Windows Boot Manager is the built-in Microsoft application that provides the boot environment for your system. On a multi-OS system, it helps the user decide which OS to boot into.
Users may encounter issues such as their computer booting into an OS without loading the Boot Manager or not displaying all available OS. It usually happens if you have a non-Windows OS or there are some issues with the boot files.
In this article, we have mentioned how you may troubleshoot such issues in detail.
Why is Windows Boot Manager Not Working
Here are the potential reasons for Windows Boot Manager not working on your PC:
How to Fix Windows Boot Manager Not Working
First, restart your PC and check if Windows Boot Manager still doesn’t work or shows other issues. In such cases, apply the possible solutions we have provided below.
Enable Boot Manager
you’re able to’t use Windows Boot Manager without enabling it. So, first, follow the steps below to make sure you haveenabled the Boot Managerand check its settings:
you may also use the Command-line Interface to enable Boot Manager and change the timeout interval. To do so,
Configure Windows Boot Manager to Show Other OS
Windows Boot Manager does not display other Operating Systems, such as Linux, by default. You have to configure such a setting manually. To so so,
You can also use third-party BCD tools to enable this setting.
However, most users preferusing the GRUB Bootloader, which displays all OS without having to configure any settings. you’re able to also use this Bootloader as an alternative.
Disable Fast Startup
Fast startup shows many issues with a multi-OS system. While this feature decreases the time it takes to boot your system, it may bypass the Boot Manager and directly load your default OS. It mainly happens whendual-booting Linux and Windows.
Here’s how you can disable fast startup from Windows OS:
There are also other methods of disabling this feature, and some may overwrite the method we specified. You can find all the possible methods in our article, How to Enable or Disable Fast Startup on Windows. Check it out if there are any issues or if you simply want to learn more about the process.
Check Connection with Disk
You may experience the Boot Manager is Missing error if you attempt to boot from a Windows installation device and there are some issues with the USB connection. In such a scenario, first, check the device on another computer to account for issues with the boot files. You should also check by changing any replaceable cable if necessary.
Then, reinsert the media to the earlier PC while ensuring no loose connection. There may also be issues with your USB port. So, troubleshoot them using the methods from our article,How to Fix USB Ports Not Working.
you’re able to also try reconnecting your hard drive’s SATA or IDE cables if your system’s Boot Manager or boot device is inaccessible.
Perform Startup Repair
Windows Boot Manager won’t work properly if there are any errors on the boot files. You can perform Startup Repair to repair most boot or startup errors. To run this feature:
Rebuild BCD
Rebuilding your Boot Configuration Data is the most common solution to most Boot or Startup errors. IfStartup Repair failsto resolve your issue, you must rebuild your BCD and try again. Here are the necessary steps for the process:
Restart your PC and check if your Boot Manager starts working. If not, recreate the Boot Configuration Data.
Open the Recovery disk WinRE’s Command Prompt and enter one of these commands below to change to the Boot directory:
If you enter the incorrect path for the Boot directory, you’ll receive the “The system cannot find the path specified” error message. So, use the command where you don’t encounter this error.
After that, enter these commands to recreate BCD:
We also recommendrunning the DISM, and SFC commandsafter rebuilding your BCD to account for other issues with your system files. The commands are:
If you have a dual boot system with Linux and Windows, you may have set the default bootloader to GRUB instead of Windows Boot Manager. If there are any issues with this Bootloader, use theBoot-Repair tool to repair GRUB.
Reset Windows Boot Manager
You can also try refreshing the boot manager by setting the default boot entry. It resets the default OS the system boots into when the bootloader timer runs out. The Command Prompt syntax to do so isBCDEdit /default .
Use the commandBCDEdit /? Defaultto get more information andBCDEdit /? IDto learn all possible IDs.
This command will also reset the default boot option with other Bootloaders, like GRUB.
Restore, Reset or Reinstall Windows
If none of the previous methods helped solve the issue, your need to Restore, Reset or Reinstall Windows.
If you have arecent restore point, you can restore your system using the steps below:
You need toreset your systemif you don’t have appropriate restore points. Access WinRE and go toTroubleshoot>Reset your PCto initiate the process.
You can also delete the old boot partition and clean install Windows using the installation media.
If Windows Boot Manager still shows issues, it indicates HDD or SSD faults. In such a scenario, take your computer to a hardware expert for repair or replacement.
