BCD File Missing in Windows Server 2012: How to Fix That?

About Windows Server 2012 boot BCD error

The boot BCD error is a common issue that also occurs in Windows Server 2012 (R2) and can affect various systems, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Gateway laptops. The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is a firmware-independent database essential for boot-time configuration and is used by the Windows Boot Manager.

Depending on the boot mode, the BCD file is located differently: for traditional BIOS, it resides at /boot/BCD on the active partition, while for UEFI boot, it can be found at /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/BCD on the EFI System Partition.

Users may encounter BCD errors after extending the system partition or due to inappropriate operations that damage the Boot\BCD file. Additionally, these errors can arise after installing certain applications, as malicious third-party software can corrupt the BCD store. Problems may also occur when booting from a USB drive with a corrupted MBR or BCD, or due to installation errors in the server. Common BCD error messages in Windows Server 2012 include “Recovery: Your PC needs to be repaired” and “The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry.”

To fix boot BCD errors in Windows Server 2012, you need to identify the causes, such as non-system disk errors or corrupted files. Or look for error codes like 0xc000000f or 0xc0000098, as these indicate specific problems with the BCD file or system setup.

What to do if BCD file missing from Windows Server 2012(R2)?

This section will share how to repair BCD for Windows Server 2012(R2). You can choose the one that suits your situation most.

Method 1. Repair corrupted or missing BCD files

To make the repair easy and effective, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant. Its Boot Repair feature helps with boot problems after updates, boot conflicts in multi-OS setups, and boot sector corruption from viruses or other issues. With just a few clicks, you can quickly create a bootable repair USB using our powerful Boot Repair program and run an automatic repair. If you need a fast way to fix Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 (R2) boot issues, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a reliable option.

Case 1: Repair a running PC

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. In the Main Tab, please click the "Recover" tab and select "Boot Repair".

Step 2. The Boot Repair tool will pop up. Please click "Next" to start the system’s boot entries scan process.

Step 3. After the process is completed, it will display the scan result: system paths, system versions, and boot status. And, all repairable boot entries will be available to select.

Advanced Settings: Select a location to store the repaired boot entry.

Repair to the current disk: The system will boot from the current disk and ensure the boot files are complete and functioning properly. (By default)

Repair to another disk: This operation will repair the boot entry or create a new system boot entry to ensure the system can boot from the disk you select.

Step 4. Select one/multiple repairable boot entries you want to repair and click the "Repair" button to start the boot repair.

Step 5. Wait for the repair process to finish. Once it is finished, you can check the repair result. If it succeeds, you will get a "Repair Successfully" result.

Case 2: Repair Boot for PC that is unable to Boot

If your computer cannot boot, please create a Windows Server 2019 bootable USB first.

Step 1. Prepare a blank USB and connect it to a working PC that has installed AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Recover" >"Boot Repair" and then click the "create a bootable disk" option to create a WinPE "Boot Repair" disk.

Step 2. Boot the PC that cannot boot into WinPE. It will automatically load the Boot Repair tool and start the boot entries scan process. All boot entries will be displayed.

Step 3. Select the repairable boot entries you want to repair and click the "Repair" button to start the repair.

Step 4. Once the repair is repaired successfully, you can remove the bootable disk and boot the PC from the original system drive.

Method 2. Use Windows installation disc for fixing Windows Server 2012 boot issues

If you have a Windows installation or repair disc handy, follow the steps in the first section. If not, it is still recommended to use AOMEI Partition Assistant to fix Windows Server 2012 boot BCD error. Insert the Windows installation disc to your machine and start it. Follow these steps to rebuild BCD for your Server 2012.

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Step 1. At the installation interface, choose language, time and keyboard input, and then click Next.

Step 2. Click on "Repair you computer" in the lower left corner.

Step 3. Go "Troubleshoot > Command Prompt" to start CMD. Then, type "bootre /rebuildbcd" and hit Enter. Wait for the process completes.

Step 4. Close the command prompt and back to the Choose an option interface. Click on "Continue". It will prompt to press any key to start. Press any key to restart your Server. The BCD file should be rebuilt and the Server can start properly.

If that does not work, type following commands first and then rebuild the BCD file.

bootrec /fixmbr

bootrec fixboot

bootrec /scanos

Fixing a BCD error is easy with a Windows installation disc. But what if you don’t have one? If you’ve created a system or disk backup for Windows Server 2012, you can restore the server to a working state. In that case, just create a bootable media to start the server. You can also fix the boot BCD error without a disc using a professional tool like the AOMEI software.

To sum up

To fix BCD file missing from Windows Server 2012(R2) issue, you will have two choices in our guide. You use a Windows installation disc, or repair corrupted and missing BCD files with the help of AOMEI Partition Assistant. This multifunctional software also helps to clone/mirror HDD to another hard drive in Windows Server 2012 (R2), change partition size, free up space, convert MBR to GPT without losing data, and so on.