В этой статье мы разберемся, как восстановить загрузчик Windows 10 или 11 на современном компьютере, на котором используется UEFI интерфейс вместо классического BIOS и таблица разделов диска GPT (вместо MBR). Повреждение загрузчика Windows может быть вызвано установкой второй ОС (Dual Boot — конфигурация), повреждением файловой систему, некорректным восстановлении Windows после сбоя, удалением скрытых разделов, вирусом-вымогателем и рядом других причин.
Данная статья содержит подробную пошаговую процедуру восстановления поврежденного или удаленного загрузчика ОС в Windows 11/10/8.1 и Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012R2 на компьютерах, которые работают в нативном (не legacy) режиме UEFI. Инструкцию можно использовать как для восстановления бинарных файлов загрузчика Windows, так и конфигурационного файла загрузчика EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD (в случаях, когда Windows не загружается из-за отсутствия или повреждения файла конфигурацией загрузка BCD.
Содержание:
- Не загружается Windows: Boot configuration data is missing EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD
- Автоматическое восстановление загрузчика Windows
- Ручное восстановление загрузчика Windows с помощью BCDBoot
Не загружается Windows: Boot configuration data is missing EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD
UEFI компьютер с Windows, установленной в наивном режиме, не сможет загрузиться при повреждении EFI загрузчика Windows. При попытке загрузиться с диска с повреждённым или отсутствующим EFI загрузчиком появится BSOD (синий экран смерти) с ошибкой:
The boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors. File :\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD Error code: 0xc000000f
или
Error code: 0xc000014c
В русской версии Windows ошибка может быть такая:
Ваш компьютер нуждается в ремонте Данные конфигурации загрузки для вашего ПК отсутствуют или содержат ошибки Файл:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD Код ошибки: 0xc000000f
Эта ошибка говорит о повреждении или даже полном удалении конфигурации загрузчика Windows — Boot Configuration Data (BCD). Если вы попытаетесь восстановить загрузчик на UEFI компьютере с помощью утилиты
bcdedit
, вы получите такую ошибку:
The boot configuration data store could not be found. The requested system device cannot be found.
Дело в том, что если Windows 10/11 установлена в нативном режиме UEFI на GPT диск, то EFI загрузчик Windows (Windows Boot Manager) хранит программу управления загрузкой и конфигурацию BCD на отдельном скрытом разделе EFI (размером 100 мб с файловой системой FAT32). Утилита bcdedit не видит этот EFI раздел, и соответственно не может управлять конфигурацией загрузчика на нем.
Если при загрузке Windows появляется только черный экран с надписью “Operating System not found”, скорее всего у вас полностью удален загрузчик Windows. Следуйте инструкции по ссылке.
Автоматическое восстановление загрузчика Windows
Процедура автоматического восстановления загрузчика, зашитая в среду восстановления Windows (WinRe), как правило, в таких случаях бессильна. Но попробовать все-же стоит:
- Загрузитесь с диска загрузочного диска, диска восстановления или установочной флешки с Windows 10 или 11;
- На экране установки нажмите кнопку Восстановление системы;
- Затем выберите пункт Поиск и устранение неисправностей -> Восстановление при загрузке и выберите ОС, загрузчик которой нужно попытаться восстановить;
- Но скорее всего результат будет отрицательный: Восстановление при загрузке не удалось восстановить компьютер
Ручное восстановление загрузчика Windows с помощью BCDBoot
Перейдем к процедуре ручного восстановления EFI загрузчика Windows на UEFI компьютере.
Для восстановления конфигурации загрузчика (BCD), вам нужно загрузить компьютер с оригинального установочного диска с Windows (диска восстановления или специально подготовленной установочной USB флешки с Windows ). После загрузки в среде восстановления нужно открыть окно командной строки: выберите Восстановление системы -> Диагностика -> Командная строка (System Restore -> Troubleshoot -> Command Prompt).
Командную строку также можно запустить, если у вас под рукой есть только установочный диск с Windows. Для этого достаточно на самом первом этапе установки Windows (при выборе языка и раскладки клавиатуры) нажать комбинацию клавиш Shift+F10 (или Shift+Fn+F10 на некоторых моделях ноутбуков).
В открывшейся командной строке выполните запустите утилиту управления дисками, набрав команду:
diskpart
Выведите список дисков в системе:
list disk
На этом этапе очень важно определить тип таблицы разделов на диске, на котором установлена Windows: MBR или GPT. Дело в том, что EFI загрузчик используется только на дисках с GPT разметкой.
Если у диска в столбце Gpt указана звездочка (
*
), тогда на диске используется таблица разделов GPT, если нет – MBR.
Если с помощью diskpart вы определили, что на вашем диске используется GPT разметка, следуйте дальнейшим шагам инструкции по восстановлению загрузчика.
Если у вас разметка MBR, тогда данная инструкция не применима к вашему компьютеру. Скорее всего у вас компьютер с BIOS, или в настройках UEFI включен режим совместимости Legacy/Compatibility Support Module/CSM.
