Get our Latest Finds
Subscribe to our RSS feed or enter your email address below to get the feed delivered to you by email:
Follow Gizmo
Using this Site
Top Rated
Gizmo's Freeware is Recruiting
We are currently looking for people with skills and/or interest in the following areas:
- Rootkit Scanner and Remover
- Web Browser for Android
If this sounds like you then click here for more details
How To Fix “BOOTMGR is missing” Error in Vista and Windows 7
Fixing the "BOOTMGR is missing" error isn't too hard; here's how.
The day before yesterday I was testing out a program with several system utilities built in. One of its components left my computer in a bit of a mess – no icons anywhere and other assorted woes. I had set a system restore point before I ran the program, so I thought I’d do a system restore. System restore gave me a message that it couldn’t restore my files. I decided to restore a disc image I had made a short while back. When I booted up the computer I got a message:
BOOTMGR is missing
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart
I stared at it the white letters on the black background for a few minutes, while the cursor blinked back at me. After some searching (on another computer) I had some solutions.
Barring any hardware errors, here’s how to fix that error:
- Insert your Windows Vista or Windows 7 disk into your DVD player and restart your computer.
- The next screen you see should have the Language, Time and Currency and Keyboard boxes.
- In the lower left side there are two options: “What to know before installing Windows” and “Repair your computer.”
- Click on “Repair your computer”
- Windows will then try to find the installation directory for Vista or Windows 7, depending on what you have.
- Next up is a screen with a box called Recovery Options. Click the first option, Startup Repair.
- You’ll see a Startup Repair box with the message “Startup Repair is checking your system for problems…”
- When it’s done, it will prompt you to reboot. If there is more than one problem it may reboot again to continue repairing.
- At this point, you can remove the DVD, reboot and everything should be working.
Two sites I found helpful are BOOTMGR is Missing at about.com and cyberstorms How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista
If the method outlined above doesn't work, try Solution #2 at the cyberstorm link.
Oh, restoring the disc image went fine and all is well. All my data was backed up (somewhere other than the hard drive Windows is on) so that was one thing I didn't need to worry about. Windows Vista and Windows 7 are the only Windows operating systems where this message appears; XP users don't have to worry about this one.
Signing off for now,
Rhiannon
Click here for more items like this. Better still, get Rhiannon's latest tasty tech treats delivered daily via your RSS feeder or alternatively, have the RSS feed sent as email direct to your in-box.
- Article type:
Printer-friendly version
Comments
Hay guys
please help me
i have AMD sempron processor installed windows xp , when i am trying to load windows 7 till select partion is don i have formated the c drive and install windows 7 after that the power shut down after that i am geting this message "BOOTMGR is missing to restat press ctr+alt+delete" i try to recover my system only display same message
Have you followed the steps in this article to fix the problem?
hi i did it but my dvd is strucking in my sys. but it works on another sys.iam not under standing how to rectify this.can any body tell me.
Sorry but we are unable to provide individual support here in the comments. Please post full details of your issue, including operating system, in our forum.
I had this problem with my Vista machine.
I tried solution number 2 on the cyberst0rm link and it worked!
I was going to format and reload. Saved me hours!!!
@Nishan; Awesome!
hi i'm using acer 5740 aspire laptop .. when i try to boot windows 7 or any other os cd my monitor displays this message "BOOTMGR is missing"press ctrl+alt+det to restart.i have formatted all the data in the partitions... how can i solve this problem.........
hi!!! i have a dell xps and i have used the dell factory restore, then but it finish the process, the screen apear a black screen pls help me... :(
This would be the best place to start looking for help:
Dell XPS Support
well, i had the same problem with asus K43SV series. The problem start when I open computer management and mark D as active. Then, boot manager missing come out on screen after restart. Worse, my dvd drive broken and my laptop do not support the F* key (*=1-12). I borrowed my friends laptop and transplant my hard disc to his laptop. After that, I just do system restore, move it back and my laptop is OK... However, it only can be used if your system is not damaged like mine where D become C, and C become E.
@Frieza; That's a great suggestion. =)
help me...!!!
i have a compacq presario CQ42.i am troubling with my pc as it was showning BOOTMGR missing.and my os is windows 7ultimate.plz help me how to solve my problem
help....help...help...., hi i have dell inspirion laptop at my home and and hve been facing same problem since yesterday (boot mgr is missing), so i would like get some advice from rhianon to go to the dell technical center before, dell provide me drive and utilities software only, so can i solve this problem using by this dell driver and utilities software is that possible!!!!!! if possible can u help me to tell in details pls!!!!!!!
@bhisma;
You can go to Dell Technical Support.
Click on the kind of support you need (home, office or enterprise).
The site will walk you through the rest - you'll need the make and model of your computer to get to the right site to download drivers and programs.
If you find the small white tag with black letters and a bar code on your computer you can use the information to go to the page that lists everything that was installed on that particular computer - all the utilities and drivers.
On my Dell laptop the tag is on the bottom of the computer.
