Windows · Windows Server · critical · Bugchecks & startup

"Bootmgr is missing" / 0xc000000f / 0xc0000225 — the boot configuration is broken

The firmware found a boot loader but it cannot start Windows — the BCD store is missing, empty, or points at a volume that has moved.

What you see

A blue recovery screen naming \Boot\BCD or \Windows\system32\winload.efi with one of these codes. Nothing has reached Windows at all.

What is actually wrong

A cloned or restored disk, a partition resize, a second OS install overwriting the loader, or a failed update. The Windows install itself is usually completely intact.

Codes and articles

0xc000000f0xc00002250xc00000340xc000000eBootmgr is missingBOOTMGRWinload.efi

Fixes (2)

Rebuild the EFI boot files

Windows Recovery Environment30 minutesmedium riskreversible

A UEFI machine. Nothing here touches the Windows partition's contents.

Boot installation media, choose Repair your computer → Troubleshoot → Command Prompt.
Find the Windows volume and the EFI System Partition. The ESP is the small FAT32 one, usually 100–500 MB.
Command Prompt
```
diskpartlist volume
```
Give the ESP a drive letter so bcdboot can write to it.
Command Prompt
```
select volume 2assign letter=Sexit
```
Rewrite the boot files. This is the single command that fixes most of these.
Command Prompt
```
bcdboot D:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI
```
D: is the Windows volume as WinRE sees it, S: the ESP. Getting these the wrong way round writes a boot store that points at nothing.
If it reports failure, format the ESP and try again — it is disposable and rebuilt entirely by bcdboot.
Command Prompt
```
format S: /FS:FAT32 /Qbcdboot D:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI
```
Only do this once you are certain S: is the ESP and not a data partition. Check with `list volume` again before formatting anything.
Exit and restart. In firmware, make sure Windows Boot Manager is first in the boot order.

Confirm it workedWindows starts. Confirm the store looks sane once in.

Command Prompt

bcdedit /enum {bootmgr}

If you need to undo itbcdboot can simply be run again — it is idempotent. Export the store first with bcdedit /export if you want a copy.

Rebuild the MBR boot records

Windows Recovery Environment25 minutesmedium risknot reversible

A legacy BIOS/MBR machine.

Boot installation media to Command Prompt.
Rewrite the master boot record and the boot sector.
Command Prompt
```
bootrec /fixmbrbootrec /fixboot
```
/fixmbr overwrites the MBR code. If a third-party boot manager such as GRUB is installed there, this removes it — reinstall it afterwards from the other OS.
Scan for Windows installations and add what it finds.
Command Prompt
```
bootrec /scanosbootrec /rebuildbcd
```
If rebuildbcd reports zero installations, rebuild the store by hand.
Command Prompt
```
ren C:\Boot\BCD BCD.oldbootrec /rebuildbcd
```
If /fixboot returns Access Denied, the partition is not marked active.
Command Prompt
```
diskpartselect disk 0select partition 1activeexit
```
Restart.

Confirm it workedWindows boots and bcdedit lists a valid entry.

Command Prompt

bcdedit /enum

If you need to undo itThe renamed BCD.old can be put back. The MBR itself cannot be restored without an image.

Related faults

Where this stops. This write-up was written and checked by hand. It says what each step changes, how to confirm it worked and how to reverse it, and anything destructive is flagged before you reach it. If it does not match what your machine is doing, search the Support Centre for the exact code or message — and when something needs a person, get in touch.