На MBR дисках загрузчик хранится на отдельном разделе System Reserved, а не на EFI разделе (ни в коем случае не конвертируйте таблицу разделов MBR в GPT, пока не исправите загрузчик!!) Используйте другую инструкцию по восстановлению BCD загрузчика на MBR (Master Boot Record) диске.
Выберите диск, на котором установлена ваша Windows (если жесткий диск в системе один, его индекс должен быть равен 0):
sel disk 0
Выведите список томов и разделов в системе:
list partition
list volume
В нашем примере видно, что загрузочный раздел EFI имеет индекс Partition2 (он же Volume 5 с меткой Hidden). Проще всего определить EFI размер по файловой системе FAT32, размеру 100 Мб (это стандартный минимальный размер для Windows компьютеров, в редких случая размер раздела может быть). Чаще всего для него используется метка — System EFI или ESP/ EFI System Partion).
В нашем примере основной раздел, на который установлена Windows, имеет индекс volume 2, отформатирован в файловая система NTFS и ему назначена буква C:.
В вашем случае назначенная буква диске может отличаться. Это зависит, как вы загрузили свой компьютер в среде WinPE. Проще всего определить его по размеру. Если вы не уверены, нужно проверить что на этом диске есть каталог Windows. Выйдите из утилиты diskpart (команда exit) и выполните команду:
dir C:\
Убедитесь, что на этом диске есть каталоги
Windows
,
Program Files
,
Users
и прочие.
Если этих каталогов нет, значит вашему диску с Windows назначена другая буква диска. Проверьте содержимоет дисков с другими буквами.
Запомните букву диска, назначенную разделу с Windows, чуть ниже мы будем использовать ее в качестве одного из аргументов команды bcdboot.
В таблице также обязательно должен быть раздел MSR (Microsoft System Reserved) размером 16 мб в Windows 10/11 (или 128 Мб в Windows 8.1).
Назначьте скрытому EFI разделу произвольную букву диска (например, M:):
select volume 5
assign letter M:
Должна появится строка, свидетельствующая об успешном назначении буквы диска разделу EFI:
DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.
Завершите работу с diskpart:
exit
Перейдите в каталог с загрузчиком на скрытом разделе:
cd /d m:\efi\microsoft\boot\
В данном случае M: это буква диска, присвоенная разделу EFI чуть выше. Если каталог \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ отсутствует
The system cannot find the path specified
), попробуйте следующие команды:
cd /d M:\Boot\
или
cd /d M:\ESD\Windows\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\
На этом этапе многие рекомендуют выполнить следующие команды, которые должны перезаписать загрузочную запись раздела, найти установленные Windows и добавить их в BCD:
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd
или даже:
bootrec /FixMbr
(восстановление MBR записи для GPT диска выглядит странным)
Все эти команды применимы только для дисков с MBR. Если ваш компьютер загружается в UEFI режиме, то на нем обязательно используется таблица разделов GPT (как раз наш случай). Поэтому при запуске команд
bootrec
вы увидите ошибку:
access is denied
Для исправления загрузочных записей на EFI разделе нужно использовать утилиту
BCDBoot
, а не bootrec.
Утилита BCDBoot позволяет восстановить файлы загрузчика на EFI разделе, скопировав их системного каталога на разделе с Windows. Конфигурация загрузчика BCD пересоздается с помощью шаблона %WINDIR%\System32\Config\BCD-Template.
С помощью команды
attrib
снимите атрибуты скрытый, read-only и системный с файла BCD:
attrib BCD -s -h -r
Удалите текущий файл с конфигурацией BCD, переименовав его (так вы сохраните старую конфигурацию в качестве резервной копии):
ren BCD BCD.bak
С помощью утилиты bcdboot.exe нужно скопировать из системного каталога критические файлы среды загрузки UEFI в загрузочный EFI раздел и пересоздать конфигурацию загрузчика в хранилище BCD:
bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s M: /f ALL
где,
- C:\Windows – путь к корневому системному каталогу Windows на диске (это ваш диск, на который была установлена ваша Windows, мы узнали его ранее с помощью команды diskpart);
- /f ALL – означает, что необходимо скопировать файлы среды загрузки Windows, включая файлы для компьютеров с UEFI и BIOS (теоретическая возможность загружаться на EFI и BIOS системах). Чтобы скопировать только EFI загрузчик, используйте команду /f UEFI;
- /l en-us — определяет языковой стандарт, который используется при инициализации хранилища BCD. По умолчанию используется en-US — английский язык (США);
- /s M: — скопировать файлы EFI загрузчика на указанный раздел;
- /с – эта новая опция BCDBoot в Windows 10, которая позволяет перезатереть имеющиеся загрузочные записи при создании нового хранилища (в том числе debugsettings). Используйте этот параметр, чтобы игнорировать старые настройки и создать полностью чистую конфигурацию BCD загрузчика;
- /v – используется для включения режима вывода подробной информации BCDBoot..
