Let’s see, you were using your Windows computer similar to any other day, and all of a sudden, the screen froze. You tried to restart the machine, but rather than going into the regular boot, you were prompted with an error report Windows Boot Manager Failed to Start along with a weird-looking error code (0xc00000f, 0xc00000e, 0xc00000d). So, what would be your next step?
Windows Boot Manager Failure is a critical error as you won’t access your computer until you fix the system. Even though the situation may seem overwhelming, it is crucial to stay calm and follow the right approach to resolve it quickly.
So, if you’re also stabbed in a similar condition, continue reading; the following guide will help you fix the “Windows boot manager failed to start” error.
What is Windows Boot Manager?
Windows Boot Manager is a unique piece of software responsible for booting your system correctly for people who don’t know. Being a significant system tool, the Boot Manager is found in the root directory of an “Active Partition” and marked as read-only. As an outcome, any user is not able to alter the at all.
When you turn on your system’s power, Windows Boot Manager executes the winload.exe file and loads your system successfully. It indicates that even one error in thewill interrupt the normal loading process and restrict you from accessing your system naturally.
So, as soon as you’ve found a failure in Windows Boot Manager, make sure to troubleshoot the issue that you can continue using your PC.
What Have May Caused the Windows Boot Manager to Fail?
The truth is various factors can trigger the Windows boot manager failed problem. Some of these factors include:
- Corrupt MBR – A damaged MBR (Master-Boot-Record) is the most common reason a system may face a Windows Boot Manager failure. In this case, you’ll have to repair the damaged MBR to fix the issue.
- Damaged HDD Cable – In many cases, the error is caused due to a damaged HDD cable. When the hard-disk wire is damaged, it can interrupt the normal read/write operations, resulting in several Windows errors.
- Improper Shut Down – If you have forcefully shut down your PC recently while it was in the middle of a important writing task, the will most likely get damaged.
- Hardware/Software Missing – If required software/hardware is missing during the start-up, Windows Boot Manager won’t load your machine and display the error message instead.
Now that you know what may create the failed error let’s quickly discuss the working solutions that’ll help you fix the issue. Irrespective of the problem, the following ways will help you troubleshoot the issue and restore the normal booting process on your machine.
How to Fix Windows Boot Manager Failure?
Since the failure can be caused due to different factors, you’ll have to attempt other solutions to fix the issue.
Update Your BIOS or UEFI
If you have recently upgraded the processor, keep in mind that you’ll also have to upgrade the BIOS or UEFI files accordingly. Why? Because when the processor and BIOS/UEFI files aren’t fit, will ultimately fail to initiate the standard booting mechanism.
So, make sure to upgrade the BIOS or UEFI files as per the processor. To perform that, you’ll have to reinstall the former processor and go to the manufacturer’s site to install new updates. You’ll get the step-by-step directions on the website itself. Follow these instructions carefully; otherwise, you may encounter a grave error on your system.
Most importantly, upgrading BIOS or UEFI files is no fun. One little mistake, and you’ll end up losing everything from your system. So, before renewing these files, make sure to back up all your important data so that you don’t have to deal with potential data loss.
Perform Automatic Repair
You can also resolve Windows Boot Manager failed to start issue using Windows Automatic Repair. Though, to do this, you’ll require Windows installation media such as a USB flash drive or Windows CD/DVD.
So, if you previously don’t have Windows installation media, use applications like RUFUS to turn your normal pen-drive into a bootable USB drive. Once you’ve successfully performed the installation media, follow these directions to launch Automatic Repair to fix the issue.
- Use Windows Installation Media to boot your machine.
- Once you’re at the initial screen, select language, time zone, etc., and click “Next.”
- Tap “Repair Your Computer” in the bottom-left corner.
- Click Troubleshoot>Advanced Options and select “Startup Repair.”
Now, follow the on-screen instructions carefully to repair your system successfully.
Repair the Boot Manager
Since a damaged Boot Manager is one of the primary reasons to trigger this failure, it makes complete sense to repair the Boot Manager itself. To grasp if the Boot Manager is indeed broken, check your machine for other error messages. A broken Boot Manager is most likely to trigger distinct Windows faults such as “BOOTMGR is missing.”
So, if you mark such Windows error reports, here’s the step-by-step method to repair the cracked boot manager.
- Connect the installation media again and alter the boot order to make your computer boot from the flash drive.
- Select language and press “Next.” Now, again hit on “Repair Your Computer.”
- Click Troubleshoot>Advanced Options and select “Command Prompt.”
- Run the following commands to rebuild the BCD.
- Bootrec / fixmbr
- Bootrec /fixboot
- bootrec /rebuildbcd
Now, eject the USB drive and restart your computer normally. Check if you’re still facing the “Windows Boot Manager Failed to Start” issue or not.
Edit Windows Boot Manager
If nothing delivers the desired results, you’ll be left with no other option but to edit and restore the default settings. While there are several methods to do this job, we’ve listed the most straightforward way so that you don’t face any issues while restoring the to default settings.
- Run Command Prompt as an Administrator on your PC.
- Once you’re in the Command Prompt window, execute the following command.
BCDEdit /? Default
After the command successfully executes, you won’t face the same Windows Boot Manager failed error anymore on your system.