Hope that helps. =)
Hello,
I was having an issue with the "BOOTMGR IS MISSING" error on my 64-bit Windows 7 PC. Last night, Windows Update had prompted me to install about 1 GB of updates to the OS. I obliged the prompts and downloaded the updates.
Once finished, I restarted the PC to install the updates, but when windows installed them, it placed everything in X:\ [BOOT] instead of C:\ [HEAVEN](current windows install). Now, when attempting to perform any sort of fix, I am locked out of the C:\ drive. I tried to put in the Windows 7 disc and repair, but to no avail. I also tried method two above as well as bootrec.exe to rebuild the critial boot files, but cmd defaults to the root of X:\ instead of C:\ and I am denied access when trying to view or edit anything on the C:\ partition. In fact, I get an "Access denied" error when attempting any action on a drive other than X:\ [BOOT].
Might I also add that my PC was moved from one room to another, last night. When setting up the PC, I didn't connect anything but the necesities, right away (mouse, keyb, monitor). One of the things that I did not connect was my external IDE>USB drive, which just so happened to be labeled as X:\ [STYX]. In addition to this drive, there are only two more partitions, which are located on the master drive, C:\ [HEAVEN] and D:\ [PURGATORY]. I was thinking that this might have something to do with Windows mistakenly installing on the wrong drive, in the first place. The only thing is, I cannot understand where windows partitioned the space for X:\ [BOOT] as the external drive was disconnected and there is absolutely NO unallocated space on the master.
Regardless, I tried rebooting the system with the external drive connected, hoping windows would skip over X:\ entirely, but it just issued the drive another letter. So, balls.
Can you offer any advice? or is it safe to say I will have to install yet another instance of windows (in addition to the three that I currently have lol)?
Thanks for your help!
~The Tatem
All the advices in this matter I found so far begin with "insert your windows disc into". What if i don't have it? I thought i created a disc image but now it's not working.... help?
@AGGIE; You may need to contact the company that made your computer and request disks for your operating system.
If you don't have an optical drive (CD/DVD) you can boot from an external source like USB flash drive or external hard drive.
You can download boot disks from these two sites:
Bart's Boot disks
UBCD for Windows
Either of those should let you run the fixmbr command, but, if you have a computer that has the operating system on a separate (and often hidden) partition (Dell does this on some of it's computers) please check the manufacturers website to make sure nothing will be damaged by using these methods.
I have 2 HP computers and was able to order the original restore disk from them (I lost the disk I created and for some STUPID reason you can't create a 2nd set!). By supplying the serial number of my computers I received exactly what I needed for about $10 each.
Is the windows 7 disc you need the same as a windows 7 recovery disc?
Anonymous55; That depends on the vendor who made your computer. Some of them bundle the OS with a recovery disk. This usually results in the hard drive being brought back to the factory defaults with your data not being kept. Some of them put the recovery and OS options in a partition on the hard drive that's accessed in various way depending on the vendor.
If you have a disk with the operating system accessible apart from vendor drivers and programs that would be the one to use.
You can also download a boot disc from Barts Book Disks or UBCD for Windows.
Bart's Boot disks
UBCD for Windows
Those are the two I know of, though there are others out there that are favorites depending on who you talk to. :)
Thank you, but the thing is, my laptop never came with any disc what-so-ever. However it did mention that i had to download something like this onto a disc, but in my ignorance, I was to lazy to do this.
Anonymous55: Since you have internet access, I would go to the website of the company who manufactured your computer. Make sure you have the make and model of your computer, then head to the support section to get directions on what to do to obtain the operating system. Most computer manufacturers have good support/download/documentation at their sites.
Otherwise you'll need a boot disk to repair the BOOTMGR (see links in my previous reply). Assuming that your operating system and files are intact, that should do it.
"startup repair cannot repair this computer automatically" what should i do?
Try Solution #2 at the cyberstorm link mentioned in the above article.
How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista
just one thing: does this erase your data, like My Docs and Program files folder? assuming they are on the same partition? Help Please!
andrepd; The handful of times I've done this the process left Windows and all my files intact - it repaired the bootloader so that Windows could load.
Not to say it couldn't happen because you never know, but as long as the hard disk doesn't get formatted you should be ok.
Thank you - The cyberstorm link worked for me :-)
Thanks Rivash, I'm glad to hear it. :)
I flashed my BIOS to v1.9 for bulldozer support on my MSI 890FXA-GD70 and got a black screen. Nothing would work. Powered off then I pressed a pen tip to the "RESET CMOS" button on the back of the mainboard, restarted only to be greeted with BOOTMGR MISSING".
Had to go back into BIOS and change boot order to the correct drive (my ssd was booted first). Problem fixed after two more restarts, everything working good and now I have am3+ support!
I have the same problem but the thing is i've formatted my system drive so the win 7 dvd won't even boot,with an error sayin 'bootmgr is missing' as well.what shoul I do?plz help me i'm desperate:(
Post new comment