Теперь, если выполнить команду bcdedit, вы увидите следующую картину:
В секции диспетчера загрузки Windows (Windows Boot Manager) должна появится запись, указывающая на полный путь к файлу управления загрузкой UEFI. В этом примере он находится на разделе 2 (
partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
), путь
\EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI
.
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
bootshutdowndisabled Yes
default {CURRENT}
resumeobject {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
displayorder {default}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.efi
description Windows Server 10
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
recoveryenabled Yes
isolatedcontext Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
В секции Windows Boot Manager должен быть указан путь к EFI разделу (
=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
), путь к файлу управления загрузкой (bootmgfw.efi). В секции Windows Boot Loader указан раздел Windows и путь к EFI загрузчику Windows (
\Windows\system32\winload.efi
). При включении компьютер передаст управление диспетчеру загрузки EFI, который запустит загрузчик Windows.
Возможные ошибки:
Перезагрузите компьютер, отключите загрузочный диск. Если вы все сделали правильно, в выборе устройств загрузки должен появиться пункт Windows Boot Manager в котором можно выбрать загрузку нужной операционной системы. Ваш EFI загрузчик и конфигурация BCD успешно восстановлены!
В некоторых случаях после восстановления BCD загрузчика, при загрузке Windows появляется ошибка
BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO
. Чтобы исправить ошибку:
Убедитесь, что вы не вносили недавно изменения в настройки UEFI
Загрузитесь с установочной/загрузочной флешки и измените конфигурацию загрузчика командами:
-
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} numproc -
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} truncatememory
-
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- What Is Winload.exe & Some Additional Information About It
By Amy | Follow |
Last Updated
Do you know what winload.exe is? Where it is applied? You can find the answers to these questions in this post. After reading this post, you will have a clear understanding of it.
What Is Winload.exe
Winload.exe (Windows Boot Loader), a small piece of software, is called a system loader, which is booted by BOOTMGR. Actually, it is a built-in utility in Windows 10. The main task of winload.exe is to load necessary device drivers and the core part in Windows – ntoskrnl.exe.
While in old Windows operating systems such as Windows XP, the load of ntoskrnl.exe is completed by NTLDR that serves as the boot manager too. Therefore, if winload.exe is damaged or missing, you will not be able to use a Windows 10 based tablet, laptop or desktop.
The above description is a brief introduction of winload.exe. To get more details about winload exe, please continue reading this post of MiniTool.
Is winload.exe a virus? This is a question asked by plenty of people. Given to that phenomenon, the following part will analyze it further and show you the answer.
Is Windows.exe a Virus
As mentioned earlier, winload.exe is a small piece of software. However, some antivirus websites and other file information sites will mark winload.exe as a kind of malware. Sometimes, it is even regarded as unnecessary and can be deleted. But this is partly true.
Though a winload.exe file that is infected by virus has malicious content, the key point is to find the exact location of the file in the computer. By doing so, you can distinct the true file and possible malicious file copy.
The winload.exe file is located in C:\Windows\System32\ folder. No matter what version of Windows you are suing, its location will never change. Hence, if you find a winload.exe file in any other locations and it marked as malicious file by antivirus programs, it is very likely a malicious file. In this case, you can delete it entirely.
In one word, the winload.exe itself is not a virus, but it can be infected by other malicious content and do harmful to your computer.
You may encounter some errors related to winload.exe due to winload exe file damage and deletion. Here are some common winload.exe error messages.
- Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.
- exe is missing or corrupt.
- “\Windows\System32\winload.exe” cannot be trusted because of its digital signature.
- Status 0xc0000428
Tip: Don’t attempt to solve a missing or corrupt winload.exe file via downloading a copy from the Internet! The copy could be malware and pretend the file that you are looking for. Besides, the original winload.exe file in C:\Windows\System32\ is write-protected, so it is not easy to be replaced.
The first thing you need to do is to check your computer for malware after receiving the above error messages. You’d better use a free bootable antivirus tool rather than a traditional antivirus program that runs from inside Windows. If this method fails to work, you can try writing a new partition boot sector and rebuilding BCD.
Both the two methods can help you fix any corrupt entries that contain winload.exe. You can also run sfc /scannow to replace the missing or corrupted system file.
There is another winload.exe Windows 10 error can be displayed as below.
A component of the operating system has expired. File: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
If a Windows preview version has reached its license expiration date, you might receive such message. Besides, your computer will restart every few hours. For such kind of error type, it is no use running virus scan and file repair. You need to install a full and valid version of Windows with a working product key to activate PC.
Here is some extra information that you should know about Window system32 windload exe. If the computer is in hibernation mode, BOOTMGR will boot winresume.exe instead of winload.exe. You need to pay attention to the fact that winresume.exe and winload.exe are located in the same folder.
Copies of winload.exe, Boot and WinSxS can be found in the subfolders of C:\Windows. Winload.exe is called winload.efi under UEFI based system. The EFI extension is executable only for the boot manager that is located in the UEFI firmware.
