the BIOS settings. Here's how: 1. **Restart your computer**: Turn off your computer and turn it back on. As it starts up, look for a key to press to enter the BIOS. This key is often displayed on the screen during the initial startup process and can be F2, F10, F12, Del, or Esc, depending on the manufacturer. 2. **Enter the BIOS**: Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS setup. You may need to repeatedly tap the key to ensure entry. 3. **Locate the Boot section**: In the BIOS menu, navigate to the "Boot" or "Startup" section. Use the arrow keys to move around the menu and the Enter key to select options. 4. **Change the boot order**: Find the option to change the boot order, usually labeled "Boot Priority," "Boot Sequence," or something similar. Move the USB drive to the top of the list, ensuring that your system will attempt to boot from the USB first. 5. **Save and exit**: After making the changes, save them (usually by pressing F10 and confirming with "Yes") and then exit the BIOS. Your computer will restart with the updated boot order. 6. **Boot from the USB**: If everything is set correctly, your computer should now boot from the USB drive. If it doesn't, there might be an issue with the USB drive or the installation media. Double-check your steps and try again. Remember to consult your computer's manual or manufacturer's website for specific instructions on entering the BIOS and changing the boot order, as the process can vary between different systems.

Has the Windows 10 BOOTMGR missing issue persisted? Inspect the boot sequence in BIOS and ensure that the correct hard drive or another bootable device is listed as the first option to start your computer.

Step 1. Restart your Windows 10 or Windows 7 computer. As it's starting up, press the DEL or F2 key to enter BIOS Setup.

Step 2. Next, under the "Boot" tab, ensure that the hard drive is set as the first boot device in the BIOS. If not, change the boot drive. Lastly, restart your computer.

Fix 5. Recreate BCD from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

A corrupted or incorrectly configured BCD could cause the BOOTMGR is missing error. bootrec.exe is a tool built into the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) that you can use to troubleshoot and repair boot configuration data and master boot records. To rebuild BCD from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), follow these steps:

Step 1. Insert the Windows installation disk into your PC, and then restart it from the disk. Click "Repair your computer".

Fix 'bootmgr is missing' error

Step 2. Click "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Command Prompt," and type: C: then press Enter.

Step 3. In Command Prompt, type the following commands in order and press Enter:

Here are the translations in American English:
1. bootrec /fixmbr - This command repairs the Master Boot Record (MBR).
2. bootrec /fixboot - This command writes a new boot sector to the system partition.
3. bootrec /rebuildbcd - This command scans all disks for Windows installations and rebuilds the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store.
4. Chkdsk /f - This command checks the disk for file system errors and fixes them.

< strong > Step 4. < /strong > After successfully executing each command, type < strong > exit < /strong > and restart your computer. It should be able to start up and run properly again.

Fix 6. Repair Corrupted MBR and BCD with Bootable USB

If the MBR is corrupted, the computer will fail to boot and display the error message "BOOTMGR is missing". In this case, you'll need to rebuild the MBR on your PC with the assistance of reliable partition manager software - tools Partition Master.

You can repair the corrupted MBR or BCD file with a bootable USB and fix the "BOOTMGR is missing" error on Windows 10/8/7 without using an installation disc.

#1. Rebuild/Fix MBR

Step 1. Create a WinPE bootable disk

1. Launch tools Partition Master, and click "Bootable Media" on the toolbar. Select "Create bootable media". 2. Click "Next" to complete the process.

Step 2. Boot the Tools Partition Master Bootable USB

Connect the bootable USB or CD/DVD to your PC. When you restart the computer, press F2 or Del to enter the BIOS screen. Set your computer to boot from "Removable Devices" or "CD-ROM Drive". The Partition Master tool will then run automatically.

Step 3. Rebuild MBR

Click "Toolkit" and select "Rebuild MBR".

Rebuild MBR

Select the disk and the type of MBR, then click "Rebuild".

After that, you can see "MBR has been successfully rebuilt on Disk X".

#2. Rebuild BCD

Step 1. Connect the external drive/USB to your computer and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Go to "Bootable Media" and click "Create Bootable Media."

Step 2. Choose an available USB drive or CD/DVD and click "Create." You can also burn the Windows ISO file to the storage medium.

Step 3. Connect the created bootable drive to the new computer and restart it by holding down F2 or Del to enter BIOS. Next, set the WinPE bootable drive as the boot disk and press F10 to exit.

Step 4. Restart the computer and enter the WinPE interface. Next, open the Partition Master tool and click on "Boot Repair" under the "Toolkit" option.

Step 5: Select the system you want to repair and click "Repair."

Click "Repair".

Step 6. Wait a moment, and you will receive an alert that the system has been successfully repaired. Click "OK" to complete the boot repair process.

In addition to rebuilding MBR and BCD, Partition Master also provides the following features to help you manage and optimize your disk performance:

Translate the following text into English:
• Transfer free disk space from one drive to another directly.
• Resize or move partitions, merge partitions, clone partition, and check for file system errors.
• Clone a disk, convert to MBR/GPT, convert to dynamic/basic, and even erase data securely.
• Migrate the operating system to an SSD to speed up Windows without needing to reinstall it.

Share this tutorial to help your friends successfully eliminate the BOOTMGR Is Missing error from their computers:

Fix 7. Run Startup Repair from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

The procedures for running Startup Repair on Windows 7 and Windows 10 are slightly different, so please refer to the appropriate guide based on your operating system:

#1. Run Startup Repair on Windows 7:

Step 1. Insert the Windows installation disc, and then start the computer. If there is no installation CD, how to fix BOOTMGR is missing in Windows 7 without CD? You can create a bootable USB from ISO and then boot the PC from the USB drive to enter the Windows Recovery Environment.

Step 2. Select "Startup Repair" under the System Recovery Options window to continue.

Run Startup Repair on Windows 7 to fix BOOTMGR is missing error

#2. Perform Startup Repair on Windows 10

Step 1. Insert the Windows 10 bootable installation disc, and then start your computer.

Step 2. Press a key when you see the message Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.

Step 3. Choose a language, time and currency format, and a keyboard or input method. Click Next. Select Repair your computer.

Step 4. On the "Choose an option" screen, click "Troubleshoot." On the Troubleshoot screen, click the "Advanced" option.

Step 5. On the Advanced options screen, click "Automatic Repair" or "Startup Repair".

Restart your computer and see if you have successfully fixed the BOOTMGR is missing error in Windows 10. If not, proceed with the next step.

Fix 8: Perform a System Restore if You Have a Backup Image

If System Restore is enabled on your PC, you can try running System Restore from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to fix the BOOTMGR is missing error in Windows 7 or Windows 10.

Step 1. Follow the steps above to access the Startup Repair options using the Windows installation disc. This time, choose "System Restore."

Step 2. Follow the System Restore Wizard instructions and choose the appropriate restore point.

Step 3. Select Finish to restore the system.

These are all the potential methods that could help you resolve the BOOTMGR is missing error caused by various reasons. We hope that these solutions are helpful. Alternatively, if none of these work, you might need to consider performing a clean Windows installation or replacing the PC's hard drive.

Solution 9: Perform a Clean Installation of Windows

Performing a clean installation of Windows will completely remove Windows from your PC and install it again from scratch. This method can definitely resolve the BOOTMGR is missing issue in the Windows operating system.

A clean installation will wipe all your data, so you must back up crucial files beforehand, or they'll be lost. If you can't access your data for backup, use professional data recovery software like Data Recovery Wizard to recover data from an unbootable computer. To perform a clean install of Windows on your PC, follow this guide:

Fix 10: Replace the Hard Drive

If both the clean installation fails, then you probably have a hardware issue with your hard drive. In that case, recover your data from the corrupted hard drive and replace the hard drive.

For a step-by-step tutorial, please refer to this link: How to Replace the Hard Drive in a Dell Laptop.

Then, you won't encounter the BOOTMGR missing error in Windows.

When BOOTMGR is missing or corrupted, Windows is unable to boot and displays the 'BOOTMGR is Missing' error message. If you're using Windows 11, consult this page for solutions:

4 Ways to Fix Bootmgr Is Missing in Windows 11

No need to worry, stay calm! This guide will provide you with several efficient solutions to resolve the Windows 11 bootmgr missing problem. Read more >>

What Are the Causes of the BOOTMGR Missing Error in Windows?

When you turn on your computer, the PST (which stands for Power-On Self-Test) processes begin to run by the BIOS before your Windows copy boots up. The "BOOTMGR is missing" error occurs after the Power-On Self-Test (POST) is finished, and Windows starts to load.

The BOOTMGR error can be caused by various issues, including:

Here are the translations of the provided text into English:
• The BOOTMGR files are corrupted or incorrectly configured.
• The Windows boot sector is damaged or missing.
• The PC is configured to boot from a non-bootable device.
• Errors, corruption, or bad sectors are present on the hard drive.
• Other reasons include outdated BIOS, loose or damaged hard disk interface cables, faulty hard drives, and issues with operating system upgrades.

Don't forget to share this practical page to help your friends fix the BOOTMGR missing issue on their PC successfully:

Conclusion

On this page, we've gathered 10 practical solutions for Windows users to address the "BOOTMGR is Missing" issue on Windows computers. For beginners, please attempt the first 5 methods. The tool Partition Master, equipped with its Boot Repair function, along with the other four manual fixes, can effectively resolve most blue screen issues related to the missing BOOTMGR.

Both new and seasoned computer users can follow these tips to get their computer booting and working normally again. Additionally, if you have some computer expertise, the last five methods, from Method 6 to Method 10, can also be instrumental in effectively fixing computers with a missing BOOTMGR file issue.