Repair and Fix EFI Bootloader in Windows 10/8/7

Updated by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

Are you experiencing boot issues with your computer using the EFI boot loader? Are you unable to start Windows, such as Windows 10, 8, or 7, smoothly on your PC due to problems with the EFI boot loader? In this article, we will provide you with effective solutions to directly fix the EFI boot loader and resolve EFI boot errors in Windows 10/8/7. Follow these methods to repair and fix the EFI boot loader: 1. **Boot into the EFI/UEFI Firmware Settings** - Restart your computer and enter the BIOS or UEFI firmware settings by pressing the appropriate key during the initial startup screen (usually F2, F10, F12, or Del, depending on the manufacturer). - Look for the "Boot" or "Startup" menu and navigate to the Boot Order settings. - Ensure that your Windows installation drive is listed and set as the first boot device. 2. **Repair the EFI System Partition** - Boot from the Windows installation media (USB or DVD) and select your language preferences. - Choose "Repair your computer" in the bottom-left corner, then "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Command Prompt." - Type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each: ``` diskpart list disk select disk X (replace X with the disk number containing the EFI System Partition) list partition select partition Y (replace Y with the partition number of the EFI System Partition) assign letter=Z (assign a drive letter to the EFI System Partition, replace Z with any available letter) exit Z: (press Enter to access the EFI System Partition) attrib -s -h -r /s /d *.* bootrec /fixmbr bootrec /fixboot bootrec /rebuildbcd ``` - Restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved. 3. **Restore the Default EFI Boot Files** - From the Command Prompt in the Windows recovery environment, type: ``` xcopy /y C:\Windows\System32\efi\* Z:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ ``` - Replace 'Z' with the drive letter assigned to the EFI System Partition. - Restart your computer and see if it boots correctly. 4. **Reinstall Windows** - If the above steps don't work, you might need to reinstall Windows while keeping your data intact. Boot from the Windows installation media and choose "Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings" during the setup process. 5. **Contact Support** - If all else fails, contact your computer manufacturer's support for further assistance, as there might be specific hardware-related issues. Remember to backup your important data before attempting any of these steps, as they involve modifying system components.

Note: If you want to fix the EFI boot loader in Windows 10/8/7 easily and effectively, you can try Method 1 and ask for help from a professional Windows 10 Boot Repair Tool; If you prefer free methods and are very familiar with Windows system management tasks, then Method 2 or 3 will guide you to fix EFI boot in Windows 10/8/7.

Method 1: Repair the EFI Bootloader for Windows 10/8/7 with a Bootable Disk

If you encounter EFI boot loader problems in Windows 10/8/7 and cannot start your computer normally, don't worry. A professional partition manager can help you create a bootable disk to fix the corrupted EFI boot loader without any problem. You can search for the tool Partition Master online or directly get this partition management software by clicking the download button below to fix the EFI boot loader in Windows 10/8/7.

Now, let's see how to use the partition master tool to fix the EFI boot loader issue in Windows 10/8/7:

Step 1: Create a bootable WinPE disk

2. Launch Partition Master, and click "Bootable Media" on the toolbar. Choose "Create Bootable Media". 3. Click "Next" to finish the operation.

Create a Bootable Disk

Step 2. Boot into Partition Master Live USB

Connect 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 will launch automatically.

Step 3: Rebuild the MBR

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

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

Then you'll see “The MBR of Disk X has been successfully rebuilt.”

Rebuild MBR

After that, you can set the BIOS boot order again from your computer's settings.

Method 2: Repair the Windows 7 EFI Bootloader

The methods for repairing the EFI boot loader with or without installation media are quite different. Let's look at how to repair the EFI boot loader in Windows 7 with or without installation media:

2.1 Repair the Windows 7 EFI Boot Loader from Installation Media

If you have installation media, follow these steps to repair the EFI boot files in Windows 7:

1. Insert your Windows 7 installation media (DVD/USB, etc.) into your computer.

2. Restart your computer and boot from the installation media > Choose “Repair your computer” > Select your operating system and click Next.

3. Select “Command Prompt” and enter the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

• diskpart
• select disk 0
• list volume

4. Verify that the EFI partition is formatted as FAT32 and assign it a drive letter by typing each of the following commands in turn and pressing Enter:

• Select Volume
• Assign Letter=:
• Exit
• cd /d \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\
• bootrec /fixboot

After doing this, you can reboot your computer and set it to boot from CD in the BIOS.

2.2 Repairing the Windows 7 EFI Boot Loader without Media

If you don't have the media, the following instructions will help you fix the EFI boot loader in Windows 7:

1. Restart your computer and press F8 as soon as you see the Windows boot screen.

2. Select “Repair your computer” and choose “Command Prompt” from the recovery options.

3. Enter each of the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each one.

• diskpart
• select disk 0
• list volume

4. Check that the EFI partition is formatted as FAT32 and assign it a drive letter: Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each:

• Select Volume
• Assign Letter=:
• Exit
• cd /d C:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\
• bootrec /fixboot
Please note that the path in line 4 may need to be adjusted based on the actual location of your EFI System Partition. In the example above, it is assumed that the EFI System Partition is located on drive C:.

5. Rebuild the BCD Store by typing the following commands in CMD, pressing Enter after each:

• Rename the BCD file to BCD.old
• bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s: All

Note: If you are creating a boot entry on a connected USB flash drive or external hard drive, add /f between the colon and All.

If you're a Windows 10/8.1/8 user, worry not, for you'll find the perfect solution in Method 3 to easily fix the EFI boot loader on Windows 10/8.1/8.

Method 3: Repair the EFI Bootloader in Windows 10/8

Users of Windows 10/8.1/8 can also fix the EFI boot loader in one of two ways, with or without installation media. You can choose to tackle this problem on your own:

3.1 Repair the Windows 10/8 EFI Bootloader with the Installation Media

Insert the installation media and restart your computer to boot from it.
• If you're using Windows 8.1 or 8:

Select Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.

For Windows 10 users:

Select “Repair your computer” > “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt”. Enter each of the following commands in order, pressing Enter after each one:

• diskpart
• select disk 0
• list volume

Please verify that the EFI partition is formatted as FAT32 and assign it a drive letter: > Press Enter after each command:

• Select Volume
• Assign Letter=:
• Exit
• cd /d C:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\
• bootrec /fixboot
Please note that the path in line 4 may need to be adjusted based on the actual drive letter where the EFI System Partition is located.

3.2 Repairing the Windows 10/8 EFI Boot Loader Without Installation Media

If you don't have the Windows 10/8.1/8 installation media, you can repair the Windows 10/8.1/8 EFI boot loader without installation media, following these instructions:

• Restart your computer and press F8 until the Windows Advanced Boot Options menu appears.
• Select "Repair your computer" > Click on "Command Prompt" under "Troubleshoot".
• Type in the following commands one by one and hit Enter after each: diskpart > sel disk 0 > list vol
• Make sure the EFI partition is formatted with FAT32 file system and assign a drive letter to it > Type in the following commands one by one and hit Enter after each: sel vol > assign letter=: > exit > cd /d : \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ > bootrec /fixboot
• Rebuild BCD, type in the following commands one by one and hit Enter after each: ren BCD BCD.old > bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s :

Note: If you are creating the boot entry on a USB flash drive or external hard drive that you will be connecting, add /f between the colon and All.