Final Words
As an important component in operating system, winload.exe plays a role in loading device drivers. To sum up, this post mainly discusses the definition, properties of winload.exe Windows 10, some errors related to winload.exe and solutions to the errors. Read here, you may have a comprehensive understanding of winload.exe (Windows Boot Loader).
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Having writing articles about computer tech for a long time, I am rather experienced especially on the aspect of computer optimization, PC enhancement, as well as tech terms explanation. The habit of looking through tech forums makes me a great computer issues collector. And then, many articles related to these issues are released, which benefit plenty of users. Professional, effective, and innovative are always the pursuit of an editing worker.
Get the fix for the error winload.efi is missing or corrupt on Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1.
About “winload.efi is missing or corrupt“
The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.
Description and Symptoms
The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.
Symptom 1: “winload.efi is missing or corrupt” error screen on startup
If the error screen mentions winload.exe and not winload.efi, go to Fix: winload.exe is missing or corrupt.
Other common winload.efi related error messages can be any of the following, depending on your Windows versions:
- winload.efi cannot be found
- winload.efi is missing
- winload.efi is missing or contains errors
- This program can’t start because winload.efi is missing from your computer
- There was a problem starting [path]\winload.efi. The specified module could not be found.”
- This application requires the file winload.efi, which was not found on this system
The error code can be different from computer to computer, but the File: row mentions the winload.efi file at the \windows\system32\ folder:
\windows\system32\winload.efi
The winload.efi error can have different error codes, such as Error code: 0xc0000225 or Error code: 0xc0000001 or any other, but File always mentions the file as being winload.efi
Here’s how the winload.efi error with the 0xc0000225 code looks on Windows 8/8.1 systems:
Recovery Your PC needs to be repaired. The application or operating system couldn't be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors. File: \windows\system32\winload.efi Error code: 0xc0000225 You'll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media. If you don't have any installation media (like a disc or USB device), contact your system administrator or PC manufacturer. Press Enter to try again Press F8 for Startup Settings Press ESC for UEFI Firmware Settings
On a Windows 7 computer the error screen looks like this:
Windows Boot Manager
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:
1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click "Repair your computer."
If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance
File: \windows\system32\boot\winload.efi
Status: 0xc000000f
Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application
is missing or corrupt
Causes of this Error
This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes:
Cause 1: The winload.efi file is corrupt or missing
Failed Windows Updates or Automatic Updates to Windows that involve an upgrade of critical system files (especially service pack installations) that update winload.efi may result in this error. Alternatively, this may happen because of hardware failure.
Cause 2: File system integrity compromised
The hard drive’s file system may become damaged because of disk write errors, power outages or virus attacks. If that’s the case, the operating system cannot find winload.efi to boot properly and the loading process is halted.
Fix winload.efi error with Easy Recovery Essentials
Easy Recovery Essentials is guaranteed to fix the “winload.efi error” error automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.
- Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, or Windows 11) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed.
- Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick/drive.
- Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
- Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue.
Choose “Automated Repair” in Easy Recovery Essentials
- After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.
- Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.
- Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.
- The “winload.efi error” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:
You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here.
Fix winload.efi missing or corrupt in Windows 7
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
Fix #1: Rebuild the BCD
You can try to rebuild the BCD if the winload.efi error appears because of a corrupt BCD file:
- Insert the installation disc
- Restart your computer and boot from the disc
- Click Repair your computer
- At the System Recovery Options screen, select Command Prompt
- Run the following commands:
bootrec /fixboot bootrec /scanos bootrec /fixmbr bootrec /rebuildbcd
- Press Enter after each and wait for the commands to finish
- Restart your computer
bootrec utility results screen
If the above bootrec commands didn’t worked, try running the same commands 3 more times before proceeding to Fix #2 below.
If you don’t have the installation disc, you can check if your system has the system recovery tools installed on the hard disk to access Command Prompt. To do so, follow these steps:
- Restart your computer
- Press F8 as soon as your computer boots. Make sure you don’t have any media in your drives (CDs, DVDs etc)
- At the Advanced Boot Options screen, select Repair your computer
- Press Enter
- Your computer should now boot into the System Recovery Options screen
Fix #2: Run chkdsk and sfc
To run the chkdsk or sfc commands, follow these steps:
- Insert the installation DVD
- Restart the computer
- Boot from the DVD by pressing any key whenever the “Press any key” message appears
- At the Install Windows screen, click Repair your computer or press R
- Select Command Prompt
- Enter the chkdsk command:
chkdsk c: /r
Replace
c:with the letter of the drive where Windows 7 is installed - Press Enter
chkdsk utility results screen
If the chkdsk utility doesn’t fix the winload.efi error, try running the sfc utility instead:
- At Command Prompt, type the sfc command:
sfc /scannow /offboot=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows
- Press Enter
sfc utility results screen
Fix #3: Disable secure boot
If you happen to have Windows 7 installed on a computer with UEFI and not BIOS, you can try to disable the Secure Boot option found in the UEFI boot options menu. This might fix the winload.efi error:
For more information on how to disable Secure Boot, follow the Disabling Secure Boot Guide.
