A New Bootable USB Solution
BCD, also known as Boot Configuration Data, is where Windows boot options are stored. It includes boot configuration parameters for how to launch Windows. This key information in the Windows runtime environment is able to direct the Windows boot loader to seek boot information.
However, if the configuration file becomes corrupt for some reason, you'll have to rebuild BCD to repair the error. Windows usually becomes unbootable if the BCD gets corrupted. For example, if you turn on your computer one day and find a blue screen with "Error code: 0xc0000098", it's most likely that the BCD has no entries. This error obviously prevents you from booting up the Windows.
Relax if you are experiencing a similar issue as this example from Microsoft:
"I need help in rebuilding BCD Windows 10: Hello guys, I had a problem this morning…
it seems that I have to rebuild the BCD and I tried a few things:
BOOTREC /SCANOS
BOOTREC /FIXMBR
BOOTREC /FIXBOOT
BOOTREC /REBUILDBCD
But the access is denied in /fixboot
…so is there any other way to rebuild the BCD as long as I could boot the pc ?"
EaseUS provides you with 3 methods to rebuild the BCD on Windows 11/10 so that you can fix the boot BCD error that prevents your computer from loading correctly.
You can refer to the following 3 practical ways to rebuild the BCD. The table below compares the 3 ways in several fields: effectiveness, degree of difficulty, and duration.
Methods | Effectiveness | Supported systems | Difficulty | Duration |
EaseUS Partition Master | High - Simple steps for the operation👍 | Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 | ⭐ | 10 minutes |
The Command Prompt | Low - Requires many commands | Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista | ⭐⭐⭐ | 15-20 minutes |
Bootrec.exe Tool | Medium - A few commands required | Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista | ⭐⭐ | 15 minutes |
The easiest and fastest way is to use a third-party tool, EaseUS Partition Master which has recently updated a feature called Boot Repair that is specifically built for this type of issue. Compared with the Command Prompt, this software will save you plenty of energy and time, given its simple operation and user-friendly interface.
EaseUS Partition Master is multifunctional and powerful software that allows you to fix boot problems with one click. The Boot Repair mainly targets Windows boot configuration errors as well as a few issues that prevent the computer from booting due to the driver.
You can follow the guide below to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data after downloading the tool.
Step 1. Insert a USB drive or CD/DVD disc into your computer. Then, launch EaseUS Partition Master, and select "Bootable Media," then click "Create bootable media", hit "Next".
Step 2. Choose an available USB drive or CD/DVD. Then, click "Proceed".
If there's no storage device for now, you can save the ISO file to a local drive and burn it to a storage media later.
Step 3. Connect the WinPE bootable media to your computer. Restart the computer and then press F2/Del at the same time to enter BIOS. Modify the setting to boot from "Removable Devices" (bootable USB disk) or "CD-ROM Drive" (bootable CD/DVD) beyond the Hard Drive. Hit "F10" to save the setting and exit.
Step 4. Restart the computer and launch EaseUS Partition Master on the desktop.
Step 5. Select "Toolkit" and click "Boot Repair".
Step 6. Select the system to be repaired and then click "Repair" to rebuild the BCD file.
Step 7. Wait for the process to complete, and you will see a success message.
Now, you can restart the computer and then modify the boot option to boot from the system drive. At this point, the BDC file has been rebuilt, and the system should be able to launch and run as usual.
Besides, below are the other main features of EaseUS Partition Master that can help you with disk and partition issues.
If you are not interested in using a third-party tool to solve the problem, the Command Prompt can be your alternative. Command Prompt is commonly used by IT professionals and Windows administrators, while it is quite complex for Windows beginners. Yet, you are able to fix the BCD error with Command Prompt by following the guide below carefully.
Step 1. Reboot your PC and get into "Advanced Startup Options". Then, click "Troubleshoot".
Step 2. Select "Advanced options".
Step 3. Now, click on "Command Prompt" and wait for it to start.
Step 4. Type in bootrec /rebuildbcd, and press "Enter".
The bootrec command will look for Windows installations that aren't in the BCD and ask you if you want to add one or more to it.
Then, you will see one of the following messages at the command line:
If you see this message, it means that Windows installation data exists in the BCD store, but bootrec was unable to locate any new Windows installations on your PC to add to the BCD. Now, continue with step 5 to fix this issue.
If you see the second message, it means that the additional Windows installation in BCD was not found. Jump to step 10 to continue the process.
Step 5. Type the attrib command attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s and hit "Enter".
Step 6. Execute the ren command ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old to rename the BCD store.
Step 7. Then, run the command bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup to rebuild BCD and hit "Enter".
Step 8. Execute the command bootrec /rebuildbcd to rebuild it again, and then hit "Enter".
Step 9. Now, you will see the same message as case 2, shown in Step 4. Type Y or Yes and hit "Enter".
Then you'll get the success message on the screen: "The operation completed successfully." This is the end of case 1.
Step 10. Type Y or Yes to the Add installation to boot list? question.
Then, you will get the message: "The operation completed successfully."
Step 11. You will need to delete it manually before rebuilding it again because the BCD store exists and lists a Windows installation. Then, type the command bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup and hit "Enter".
The bcdedit command is used to export the BCD store as a file, which is then named bcdbackup. You have successfully rebuilt BCD on Windows and resolved the boot issue once you see the success message.
If rebuilding the BCD store does not resolve the startup problem, you can try to export and delete the BCD store and use the Bootrec.exe tool. This will completely rebuild the BCD store and fix any boot issues. The steps below will guide you to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (RE) and run the Bootrec.exe tool.
Step 1. Start by connecting the Windows OS USB or CD/DVD to your PC. Turn on your computer and press any key when you are prompted.
Step 2. Choose your keyboard settings, language, and currency. Then, click "Next".
Step 3. Click on "Repair your computer" to access different repair options.
Step 4. Select the operating system that requires repair, then click Next.
Step 5. Select "Troubleshoot" and click "Advanced options". Now click "Command Prompt", type in bootrec.exe, and press "Enter" to run the tool.
You can execute the commands below to recreate the BCD store at Command Prompt:
These commands can also be used to rebuild the boot partition easily.
There are some cases that might cause damage to the BCD file. If your computer encounters an unexpected shutdown or virus attack, blue screen or hard drive failure, or the system active partition is extended, for example, all of these events can cause a boot problem. When the BCD is missing or corrupted, it usually results in an unbootable situation in Windows and prompts the BCD errors. Below are some of the common examples.
In comparison, EaseUS Partition Master is an excellent choice for everyone to rebuild BCD, which provides the easiest and fastest method for rebuilding BCD in Windows 11/10. Boot Repair feature can solve most startup issues for various computers and operating systems. It also has many other features to help you manage the partitions on your PC.
The BCD registry file is saved in the \Boot\BCD directory of the active partition. The BCD registry file is saved on the EFI system partition if it's EFI–based OS.
Usually, when the BCD gets damaged or corrupted, it will cause unbootable situations in Windows 11/10/8/7 and prompt a BCD error. You can search the error code for the details and follow the guide provided in this article to solve the issue.
