The BOOTMGR (Windows Boot Manager) is part of Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7. It is used to finalize the steps in booting the computer and loading the Operating System by looking for the active partition in which Boot Configuration Data is stored.
This is done by BOOTMGR by running the process of "winload.exe". This process is essentially the operating system boot loader which will load the operating system kernel and device drivers that are in the boot-class.
A big problem that occurs with Vista, Server 2008 and Windows 7 is the fact that small changes could easily corrupt the BOOTMGR configuration. When this occurs an error from the Boot Manager will appear during the startup sequence for the machine. The message will show as "BOOTMGR is missing, Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart" along with a blinking cursor.
The problem with the simple instructions to restart the computer with Ctrl+Alt+Delete is that it will not fix the problem, it will just cause the computer to boot up once again and go through the boot sequence until it meets the BOOTMGR requirements that cause the same error and the same advice to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the keyboard again.
Fixing the BOOTMGR is missing Error
To fix this problem, it is important to fix the BOOTMGR by taking to the process of repair with the OS installation media. This is done by the following process:
The user must ensure that the Windows OS installation media for the OS that is currently installed on the system is in the drive. Once in the drive, it is necessary to boot the media instead of attempting to boot the hard disk. Usually, the installation media will be on a CD/DVD drive and will need to boot from the CD/DVD drive.
If the installation media is not read right after the restarting of the computer and load into the Windows PE (Pre-installation Environment) and takes the user to the same BOOTMGR is missing error, then they will need to make their computer be able to boot the appropriate media to load the WinRE.
Option One
The first option is to try restarting the computer again, but this time, the user will need to access the boot options. This will be done by pressing the Spacebar on the keyboard at the beginning of the boot process to load into the boot options. This will be a list of the available media options which can be loaded including any hard drives, optical drives or other forms of media which are accessible on the computer. Locating the proper drive which is assigned to the location where the installation media is stored and selecting it as the boot item to load is required.
Once the option is chosen from the list, the boot up sequence will load the installation media and go into the Windows Recovery Environment. From here, the user can continue towards fixing the BOOTMGR error.
Option Two
Loading into the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) will be required to be able to change the boot sequence to allow for the storage media which houses the Windows Installation files for the OS currently on the machine as first in line. Getting into the BIOS is done by restarting the computer and pressing the Function 2 key (F2) on the keyboard during the boot process. This will load into the BIOS and provide a variety of options for the computer and hardware on the system.
Note: A password may be required to access the BIOS. If the computer is owned by someone else, access to the BIOS may not be possible without the password which has been set by the administrator for the BIOS settings. Once the password is put in access to the BIOS settings will be available unrestricted.
By using the arrow keys, a user can select the option on the BIOS options screen. Commonly on the list, a user will have to select "Advanced BIOS Features" which will allow them access to different functions. On the next list of options, the user will have to navigate to the "Boot Device Options" or "First Boot Device" and select the option. From this menu, the user will have to use the directional keys along with the PgUp and PgDn keys to move the bootable media into the proper order. Once this has been selected for the installation media of Windows, the user will need to save their changes by pressing the Function 10 (F10) key and confirming the changes.
This will cause the computer to reboot once again with the changes in place. The boot sequence will have been changed to allow the installation media to be booted from first and will allow for the installation process to be in place so the user can continue.
Navigating the Installation Media
The following process is necessary to navigate to the appropriate portion of the disk to fix the BOOTMGR is missing error:
First boot from the Windows OS install disk that is currently installed on the computer. The Windows installation media will load into the Windows PE after some time and the appropriate files have been loaded into memory.
From within the Windows PE, you will need to choose the language settings. Choose the language that will be easiest for the user to manage the repair of the BOOTMGR with.
The screen that loads will show various options. Near the bottom of the screen, there will be an option/link that reads as "Repair Your Computer". You must select this option to get to the repair/installation options.
The Windows OS options that are installed on the computer will be listed. The next thing that the user must do is find the OS that corresponds to the installation media (usually one option if no other OS options have been installed). Selecting the OS from the list and selecting the "Next" button will start the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment).
Once WinRE has been loaded, there will be several options available. The option that must be selected from the list to fix the BOOTMGR error is "Startup Repair". Selecting this option will repair the Boot Manager files and restore any other critical files that are necessary for booting the Windows OS. Once the process is completed through this option, then the BOOTMGR is missing error should be repaired and the boot process should go through to loading the Windows OS.
If Installation Media was Not Available
In modern day computing, Microsoft has halted providing installation disks with new computers. This is common for those who have purchased a PC or notebook computer recently that has a Windows OS installed already from the factory. Without installation media, booting into an alternative to repair the BOOTMGR problem may not be available via installation media. There is an alternative which may be available with the system that is simply hidden in the alternative Windows Options.
To access to Windows Advanced Options Menu, the computer user must restart the computer. During the boot up sequence and before the BOOTMGR is missing error occurs, the user must press the Function 8 (F8) key. This will load the advanced options which will have several options available for starting up the Windows OS that is currently installed on the computer.
Once in the Windows Advanced Options Menu, the user will need to select the option on a hidden partition on the hard disk. The option in the list will be "Windows Recovery Environment" or "WinRE" and once selected will provide options to recover and resolve errors with the Windows OS installed. Choosing the "Startup Repair" will repair the Boot Manager files and restore any other critical files that are necessary for booting the Windows OS. Once the process is completed through this option, then the BOOTMGR is missing error should be repaired and the boot process should go through to loading the Windows OS.
Note: This option is not always available as some installations will not have a WinRE partition installed. The only way to get the BOOTMGR problem fixed would then be to get a hold of the Windows OS installation media for the OS that is on the computer then use the options with the Windows Pre-installation Environment to get the problem fixed.
An alternative would be to use another Windows OS Installation media to attempt to do the same. This may or may not work depending on the OS installation media, as some are only designed for installation and will lack the options for repairing problems.
Note: If using an OS installation media from Windows 2000 or Windows XP, then using the Recovery Console will be necessary. Booting into the installation media then selecting the Recovery Console will load a command prompt. In the command prompt, the following must be entered to fix the BOOTMGR error:
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