The Master Boot Record (MBR) of this hard drive is corrupted | Fix MBR in Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP

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Tracy King 

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Linda 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

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What is the Master Boot Record?

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is an essential data structure on a disk, generated automatically when the disk is initialized or the first partition is created. It exists in the form of executable code, typically residing in the first sector of the disk.

As with the MBR disk layout, the first 446 bytes (0x1BE) belong to the GPT itself, followed by the partition table, and the last two bytes of the sector are the sector signature, which is always 0x55AA.

The master boot record of this hard disk is damaged.

"I heard that the Master Boot Record of this hard drive is corrupted, so I can't boot the drive normally. Is there any way to fix the corrupted MBR on the hard drive?"

Bad MBR issues occur in many hard drive owners, regardless of the brand, such as Seagate, WD, Toshiba, or Samsung, and the consequences of a damaged or corrupted MBR on the disk drive are pretty much the same. Most of the time, you'll receive an error message indicating the severity of the MBR problem, such as:

• Error loading operating system
• Invalid partition table
• Operating system not found
• No bootable medium found. System halted
• Non-system disk or disk error
• Reboot and select proper boot device

Repair the Master Boot Record in Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP

To fix the Master Boot Record (MBR) on a hard drive in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, or XP, this tutorial recommends two troubleshooting methods:

Method 1: Fix the Corrupted MBR on Your Hard Drive with a Free MBR Repair Tool Method 2: Repair the MBR in Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP with the Command Prompt

Method 1: How to Repair a Corrupted MBR with a Free MBR Repair Tool

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a professional disk and partition management tool that offers MBR repair function to help you fix corrupted MBR on the hard drive.

Due to a damaged MBR on the boot drive, your Windows computer fails to start up normally. Hence, you need to connect the hard drive to another functioning computer for repair or create a bootable Partition Master tool disk to access the non-bootable OS.

Now, use the WinPE boot disk to rebuild the MBR by following these steps:

Step 1: Create a bootable WinPE disk

• Launch Partition Master and click on “Bootable Media” from the toolbar. Select “Create Bootable Media”. • Click “Next” to finish the process.

Create a boot disk

Step 2. Boot into Partition Master Live USB

Plug in the bootable USB or CD/DVD to your computer. Restart your computer and press F2 or Del to access the BIOS screen. Set it to boot from “Removable Device” or “CD-ROM Drive.” Then, Partition Master should run automatically.

Step 3: Rebuild the MBR

Click on “Toolbox” and select “Rebuild MBR”.

Select the disk and MBR type, then click “Rebuild”.

You should then see a message stating that the MBR for Disk X was successfully rebuilt.

Rebuild MBR

Aside from fixing MBR, this partition master also provides you with a one-stop solution for partition and disk management on your Windows computer.

• Resize/move partitions (the Pro version allows you to move space from D drive to C drive), create, format, delete, and merge partitions
• Copy and clone an entire disk to another, even if the target partition is smaller than the source
• Convert a logical partition to primary, or vice versa, convert FAT to NTFS partitions, and convert MBR disks to GPT, or GPT disks to MBR
• Permanently wipe all data on a hard drive to prevent information leakage or recovery

Method 2: Repair the MBR with Command Prompt

In this section, we'll show you how to fix the MBR in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. All these methods require the original Windows installation disc/DVD to repair the Master Boot Record.

If you are not very familiar with the command line and want to avoid any potential damage from mistakes, we recommend that you use the MBR automatic repair tool. If you're comfortable with command lines, let's take a look at how to fix the MBR on your hard drive/USB/SD card.

Repair the MBR in Windows 10

Step 1: Boot your computer from the Windows install media, and press any key to boot from the CD or DVD when prompted.

2. Follow the wizard to select “Repair your computer” > “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced” > “Command Prompt.”

Step 3: In the Command Prompt window, type each of the following commands one by one, and press Enter after each line:

These are command-line utilities used in the Windows operating system to fix boot records. Here are their translations in American English: bootrec /Fixmbr - Repair Master Boot Record bootrec /FixBoot - Repair Boot Sector bootrec /ScanOs - Scan for Operating Systems bootrec /RebuildBcd - Rebuild the Boot Configuration Data

Step 4: When it's done, close the Command Prompt window, remove the DVD, and restart your PC to see if Windows 10 boots normally.

You may also like: Get Access Denied Error While Running Bootrec Fixboot? Summary of Solutions.

Repair the MBR in Windows 8/8.1

Step 1: Boot your computer from the original install DVD (or recovery USB device).

Step 2: On the Welcome screen, click Repair your computer, then Troubleshoot, Advanced options, and Command Prompt.

