how to repair master boot record on external hard drive

Full Answer

How to fix “master boot record of this hard drive is damaged”?

If your operating system is none of Windows 10 edition, or your Windows 10 edition cannot fix the error itself, fix damaged MBR with the help of external tools, System Repair Disc, Windows Installation Disc or Recovery USB drive. Next, we take how to fix “Master Boot Record of this hard drive is damaged” with USB drive for example.

What is MBR (Master Boot Record) on external hard drive?

MBR (master boot record) plays an important role in booting Windows. If the MBR on external hard drive or USB drive is corrupted or missing, you’ll not be able to boot Windows from USB or external HDD.

How to fix MBR on external hard drive Windows 10?

3 Steps to Fix MBR on External Hard Drive, USB Drive for Free. 1 Step 1 – Connect External Drive with Windows (10) PC. Connect the external hard drive or USB drive with your Windows 10/8/7 computer, and launch ... 2 Step 2 – Choose Rebuild MBR Function. 3 Step 3 – Rebuild and Fix MBR on External Drive for Free.

How to repair boot sector on external hard drive?

Right-click the external drive which has a damaged MBR, and click Rebuild MBR option. Then hit Apply button to start to repair boot sector on external hard drive or USB drive. Then check if you can boot Windows from external drive and access the external hard drive now.

Can you repair master boot record?

How to fix the MBR. The main way to fix the MBR is to use a command prompt and run the bootrec.exe command. In versions of Windows prior to Windows 8 and 10, you usually accessed the command prompt through recovery media like a DVD disc or USB drive.

What happens if the MBR is damaged or corrupted?

The MBR damage also occurs when there a drive failure or an MBR overwrite caused by a program. When the system BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) detects a damaged MBR or boot sector, you will see threat messages such as invalid partition tables, incorrectly loaded operating systems, or missing operating systems.

How do you fix a boot sector on a hard drive?

Go Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt > type bootrec.exe /fixmbr and hit Enter. With Windows 7 Installation disc, you need to choose this path in installation interface: Repair you computer > Next > System Recovery Options to open Command Prompt. Then, input the same code and hit Enter.

What causes MBR to corrupt?

MBR errors can have three different causes: a virus infection, a drive failure or an MBR overwrite caused by a program. Virus infections happen when a virus is loaded onto your computer. Many viruses target the master boot record, since this is the most important part of your hard drive.

How do I know if my MBR is corrupted?

If the drive won't boot, there's something wrong with the MBR or it's not there, so that's your "verification". However, the command bootrec.exe /ScanOs should display the list of active records the MBR. If there are none, then again, it's either missing or corrupt.

How do I fix MBR without losing data?

Here are some quick fixes that you can try to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" error:Restart PC.Reset all internal data and power cables.Remove all removable media.Change the boot order in BIOS.Copy or recreate BCD file.Repair corrupted MBR.

Which command can be used to try to repair a broken MBR master boot record )?

You are going to use the bootrec.exe tool to repair the corrupt MBR. Bootrec has a range of commands designed to recover the boot process from issues and is already on your Windows 10 system as part of the base installation. Type bootrec.exe /fixmbr and press Enter. Then type bootrec.exe /fixboot and press Enter.

How do I change the master boot record?

Right-click the MBR disk (here is Disk 2) you want to convert to GPT and select "Convert to GPT Disk" in the drop-down menu. Step 2: It will ask you "Are you sure to convert the selected disk from MBR to GPT disk?". Click "OK" to confirm the change.

What does rebuild MBR mean?

Start MiniTool Partition Wizard, select a physical disk listed in the main window, select from top menu Disk -> Rebuild MBR. If MBR (Master Boot Record) of disk is damaged, system cannot boot. This feature will rewrite the Master Boot Record of the selected disk without destroying the disk partition table.

Does System Restore fix MBR?

It will then load System Recovery Options, which has a lot of tools that you can use to repair Windows such as System Restore. However in this case for repairing the MBR we simply have to go to the fifth option which is to open Command Prompt. This command will find your MBR file and fix your Master Boot Record.

Does rebuilding MBR erase data?

The purpose to initialize the disk is to rebuild MBR which will not erase data on your disk. However, to make the disk usable again, you need to format the disk and this action will wipe out your data.

How do I fix boot failure?

Fixing “Disk boot failure” on WindowsRestart the computer.Open the BIOS. ... Go to the Boot tab.Change the order to position the hard disk as the 1st option. ... Save these settings.Restart the computer.