- Boot into UEFI as soon as you boot the computer.Depending on your computer manufacturer, the key to boot into UEF menu can be F2 or F8 or F12 or Del or Esc.If none of the above keys work for your system, boot your computer and find the key you need to press listed on the first screen that appears on your monitor.
- Depending on your computer manufacturer, the UEFI boot menu can look different. Look for a Secure Boot option. This is usually found in a Boot or a Security or a Authentication tab listed in the menu.
- Once you’ve found the Secure Boot option, make sure it’s Disabled or Off.
- Save the changes and exit the UEFI menu
- Restart your computer
Fix winload.efi missing or corrupt in Windows 8
Fix #1: Disable Secure Boot
In most cases the winload.efi missing or corrupt error can disappear if the Secure Boot option is Disabled or Off in the UEFI boot menu.
For more information on how to disable Secure Boot, follow the Disabling Secure Boot Guide.
- Restart your computer
- Press the necessary key to boot into your system’s UEFI menu. Depending on your computer manufacturer (HP, Acer, Asus etc.), the key can be F2, F8, Esc or Del.
On this Dell computer, the F2 key would open the UEFI menu. This screen is listed right after the computer boots.
- Search for the Secure Boot option. This option is usually placed in any of the following tabs: Security, Authentication or Boot.On HP computers Secure Boot is listed at the Security tab:
On Acer computers it’s listed at the Authentication tab:
- Select the Secure Boot option and make sure it’s Disabled or Off
- Save the changes
- Restart the computer
Fix #2: Run Automatic Repair
Follow these steps to run Automatic Repair:
- Insert the Windows 8 media: the DVD or the USB
- Restart the computer and boot from the media
- Click Repair your computer or press R
- Select Troubleshoot
- Select Advanced options
- Click Automatic repair
- Follow the remaining steps to complete the process
If you don’t have the original Windows 8/8.1 media to access Automatic Repair, you can try to restart the computer multiple times:
- Hold the Power button to shutdown your computer
- Press the Power button to start your computer
- As soon as your computer stats to boot, press the Power button to shutdown your computer
- Perform these steps a few times until Windows 8 shows the Recovery screen:
Fix #3: Disable early launch anti-malware protection
If Fix #1 or Fix #2 doesn’t work to fix the winload.efi error, you can also try to disable the built-in anti-malware protection that your Windows 8 system has activated by default.
- Access the Advanced options screen (see Fix #2 steps on how to do this using the original disc or try to shutdown/start your computer a few times using the Power button)
- Click Startup settings
- Click Restart
- Your computer will restart and boot into the Startup Settings screen
- Press F8 to select Disable early launch anti-malware protection
Disable early launch anti-malware protectionFix #4: Run bootrec
Similar to Fix #1: Rebuild the BCD for Windows 7, you can try to run the same bootrec commands on your Windows 8 systems:
- Boot from the installation DVD or USB
- Click Repair your computer or press R
- Navigate to Troubleshoot > Command Prompt
- Type the bootrec commands:
bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd
- Press Enter after each command
- Remove the DVD or USB and type
exitin Command Prompt:exit
- Press Enter
- Restart your computer
bootrec utility results screen
More Information
Linked Entries
- bootrec
- chkdsk
Support Links
- Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.
Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
- The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
- Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows 7, Windows 8.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
- Windows 7 (all editions)
- Windows 8 (all editions)
- Windows 8.1 (all editions)
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If you see the error message saying the Winload.efi is missing or corrupted, your computer cannot boot into Windows, and you may encounter a Blue Screen of Death screen.
In this guide, we will discuss some expert-recommended methods to fix the winload error on Windows 11 right after explaining the potential causes behind the problem.
What is the Winload.efi file?
The Winload.efi is an Extensible Firmware Interface file that is an integral component of the Windows Boot Manager, which uses the file to load the Windows kernel & other essential system files into memory.
Generally, the file is used for tasks such as restarting the computer, installing Windows, resetting your PC settings, and more. The file is located at C:\windows\System32\Boot\winload.efi
What causes the Windows 11 Winload error?
There could be various reasons for the Winload.efi is missing error; some of the common ones are mentioned here:
- Corrupted BCD – The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store is misconfigured or damaged; you may encounter the error. Try rebuilding the BCD.
- UEFI firmware issues – If there is an issue with UEFI firmware settings, you could see this error during the boot process.
- Bad sectors – The bad sectors or system file corruption may result in this BSoD error. You need to scan your computer for bad sectors and repair system files using an SFC scan.
- Interrupted Windows update – If the Windows updates were interrupted or unsuccessful, it could corrupt system files, causing the problem.
