How to Rebuild BCD | All You Should Know 🔥


BCD, short for Boot Configuration Data, is a firmware-independent database for boot-time configuration data that contains critical information that can tell the Windows boot loader where to look for boot information. Thus, any BCD file corruption or loss will result in startup errors and unbootable problems. Below is a real case posted online:

Today, when I started my laptop, the following error message came with a blue screen saying: Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. The Boot Configuration Dara for your PC is missing or contains errors. File: \Boot\BCD and Error code: 0xc000014c. You'll need to use recovery tools. If you don't have any installation media (like a disc or USB device), contact your PC administrator or PC/Device manufacturer. - from Microsoft.

Have you ever encountered the same issue? Then, you will need to rebuild BCD to repair this error. Qiling will introduce three applicable methods to help you seamlessly rebuild BCD and fix the boot BCD error in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

How to Rebuild BCD in Windows 10&11- 3 Ways

This section will contain three solutions and detailed instructions. Check the overall list first:

  1. Fix 1. Repair BCD with Qiling Disk Master
  2. Fix 2. Apply Startup Repair
  3. Fix 3. Rebuild BCD via Bootrec.exe Tool

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Fix 1. Repair BCD with Qiling Disk Master

To rebuild BCD and repair the unbootable problems, you need a dedicated tool - Qiling Disk Master Professional. This software is designed to manage users' disks and provide versatile help, including repairing startup errors, fixing boot failures, and rebuilding MBR. Its intuitive interface and clear instructions can ensure a friendly experience for beginners.

With the assistance of its "Boot Repair" feature, you can effectively repair the BCD files and offer BCD and UEFI management.

Follow the tutorial below to repair the unbootable problem:

Step 1. Connect the USB drive/external drive to a working computer, open Qiling Disk Master (RE), and click "Create Bootable Media."

Step 2. Select Qiling Boot Toolkits and other components you need. Then, click "Next."

create-Qiling-partition-master-re-bootable-disk-2

Step 3. Select your movable device and click "Go" to create an image on your USB drive/external drive. You can also burn the Windows ISO file to the storage media.

create-Qiling-partition-master-re-bootable-disk-3

Step 4. Confirm the warning message and then wait for the creation process to complete.

Step 5. Connect the created bootable drive to the faulty computer and reboot it by pressing and holding "F2"/"Del" to enter the BIOS. Then, set the WinPE bootable drive as the boot disk and press "F10" to exit.

boot-re-bootable-disk-in-bios

Step 6. Then, the computer will enter WinPE desktop. Open BootRepair, select the system you want to repair, and click "Proceed".

select-the-os-to-be-repaired

Step 7. Wait a moment, and you will receive an alert that the system has been successfully repaired.

After you repair the BCD error, reboot your computer to see if the issue is solved. Then, you can also try the "BCD menu" tool in the "Boot Repair" tab, which can ensure that the system can locate the BCD file correctly by explicitly defining its location.

specify the BCD file

Other Powerful Features of Qiling Disk Master

Download and install this trouble-solver from the button below:

Fix 2. Apply Startup Repair

Another reason for unbootable BCD error is corruption of the Operating System. You can use the Windows computer repair option to repair your operating system. Now let's see how to take advantage of this feature:

Step 1. Click the "Repair Your Computer" option to launch the Windows Recovery Environment. Enter the "Advanced Options" under "Troubleshoot."

Step 2. Next, choose "Startup Repair" to initiate the repair process. When it's finished, Windows will restart on its own.

startup restart

Fix 3. Rebuild BCD via Bootrec.exe Tool

When the BCD is corrupted, you can not boot from the hard drive. In this case, you can use Bootrec.exe command lines to rebuild BCD in the Command Prompt. Here is what you need to do:

Step 1. Navigate to "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Command Prompt."

Step 2. Write the CMD shown below and hit "Enter" for each:

rebuild BCD

Step 3. Type exit to quit the process and restart your computer.

What Will Cause Boot BCD Errors?

As we know, if the Windows boot configuration data (BCD) is lost, corrupted, or incorrectly configured, the system will not boot. We rounded up some boot BCD errors:

Then, what may cause the boot BCD errors?

Refer to the following article and learn further information about the BCD error:

related articles

The Boot Configuration Data Store Could Not Be Opened

This guideline will offer 6 solutions to help users fix the error "boot configuration data store could not be opened."

cannot find bcd file

Conclusion

This article has step-by-step instructions, clear explanations, and helpful guidance for rebuilding BCD. Then, we also rounded up the basic information of the boot BCD errors. If you are entangled in the BCD errors, we highly recommend trying Qiling Disk Master. Its versatility extends beyond mere troubleshooting. It empowers you to repair various startup errors and unbootable issues. Hurry up and download this all-in-one software.

FAQ on How to Rebuild BCD

If you still have additional questions about rebuilding BCD, you can view and get your answers in this frequently asked question section:

1. Why does Windows boot BCD error 0xc00000f occur?

When any of the following scenarios come up, this problem will arise: corruption in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD), no or unknown reference to DEVICE/OSDEVICE in the boot configuration data. Except for winload.exe or \boot\BCD, the binary displayed in the screenshot is absent from the system disk.

2. Where can I find the BCD file?

For the MBR system disk, you can access the active partition and find the BCD registry file in the \Boot\Bcd directory. For the EFI-based operating system, you will discover the BCD file in its EFI system partition.

3. Can I manually edit the BCD file?

Yes, you can manually edit the BCD file by following the simplified tutorial below:

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