Bootmgr Is Missing Windows Xp

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Active6 years, 9 months ago

On an old netbook I have which is (was) running Windows XP, and when I boot, I get a BOOTMGR is missing error, but according to this site I should actually get NTLDR is missing instead. I find this vexing. Is there a fix for it? (Exact error: BOOTMGR is missing (newline) Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart)

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How to fix the 'BOOTMGR is Missing' and 'Couldn't Find BOOTMGR' errors that sometimes appear during startup in Windows 10, 8, 7, or Vista. To run System Restore from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), follow these steps: Insert the Windows installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer. Press a key when the message Press any key to boot from CD or DVD appears. If your PC does not detect the media automatically. Bootmgr is missing press ctrl+alt+del to restart windows xp bootmgr is missing press ctrl+alt+del to restart windows xp Windows XP doesn’t use bootmgr, but if you’re.

Pc Bootmgr Is Missing Windows Xp

1 Answer

This message usually indicates that the boot sector is damaged or missing. The boot sector is a region of your hard disk that contains information that is used to load your operating system. If a boot failure is detected when your PC is starting, you may receive this error message.

To resolve this issue, use the steps in the following KB article:

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Bootmgr

There are a number of possible causes for BOOTMGR errors, including the most common 'BOOTMGR is missing' error message.

Missing

The most common reasons for BOOTMGR errors include corrupt and misconfigured files, hard drive and operating system upgrade issues, corrupt hard drive sectors, an outdated BIOS, and damaged or loose hard drive interface cables.

Another reason you might see BOOTMGR errors is if your PC is trying to boot from a hard drive or flash drive that is not properly configured to be booted from. In other words, it's trying to boot from a non-bootable source. This also would apply to media on an optical drive or floppy drive that you're trying to boot from.

There are few ways that the 'BOOTMGR is missing' error may show up on your computer, with the first error I have listed being the most common:

The 'BOOTMGR is missing' error displays shortly after the computer is turned on, immediately after the Power On Self Test (POST) is complete. Windows has only initially started to load when the BOOTMGR error message appears.

BOOTMGR issues apply to Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista operating systems only.

Windows XP does not utilize BOOTMGR. The equivalent function in Windows XP is NTLDR, which produces the NTLDR is Missing error when there's a similar problem.

How to Fix 'BOOTMGR Is Missing' Errors

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  1. Restart the computer. The BOOTMGR error could be a fluke.

  2. Check your optical drives, USB ports, and floppy drives for media. Often times, the 'BOOTMGR is Missing' error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable disc, external drive, or floppy disk.

    If you find that this is the cause of your issue and it's happening regularly, you might want to consider changing the boot order in BIOS so the hard drive is listed as the first boot device.

  3. Check the boot sequence in BIOS and make sure the correct hard drive or other bootable device is listed first, assuming you have more than one drive. If the wrong drive is listed first, you could see BOOTMGR errors.

    I know I sort of hit on this in the troubleshooting step above, but I wanted to call out specifically that you might have the wrong hard drive listed since many BIOS/UEFI systems allow you to specify a particular hard drive to be booted from first.

  4. Reseat all internal data and power cables. BOOTMGR error messages could be caused by unplugged, loose, or malfunctioning power or controller cables.

    Try replacing the PATA or SATA cable if you suspect it might be faulty.

  5. Perform a Startup Repair of Windows. This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files, including BOOTMGR.

    Even though a Startup Repair is a common solution for BOOTMGR problems, don't worry if it doesn't fix your problem. Just continue troubleshooting - something will work.

  6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows system partition to correct any possible corruption, configuration problem, or other damage.

    The partition boot sector is an important piece in the boot process, so if there's any issue with it, you'll see problems like 'BOOTMGR is Missing' errors.

  7. Rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD). Similar to the partition boot sector, a corrupted or incorrectly configured BCD could cause BOOTMGR error messages.

    The following troubleshooting steps are much less likely to help fix your BOOTMGR problem. If you've skipped any of the above ideas then you may have overlooked a very likely solution to this problem!

  8. Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive, so incorrect settings can cause problems like BOOTMGR errors.

    There's usually an Auto setting in BIOS for hard disk and optical drive configurations, which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.

  9. Update your motherboard's BIOS. An outdated BIOS version can sometimes cause the 'BOOTMGR is Missing' error.

  10. Perform a clean installation of Windows. This type of installation will completely remove Windows from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any BOOTMGR errors, it's a time-consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.

    Free cinema 4d download windows. If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, please understand that you will lose them all if you continue with a clean installation of Windows!

  11. Replace the hard drive and then install a new copy of Windows. If all else has failed, including the clean installation from the last step, you're most likely facing a hardware issue with your hard drive.

  12. Assuming it's not a hardware issue, your BOOTMGR should be fixed.

Don't Want to Fix This Yourself?

Bootmgr Is Missing Free Download

If not you're not interested in fixing this BOOTMGR problem yourself, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a whole lot more.