- Damaged Winload.efi file – The disk errors, malware infection, or power failures during updates can corrupt the file, hindering the Windows booting process and causing the blue screen error.
Now that you know the causes of the issue, let us move quickly to learn the solutions to eliminate it.
How do I fix the Winload error in Windows 11?
Before engaging in advanced troubleshooting steps, you should consider performing the following checks:
- Try rebooting your PC.
- Ensure your BIOS firmware is updated.
- Remove all the external peripherals.
Once you are through these checks, check out the detailed methods to fix the problem.
1. Disable Secure Boot
- Restart your computer. During startup, you need to press a key designated by the OEM or computer manufacturer to access the UEFI settings. For HP, it is F10; for Dell, it is F2.
- You will enter the UEFI settings. Locate the Security or System Configuration section.
- Now look for Secure Boot or UEFI Secure Boot, select it, and change the status to Disabled.
- Depending upon your machine, you might also have to change the UEFI mode to Legacy mode to disable Secure Boot.
- Once done, Save & Exit to save the changes.
- Restart your computer.
Turning off Secure Boot allows you to boot non-signed OS or bootable tools, which can help you fix the issue. If, after reboot, you can’t get past the BSoD screen and get the Automatic Repair screen, move to the following method.
2. Run the Startup Repair tool
2.1 Prepare an installation media file & change the boot order
- On another device or PC, go to Windows 11 website, locate Windows 11 Installation Media, and click Download Now.
- The mediacreation.exe file will be downloaded; double-click to open it.
- Click Accept.
- For Select language and edition, choose Language and Edition and click Next.
- Select the USB flash drive option. Plug in the USB drive with a minimum of 8 GB storage.
- The Windows 11 Setup will detect and show the drive; click Next.
- Once ready, click Finish.
- Plug in the flash drive to the affected computer and turn it on. Press the key designated by the manufacturer to enter Boot options.
- Go to Boot and locate the USB flash drive, use the arrow keys to move it up in the list, and save the changes & restart.
2.2 Initiate Startup Repair
- After restart, you will see the Windows Setup screen, select Language to install, Time and currency format, and Keyboard or input method.
- Click the Repair your computer option from the next page.
- On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
- Choose Advanced options from the next page.
- Select the Startup Repair option.
- Follow the onscreen prompts and wait for the process to complete, then restart your computer.
The Startup Repair tool diagnoses and repairs complex startup problems; that’s why it should be the first thing to do if the computer doesn’t boot up.
3. Repair the BCD files
- Boot your computer using Windows installation media via a USB flash drive created in Step 2.1. On the Windows Setup screen, input the details, and click Next.
- Select Repair your computer on the next page.
- On Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot.
- Next, select Advanced options.
- On the Advanced options screen, choose Command Prompt. Your PC will restart and input the user account credentials when prompted.
- On the Command Prompt window, copy & paste the following commands one by one to fix Boot Record, Boot Sector, and BCD store, and press Enter after every command:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd
- Restart your computer to see if you can now access Windows.
If you are facing booting issues on Windows 10, we have a great guide with solutions to fix it
4. Run the DiskPart command
- Boot your computer using Windows installation media via a USB flash drive created in Step 2.1. Fill in the details on the Windows Setup screen, and click Next.
- On the next page, click Repair your computer.
- From Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot.
- Next, select Advanced options.
- Now choose Command Prompt. Your computer will reboot, and input the user account credentials if asked.
- Type the following commands one by one and hit Enter after every command:
diskpart
list volume
select volume=n
assign letter=m
- Copy & paste the command after replacing the c with the letter of your system drive and press Enter:
bcdboot c:\Windows /s m: /f uefi - Reboot your computer to check if the issue is fixed.
- Microsoft releases Windows 11 (KB5058411, KB5058405) May 2025 Patch Tuesday
- You can now share an app/browser window with Copilot Vision to help you with different tasks
5. Use an SFC scan to repair system files
- Restart your computer using the Windows installation media created in Step 2.1. On the Windows Setup screen, enter the details, and click Next.
- Select Repair your computer on the next screen.
- On Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
- Choose Advanced options from the next screen to proceed.
- Select Command Prompt from the Advanced options window. The system will restart and enter credentials when prompted.
- On the Command Prompt window, type the following command to restore the system files and hit Enter:
sfc /scannow
- The command will take some time to complete; wait till you see a successfully completed message, then restart your PC.
6. Repair disk errors
- Reboot your PC using the Windows installation media created in Step 2.1. On the Windows Setup screen, fill in the details, and click Next.
- Click the Repair your computer option on the next screen.
- On Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
- Next, click Advanced options.
- Select Command Prompt from the Advanced options window. Your PC will reboot and prompt you for a user account password; enter it to proceed.
- Type the following command to check and repair the disk errors after replacing C with the letter of the system drive and press Enter:
chkdsk c: /f /r /x - When prompted, press Y, then wait for the command to get executed.
If your computer is not able to boot up, you might want to check our guide on the subject to fix the issue on Windows 11.