Step 3: In the Command Prompt window, enter each of the following commands one by one, and press Enter after each line to execute it.

bootrec /Fixmbr This is a command in the Windows operating system used to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR). The MBR is a crucial part of a hard disk that contains the boot loader, responsible for starting the operating system. bootrec /FixBoot This command is used to fix the boot sector. If the boot sector is damaged or has been infected by a virus, this command can help restore its functionality. bootrec /ScanOs This command scans all disk partitions to look for bootable operating systems. It can be useful if you've lost or forgotten where an operating system is installed. bootrec /RebuildBcd This command is utilized to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD). The BCD stores information related to system startup, including the location of operating systems and boot options. If the BCD store is damaged or missing, this command can assist in recovery.

Step 4: Remove the installation media when the process is complete. Type exit and press Enter in the Command Prompt window, then restart your computer to check if it boots normally.

Repair the MBR in Windows 7

Step one: Boot from your original Windows 7 installation DVD.

2. When you see the "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD…" message, press any key to start up from the DVD.

Step 3: Choose a language and keyboard layout, then click “Next.” Select your operating system (make sure to check the box for “Use a recovery tool that can help fix problems starting Windows”), then click “Next.”

Step 4: When you see the "System Recovery Options" screen, click on "Command Prompt."

Step 5. In the Command Prompt window, type each of the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each one and waiting for each operation to complete:

bootrec /rebuildbcd This command is used to rebuild the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) store, assisting in the repair of boot issues. bootrec /fixmbr This command is for fixing the Master Boot Record (MBR), which contains information about how the operating system should boot on a computer. bootrec /fixboot This command repairs the boot sector, a special section on the hard disk that is responsible for loading the operating system.

Step 6 Remove the installation DVD when the process is complete. Type exit at the command prompt, and press Enter. Restart your computer to make sure it boots properly.

Repair the MBR on Windows Vista

Step 1: Boot the computer from the original Windows Vista installation CD or DVD.

Step 2: Choose a language and keyboard layout. On the Welcome screen, click on Repair your computer. Choose an operating system and then click Next.

Step 3: On the System Recovery Options screen, click Command Prompt.

Step 4. In the Command Prompt window, type each of the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after you finish typing each one and waiting for the command to complete before proceeding to the next:

< strong >< em > Repair the MBR: bootrec /FixMbr < strong >< em > Repair the boot sector: bootrec /FixBoot < strong >< em > Rebuild the BCD (Boot Configuration Data): bootrec /RebuildBcd

5. When you have completed this process, remove the installation DVD. Type exit at the command prompt and press Enter. Restart your computer and check that it boots properly.

You can also try running “Startup Repair” from the System Recovery Options window before running bootrec.exe to fix Master Boot Record errors.

• You will still need to boot from the installation disc and complete Steps 1 and 2 above. • Next, on the System Recovery Options screen, select Startup Repair. • Wait for the process to finish, and then restart your computer when prompted.

Repair the MBR in Windows XP

Step 1: Boot the computer from the original Windows XP installation CD. Press any key when prompted to boot from the CD.

Step 2: On the welcome screen, press R to open the Recovery Console.

4. When prompted with "Which Windows installation would you like to log onto", type **1** and press Enter. 5. Type your administrator password when prompted and press Enter. 6. Type **fixmbr**. When asked "Are you sure you want to write a new MBR?", press **Y** and then Enter.

5. Wait for the "fixmbr" tool to repair your damaged MBR. When it's done, remove the Windows XP CD. Type exit at the command prompt and hit Enter. Restart your computer to see if you can boot normally.

In short

This article covers the most comprehensive solutions to fix corrupted MBR on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. To automatically repair the MBR on your hard drive without further damage, we highly recommend trying the Partition Master tool, which allows you to fix MBR easily.

If dealing with startup issues is too challenging for you, you can always seek professional one-on-one remote assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Repair the Master Boot Record

Here are some issues regarding how to fix a corrupted MBR on a hard drive. If you have any of these problems, you may find the solutions here.

How do I fix the Master Boot Record on my hard drive?

Step 1: Download and run tools Partition Master on another computer to create a WinPE bootable media.

Step 2. Connect the bootable USB drive or CD/DVD to your computer. Boot the computer from the install media.

Step 3: Rebuilding the MBR is a simple process.

What happens if the MBR is corrupted?

When your hard drive's Master Boot Record (MBR) becomes infected with a virus or malware, it can become corrupted and cause your computer to fail to start up properly. MBR damage can also occur from a failed hard drive or a program that overwrites the MBR.

When the system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) detects a corrupted MBR or boot sector, you will see a threat message such as Invalid partition table, Operating System not found, or Error loading operating system.

Where is the Master Boot Record located?

MBR stands for Master Boot Record, also known as the Master Boot Sector, Sector 0, or Primary Partition Boot Sector. The MBR is automatically created when you make your first partition on a hard drive. It is located in the first sector of the disk, at the cylinder 0, head 0, sector 1 address.

Does the Master Boot Record delete data?

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is the information in the first sector of any hard drive or disk that identifies the location and loading mechanism of an operating system, so that it can be loaded into the computer's main memory, or RAM, to boot up.

The MBR only contains information about your partitions, not your personal data or deleted files.