\Boot\BCD corrupted, won't boot despite several efforts

EDIT: Fixed! Turns out that it was the hidden system partition all along. It may be important to take note as I was confused/lost because the System Partition is not easily accessible to diagnose or fix (i.e. chkdsk) and one might completely forget about it. Unless you are already aware of the existence of the hidden partition, or might find it through tinkering around with your partitions, one might have a problem connecting it to startup problems. Thanks to Vineet Garg for the help!


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A Windows 7 installation wont boot with those error messages. I went ahead and tried to use system repair on an installation disk which just says that System\BCD is corrupted and I need to chkdsk it, I did and it still wouldn't work. Likewise it also throws the error "cannot save start-up options" sometimes.

I tried both bootrec /fixmbr and bootrec /fixboot which says that they completed successfully, but still the same error appears. I then tried bcdbood c:\Windows which sayas it fails to copy some data.

Is there some other option I can try, The HD/Partitions are okay as I can read them in ubuntu and chkdsk doesn't show any error from them.

Can anyone help or point me in the right direction? I read one may try erasing/deleting the complete bootloader so that system recovery will try to rebuild the whole thing, is this possible and how do I go about doing it?

Hi Isoya,
Welcome to SevenForums!

Preferably, do these from an Installation Media where possible.

1. First of all You should run Startup Repair.

Startup Repair

You may need to run Startup Repair three times in a row

2. You can try 'Last Known Good Configuration' from Advanced Boot Options

Advanced Boot Options

3. Do you have any System Restore Point(s) prior to the problem?
If you choose System Restore from the System Recovery Options screen , It will tell you if any System Restore Point is available. You can restore it & check the issue.

System Restore

4. This sub forum is for BSOD. Did you have BSOD ? What were the BSOD error messages ?
( Anyway, we may solve it here & migrate the post if needed )

5. Can anyone help or point me in the right direction? I read one may try erasing/deleting the complete bootloader so that system recovery will try to rebuild the whole thing, is this possible and how do I go about doing it?

Very Smart! : Go as in EDIT

Let me know.

Thanks & Regards. ...

EDIT : Follow here to Rebuild BCD : Your PC needs to be repaired: Fix for Windows 8, 8.1
This thread is incomplete, refer post #4 : \Boot\BCD corrupted, won't boot despite several efforts

Hi Isoya,
I am really Sorry, that Rebuild BCD tutorial is incomplete :

( Once the three commands are executed successfully & you run the fourth command : bootrec /rebuildbcd
There may be some results & you have to follow this article according to the result : From Step 4 onwards:
How to Rebuild the BCD in Windows

Thanks & Regards. ...

Sorry about posting this in the wrong thread...

Anyways I tried startup repair and they all kept saying that "file or directory System\Boot is corrupt or unreadable, try chkdsk". I then clicked next to do a startup repair where it failed with an NoOsInstalled error found (ErrorSignature07). I tried three times, restarting to the recovery media after each time, still failed.

I then tried a old win7 dvd disk ( was previously using a USB ) and the error changed to a ExternalMedia BadDriver error. I thought it was a step in the right direction as before the recovery disk would find the OS in the selection box, but after running the recovery from the DVD it now identified it properly. Tried three times again.

Last known good configuration didn't work also. After each try, all of them booted to the "starting windows screen" and a quick BSOD flashes ( less than a second ) and then it restarts, and then failed to boot again ( the black screen with the error in the first place )

Imma try the RebuildBCD, if I can get some mileage out of it.

Clarification: I used to have ubuntu on it, installed win 7, then reinstalled grub to dual boot. Moved ubuntu partition unto another drive and it booted fine, also with windows. Beforehand I would just swap HDD to boot either of the OSs, bought a HDD caddy ( shaped like a laptop optical drive but you put a HDD into it ) to try and dual boot both again. Bios didn't recognize any of it, and now the HDD with windows won't boot

@ iko22 : Good catch & tip sir!

@ Isoya :

1) Go ahead with bootrec /rebuildbcd & follow from 4th Point Onwards: How to Rebuild the BCD in Windows
Let us see what happens ?

2) Just run the command bcdedit /enum & let us see what's there ?

3) Did you use any type of drive encryption, Bit-Locker, TrueCrypt, etc. ? That may be blocking the access to OS.

Hope is there because things are moving/changing.

In the middle, I ask for your consent to move your thread in the proper sub-forum : Installation & Setup. May I check with admin sir if something can be done ? A proper sub forum would attract proper attention.

Rest for tomorrow!

Let us know.

Thanks & Regards. ...

Results of bcdedit /enum




I didn't encrypt it nor anything. Just a normal windows installation.

Is there a command that fixes the \Boot folder, it seems to be complaining about it the most. Can I delete it and try to fix it again?