7. Perform System Restore
- Restart your PC using the Windows installation media created in Step 2.1. On the Windows Setup screen, fill in the details, and click Next.
- Click the Repair your computer option on the next screen.
- On Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
- Choose Advanced options.
- From the Advanced options window, choose System Restore. Your computer will reboot, and enter the user name and password to proceed.
- On the System Restore window, click Next.
- Select the Restore point and click Next.
- Click Finish and wait while the system returns to the last known good configuration.
8. Reinstall the operating system
- Restart your PC using the Windows installation media created in Step 2.1. Enter information for the Language to install, Time and currency format, & Keyboard or input method options, and click Next.
- Click Install Now.
- Enter the product key or choose I don’t have a product key.
- Choose the Windows version and click Next.
- Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation process.
So, these are methods you can use to fix the Winload error on Windows 11 and regain access to your computer.
If you are encountering missing Winload.efi error on Windows 10, feel free to check this informative guide to resolve the issue.
Please let us know of any additional solutions or thoughts you may have on this topic in the comment section below.
Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products.
With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.
Winload.efi file is quite important for a computer to boot successfully, and it could be troublesome if it is missing or corrupted. To solve winload.efi missing error, you can follow the solutions offered by MiniTool Software.
What Is Winload.efi
Winload.efi is an EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) file that applies on the computer systems based on UEFI. It contains important data that is necessary for the operating system to proceed the boot process and execute the tasks of loading the files to the bootloader of the computer.
In other words, winload.efi file is used for a specific set of tasks like turning on/restarting/resetting the computer and install Windows. So, it is significant for operating system. Once it’s missing or corrupted, your Windows will be unable to boot as normal and stuck on the blue screen with various error codes, such as 0xc0000225, 0xc0000001, etc.
And the common winload.efi related error message can be any of the following, depending on your Windows version:
- efi cannot be found.
- efi is missing.
- efi is missing or contains errors.
- This program can’t start because winload.efi is missing from your computer.
- This application requires the file winload.efi, which was not found on this system.
Reasons for Winload.efi Missing
You might see the blue screen related to winload.efi missing on Windows 10/8/7, and reasons for the problem are different from PC to PC. Here are some common ones.
- The disk or file system is damaged.
- System files are corrupted.
- The MBR is corrupted.
It might be hard to figure out the specific factor that leads to the problem on your computer, but don’t worry. You can troubleshoot the issue with the following solutions.
How to Fix Winload.efi Missing on Windows 10/8/7
To solve the problem coming up with the error message “winload.efi is missing or contains errors”, some effective solutions are listed below. Try them one by one when you are bothered by this issue.
6 Solutions to Winload.efi Missing Error
- Disable Secure Boot
- Try Startup/Automatic Repair
- Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection
- Check Hard Drive Errors
- Run System File Checker
- Rebuild MBR and BCD
Solution 1: Disable Secure Boot
Winload.efi missing issue can be caused by Secure Boot setting, especially when your computer is based on UEFI instead of the traditional BIOS. The setting could stop your system from accessing the winload.efi file and it is enabled by default on Windows 8 and later versions.
To disable Secure Boot, you need to boot into UEFI. The setup user interface differs from models to models, but you just need to focus on looking for the section Secure Boot.
Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2 or Delete when you see the manufacturer’s logo.
Step 2: Find Secure Boot option. It’s usually under Security, Authentication or Boot Sections tab.
Step 3: Change the Secure Boot setting from Enable to Disable.
Step 4: Save the changes you have made and restart your PC again.
Now you can check if the computer can boot as normal. If this doesn’t solve the problem or you can’t find Secure Boot option, you should move on to the next solution.
Solution 2: Try Startup/Automatic System Repair
An easy way to solve blue screen problems caued by “winload.efi is missing or contains errors” is to run automatic repair with the help of your installation media.
Step 1: Turn off your computer and insert your installation media (a USB flash drive or a DVD). Step 2: Restart your computer and boot from the media.
Step 3: Select your language and click Next to continue. Then click Repair your computer.
Tip: If you don’t have a Windows Installation Media, you can get one from the manufacturer or restart the computer three times by pressing the power button until the WinRE recovery console screen appears. Then select See advanced repair options and follow the steps below.
Step 4: Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. For some computers, the Startup Repair shows as Automatic Repair.
Step 5: Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the process.
Once it’s done, you can disconnect the installation media and restart your computer to see if the blue screen disappears.
Solution 3: Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection
Besides desabling Secure Boot and using Startup/Automatic Repair, you can also try disabling early launch anti-malware protection.
Step 1: Enter WinRE and go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
Step 2: Click Restart button. Then your computer will be restarted.
Step 3: Press F8 to choose Disable early launch anti-malware protection.
After disabling early launch anti-malware protection, your computer should start normally.
Solution 4: Check Hard Drive Errors
If there are any errors or damaged file systems on your system hard drive, you might receive the blue screen of death related to winload.efi file. To troubleshoot the problem, you can run the built-in CHKDSK utility or use the reliable third-party program MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Method 1: Run CHKDSK
You can follow the steps below to check for hard drive errors with the built-in tool on Windows.
Step 1: Connect your Windows Installation Media to the computer and boot from it.
Step 2: Go to Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.
Step 3: When you get into Command Prompt, input the command chkdsk c: /f and press Enter to execute it.
Then Windows will check for any errors on your system drive and try to fix them. After the process, you can reboot your PC and check if it works properly.
Method 2: Use MiniTool Partition Wizard
When you suspect that there are errors on your hard drive and you are not fimilar with Command Prompt, you should try fixing the issue with a third-party program. Here I recommend MiniTool Partition Wizard. As you cannot run your computer as normal, you need to create a bootable edition of this software and you can follow the steps below to finish the operation.
Step 1: Purchase the program by clicking the following button.
Step 2: Build a bootable USB flash drive with the feature Bootable Media Builder on a normal computer running the same operating system.
Tip: You can also create the bootable media with a CD/DVD disk.
Step 3: Boot from the burned USB flash drive to get into the recovery environment.
Step 4: When you get the main interface of Bootable MiniTool Partition Wizard, right-click your system partition and select Check File System.
Tip: In the recovery environment, your system partition might not be assigned with letter C. You can check the partition size to make sure you have selected the system partition.
Step 5: In the pop-up window, select Check & fix detected errors.
Step 6: Click Start. Then MiniTool Partition Wizard will check for hard drive errors on your system partition and fix them automatically.
Once the hard drive errors are fixed, you can exit and restart your computer to check if the blue screen has been solved.
Hard drive errors might cause blue screen issues related to winload.efi missing messages. I have fixed the problem with MiniTool Partition Wizard.Click to Tweet
Solution 5: Run System File Checker
Another reason for the issue you’re facing now is that your system files are corrupted or missing. In this case, you can run System File Checker (SFC) to fix the problem.
Step 1: Boot from the Windows Installation Media and navigate to Command Prompt.
Step 2: Input the command sfc /scannow and press Enter to run the command.
Once the verification is completed and the problematic system files are repaired, you should exit the recovery environment and restart your PC. Then check if the error message “winload.efi is missing or contains errors” disappears.
Tip: If sfc /scannow doesn’t solve the problem, you can try executing the command sfc /scannow /offboot=*: /offwindir=*:windows to use the SFC utility offline. * refers to the hard drive letter of the partition you need to check.
Soluton 6: Rebuild MBR and BCD
Damaged MBR (Master Boot Record) and BCD (Boot Configuration Data) could also lead to blue screen related to winload.efi missing issue. In this case, you can rebuild MBR and BCD with Command Prompt.
Here are the detailed steps to rebuild MBR and BCD on Windows 10.
Step 1: Go to WinRE and navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
Step 2: Input the following commnads and press Enter after each to execute them:
- bootrec /fixmbr
- bootrec /fixboot
- bootrec /scanos
- bootrec /rebuildbcd
When the operation is completed successfully, you can restart your PC and check if the issue has been fixed.
Bonus Tip
If you don’t use Command Prompt usually, it may be complicated to rebuild MBR with it. In this case, you can try fixing MBR with professional third-party software. MiniTool Partition Wizard is a wonderful one which enables you to solve the problem easily without the Windows Installation CD/DVD. And it is supported on Windows 10/8/7.
Here is how to do it.
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Step 2: Create the bootable media with a USB flash drive on another computer running the same operating system as your problematic PC. Then boot the problematic computer from it.
Step 3: When you get the interface, right-click your system disk and select Rebuild MBR.
Step 4: Click Apply to execute the change.
After the application, you should exit MiniTool Partition Wizard and boot from the local hard drive. Then check if you have fixed the issue “winload.efi missing on Windows 10/8/7”.
How to fix “winload.efi missing” issues? Here are 6 solutions.Click to Tweet
Bottom Line
It’s annoying if you encounter winload.efi missing error. It will stop you from booting the computer and the reasons for this problem are various. To solve it, you should try those methods in this post one by one.
If you have better ideas, please leave a message in the comment section below. If you encounter any problems while using MiniTool Partition Wizard, you can send us an email via [email protected].
Winload.efi Missing FAQ
What causes winload.efi missing error?
There are many factors which might lead to winload.efi missing error, and some of them are listed below.
- Hard drive errors
- Missing or corrupted system files
- Damaged MBR
How do I fix winload.efi missing?
To fix the problem, you can:
- Disable Secure Boot
- Try Startup/Automatic System Repair
- Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection
- Check Hard Drive Errors
- Run System File Checker
- Rebuild MBR and BCD
How do I fix error code 0xc000000f?
0xc000000f is another blue screen error which can be caused by the same factors that lead to winload.efi missing error. If you don’t know how to fix the problem. You can check the following post provided by MiniTool: How to Fix “0xc000000f” Error on Different Windows System.