How do I fix a corrupted MBR?

Fix the MBR in Windows 10Boot from the original installation DVD (or the recovery USB)At the Welcome screen, click Repair your computer.Choose Troubleshoot.Choose Command Prompt.When the Command Prompt loads, type the following commands: bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd.More items...

Does System Restore fix MBR?

It will then load System Recovery Options, which has a lot of tools that you can use to repair Windows such as System Restore. However in this case for repairing the MBR we simply have to go to the fifth option which is to open Command Prompt. This command will find your MBR file and fix your Master Boot Record.

What is the purpose of the master boot record MBR on a hard drive?

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is the information in the first sector of a hard disk or a removable drive. It identifies how and where the system's operating system (OS) is located in order to be booted (loaded) into the computer's main storage or random access memory (RAM).

What is Bootrec fix MBR?

/FixMbr. This option writes a Windows 7 or Windows Vista-compatible MBR to the system partition. It does not overwrite the existing partition table. Use this option when you must resolve MBR corruption issues, or when you have to remove nonstandard code from the MBR.

How do I fix the master boot record on my hard drive?

Step 1. Download and launch EaseUS Partition Master on a new PC and create a WinPE bootable disk.Step 2. Connect the bootable USB or CD/DVD to your...

What happens if the master boot record is corrupted?

When the master boot record on your hard drive is infected by viruses or spyware, it will become corrupt and make your computer fail to boot proper...

Where is the master boot record located?

The master boot record is commonly abbreviated as MBR, it’s also called master boot sector, sector zero, master boot block, or master partition boo...

Does Master Boot Record delete data?

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is the information in the first sector of any hard disk or disk, which identifies the location and manner of the opera...

How to fix master boot record of this hard drive is damaged?

Boot from the USB stick. If the system boot from original disk, you may need to change boot priority to USB drive in BIOS. 2. After logging into the drive, you should be able to see Choose an option interface.

Why is my MBR file corrupted?

Sometimes, an improper shutdown of computer may cause MBR file corrupted. Some malware attacking and virus infection will overwrite the Master Boot Record and lead to system unbootable. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to fix the damaged Master Boot Record as soon as possible.

What happens when the MBR is damaged?

As a result, when the MBR get damaged, the operating system simply won’t load. How do you get MBR damaged? It is not that easy to tell.

What is the MBR on a computer?

Master Boot Record (MBR), along with Boot Configuration Data (BCD), is an important data structure on the first sector of the disk and it will be created when you create the very first partition on the hard drive. The MBR contains the Partition Table for the disk and a small amount of executable code for the boot start, which means a key part of your computer’s startup system. As a result, when the MBR get damaged, the operating system simply won’t load.

What is a master boot record?

Master Boot Record (MBR) contains the Partition Table for the disk, and a small amount of executable code for the boot start, if it is a boot drive. MBR will be created when the first partition of the hard drive is created, and usually locates on the first sector of the disk.

Why is my external hard drive booting corrupted?

In general, there are three main possible causes for external hard drive master boot record corrupting. Virus infection. When a virus loads on your hard drive, the MBR sector is the first target that the virus is likely to infect. When the MBR part locked, no data on that drive can be accessed. MBR overwritten.

What happens if you get MBR damaged?

When you get MBR damaged on external USB drive or hard drive, you’ll not able to access to any partition of that disk, because partition table for that disk is damaged. Therefore, data on that drive will be lost and you cannot use the drive for new purposes.

How to fix MBR without booting Windows?

If you want to fix MBR without booting Windows, you can create a bootable media with the software and perform the repair in WinPE mode. If you want to fix MBR on Server, there is the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server you can use.

How to fix MBR on Windows 10?

If you have a Windows installation disc in hand, you can fix MBR of the drive easily. 1. Connect the external disk to your computer. Shut down the machine and insert the installation disc. Boot from the disc. 2. Select language, time and keyboard input, and click Next. 3.

Why is my MBR unreadable?

Some programs may accidentally write part of the MBR when they are installed on the external drive. Hard drive failure. Defective cluster of a hard drive makes MBR unreadable. Other behaviors like shut down PC without disconnecting the external drive also do harm to the MBR sector.

Can I fix MBR on external hard drive?

Whether you have Windows disc, you can fix MBR for external USB hard drive at last. However, you may find the bootrec /fixmbr command disappoints you sometimes with the return error “Access denied”, “File not found”, “I/O device error”, or “Element not found”.

Where is the master boot record located?

It will be created when you create the first partition on the hard disk. It is located in the first sector of a disk.

How to repair a damaged MBR?

Right-click the disk whose MBR is damaged. Choose "Rebuild MBR" to continue. Select the type of MBR with the current operating system. Then, click "OK". Click the "Execute Operation" button at the top-left corner and click " Apply" to build the MBR. After that, your computer can boot normally again.

How to repair a computer with a CD?

Step 1. Boot your computer using the Windows bootable drive and press any key to boot from CD or DVD. Step 2. Follow the wizard to choose "Repair your computer" > "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced" > "Command Prompt". Step 3. On the Command Prompt window, type these following commands and hit enter after each line of command:

Why does my computer fail to boot?

When the master boot record on your hard drive is infected by viruses or spyware, it will become corrupt and make your computer fail to boot properly. The MBR damage also occurs when there a drive failure or an MBR overwrite caused by a program.

What is the MBR on a computer?

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is the information in the first sector of any hard disk or disk, which identifies the location and manner of the operating system in order to boot (load) it into the computer's main memory or random access memory.

What is a master boot record?

MBR will be created when the first partition on the hard drive is created and it is a very important data structure on the first sector of disk, which contains the partition table for the drive as well as a small amount of executable code for the boot start.

How to make a bootable USB drive for Windows 10?

In the main interface, click Make Bootable Media in the left pane and follow the wizard to create a Windows 10 bootable USB drive. Step 2. Connect the bootable media created via AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard to the computer with a boot issue and enter BIOS to boot computer from the USB drive. Step 3. Once logged in, the AOMEI Partition ...

How to boot Windows 10 from Windows installation media?

Boot computer from Windows installation media, click on the “Repair your computer” and then “Troubleshoot” option to access Windows 10 boot options. After getting into the “Advanced options” screen, click on “Command Prompt” to launch it.

How to get to command prompt in Windows re mode?

To access Command Prompt in Windows RE mode, you can try the below 2 ways: Way 1. Restart the Windows and as soon as you see the Windows logo; press and hold the power button to force shutdown it. Repeat this operation 2-4 times and Windows will open up boot options for you. Way 2.

What happens if you overwrite a master boot record?

MBR overwrite: if the master boot record is overwritten by some programs accidentally, it will become damaged as well.

What happens when the MBR on an external hard drive gets damaged?

It’s the first 512 bytes of your hard disk. Therefore, when the MBR on your external hard drive gets damaged, you might be unable to access the external hard drive. So you might need a MBR repair tool for external hard drive to ensure that your hard drive can function well.

What is the MBR partition?

MBR is a boot sector of the hard disk that contains the important information about the partitions on your hard drive and loads the OS. MBR is created on the very first partition when you first install Windows. It’s the first 512 bytes of your hard disk.

Why is my MBR damaged?

Generally speaking, there are three main causes for damaged MBR either on external hard drive or internal hard drive: A virus infection: when a virus is loaded onto your computer, the MBR will become its prior target to infect since master boot record is the most important part of your hard drive.

How to rebuild a hard drive?

Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard on your Windows computer, right-click the external hard drive and select Rebuild MBR. Step 2. Select the type of MBR for your current operating system.

How to fix a Windows 10 laptop?

Step 1. Put the Windows installation DVD into the disk tray and boot your computer from it. Step 2. Follow the wizard to choose “Repair your computer”> “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced” > “Command Prompt” (Windows 8/8.1/10).

alucard77

My new PC is great, but it is giving me headaches left and right today. I was able to fix one issue, but now I have a problem while trying to copy my data from my old PC.

Jason S

i dont think you had an MBR on your external hard drive... i dont think an external hd would have any use in this situation.

Colin-uk

i dont think you can reinstall an mbr of an external disk as windows setup / dos / windows text based setup / recovery console doesnt see it as a valid system disk since it is only connected via usb / e-sata, you'll have to hook up the disk internally via sata or IDE if you want to restore an mbr to it.

Mindovermaster

I thought it would see E-SATA, being that E-SATA is like an internal SATA port.

alucard77

Alright then it may be something else that I need to try. The hard drive I have is no longer being detected. It worked fine, no errors, etc. Now when I plug it in, it and analyze it, it just says USB disk. Late last night I uninstalled the driver on the driver. Could that be the reason? I thought that windows would auto detect the drive.

Mindovermaster

which do that, Colin? I don't remember an external ever not working internally..

Colin-uk

which do that, Colin? I don't remember an external ever not working internally..