Learn how to repair Windows 11 UEFI bootloader in detailed steps with the help of a handy tool in Windows.
“I tried dual-booting Linux, and it wrecked my bootloader beyond repair. The other OS was installed fine and booted. Windows, however, refused to boot from that point. I removed that folder in hopes that it would restore the bootloader functionality. It did not. Then I looked through the startup repair logs, they said some integrity files were corrupt. But I don’t know how to repair it, please help.”
The Windows UEFI boot loader is in charge of loading the Windows operating system and initializing additional devices on the machine. The corruption mentioned in the scenario is the corruption of the Windows bootloader, which usually happens while users try to install the second operating system or remove data and files on the hidden partitions.
A corrupted Windows 11 UEFI bootloader will be unable you boot your PC, thus if we’re going to repair this issue, you need to prepare a bootable media to boot your PC first then you can follow the methods we list to fix the problem.
Connect your Windows 11 bootable media to your corrupted computer, and enter BIOS to allow your PC to boot from this media. Then, you will see the Windows 11 installation window, please click “Repair your computer” in the left corner, then follow the guide.
Then, click “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced Options” > “Automatic Repair”. Your OS will automatically run fix processes to repair Windows 11 UEFI bootloader.
If the Windows automatic repair didn’t work, you can try Diskpart to fix this problem manually.
Step 1. After your computer startup from the bootable USB, click “Repair your computer”, and go to “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced Options” > “Command Prompt”.
Step 2. Please type the following orders and press “Enter” after each order.
▪ diskpart ▪ select disk 0 ▪ list vol
In the volume list, we need to select the volume with the label “EFI”. Please type orders and hit “Enter” after each:
▪ select volume x ("X" is the number of the volume with the EFI label) ▪ assign letter
Assign the volume an available letter like: “I” or “J” etc. And type “exit” to exit Diskpart, after that, we’ll use CMD to continue.
Step 3. Now we can fix the bootload by the following orders. Please type all orders and press “Enter” after each.
▪ cd/d X:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ (“X” is the letter you assign to the EFI volume)
▪ bootrec/fixboot
▪ ren BCD BCD.bak
▪ bcdboot C:\Windows /1 en-us /s x: /f ALL (Please change the content based on your own settings)
▪ bootrec /rebuildbcd
After you finish all, you can remove the USB and restart your computer to check whether the problem is solved or not.
In method 2, you can find that the repair order is “rebuildbcd”. BCD is short for “Boot Configuration Data, which is used to boot Windows. If you’re using MBR as the system disk, the type “rebuildmbr” is also workable in the last bootrec order in method 2.
Using CMD is not easy for all users, especially when you need to type many pieces of complex commands. Therefore, a handy tool will be a convenient assistant to do it for you. AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a software to help users of Windows 11/8/7/XP/Vista to manage and protect their disks and partitions. The “Rebuild MBR” feature can avoid the risk of typing the wrong commands which might damage your disk.
Warning: For UEFI boot mode, the file is at /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/BCD on the EFI system partition, thus, the third method isn’t available for users whose PC use GPT disk as the system disk.
▶ Section 1. Create bootable media
First, we need to use AOMEI Partition Assistant to create bootable media.
Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant on the corrupted PC, connect a USB drive and make sure it can be detected by Windows.
Step 2. Click "Tools" and select “Make Bootable Media” in the top menu. In the pop-out window, choose USB Boot Device and then follow the wizard to complete.
▶ Section 2. Rebuild MBR
Step 1. Insert the bootable media to your PC and boot from the media. You need to change boot priority to the bootable media in BIOS. Then you’ll get into AOMEI Partition Assistant main interface after login.
Step 2. Right-click the disk you want to repair and select “Rebuild MBR”.
Step 3. Select the type of MBR for your Windows now.
Step 4. Click “Apply” and then “Proceed” to execute the pending operations.
And then, plug out the bootable media on completion and boot up your PC normally.
In this post, we introduce three ways to repair Windows 11 UEFI bootloader, you can try them according to your situation. AOMEI Partition Assistant is a professional disk management tool, you can also use it to convert MBR to GPT without data loss, migrate OS to another disk, or create a Windows 11 to go USB to run your personal Windows 11 on any PC and other practical functions.
How do I know if my UEFI bootloader in Windows 11 is corrupted? Signs of a corrupted UEFI bootloader may include error messages during startup, boot loops, or being unable to access the Windows 11 operating system. If you encounter these issues, it's a potential indicator that the bootloader needs repair.
Can I repair the UEFI bootloader in Windows 11 without reinstalling the operating system? Yes, it is possible to repair the UEFI bootloader in Windows 11 without reinstalling the entire operating system. There are methods and tools available to fix bootloader issues while preserving your data and installed applications.
Is it necessary to have technical knowledge to repair the UEFI bootloader in Windows 11? Repairing the UEFI bootloader may require some technical knowledge, especially if you choose to use Command Prompt-based methods. However, there are user-friendly tools and step-by-step guides available that can make the process more accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise.