[Solved] Top 3 Ways to Fix Bootrec Fixboot Access Denied Error

Scenario

What is bootrec/fixboot?

During our daily computer use, we inevitably encounter some unknown computer problems, such as sector corruption, boot failure, etc. Many users resort to a tool called bootrec.exe to fix Windows startup problems.

Bootrec (bootrec.exe) tool is used to recover a failed, non-working or unresponsive operating system in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). It can repair corrupted Master Boot Records (MBR), boot sectors, and boot configuration data (BCD) storage. This is useful for troubleshooting and possibly repairing errors that prevent the computer from booting.

The fixboot command is normally used to write a new partition boot sector to the system partition, and fix a number of startup errors and problems like blue screen on Windows 11, missing of bootmgr, etc. However, during this repair process, you may encounter that running the bootrec/fixboot command returns the error message “Access is denied”. Why does that error occur? What should we do?

Well, don’t get panic. This article provides you with all possible solutions to the bootrec fixboot access is denied in Windows 11/10/8/7 issue.

How do I fix bootrec/fixboot access denied in Windows?

This error in Windows bootrec/fixboot access is denied occurs due to various reasons. Here, I have summarized the three most likely reasons shared below:

◈ If there is a startup setting that you want to avoid or remove, but the Boot manager processes it by using bootrec/fixboot command in the CMD, then the Access is denied error will be displayed on the screen.
◈ A corrupted or damaged BCD and Windows file is another cause behind the error.
◈ According to many user cases feedback from the Microsoft Community, Windows 10 1707 or Windows 10 1709 versions are not suitable for using the bootrec/fixboot command and the risk of getting Access is denied errors is high. This is the most likely reason.

Well, after having an understanding of why this error alert appears, we will then discuss how to solve the problem. Below you will gain a list of the three most practical ways that may take effect.

#1. Run Startup Repair

Startup Repair can solve some common startup problems in Windows. If you can’t boot your PC normally, it is suggested to try the simple tool first in WinRE before some complex methods.

1. Shut down your computer at the startup screen, and repeat it three times to boot into WinRE.

2. Select Troubleshoot＞Advanced options＞Startup Repair. Immediately it starts to detect and will try to fix the errors it has found.

If there are issues with startup, you’ll be able to see them and choose how Windows handles them. If Startup Repair finds nothing to fix, then you can try the next method.

#2. Repair Bootloader

Your access may be denied because you’re having issues with your EFI system partition. To fix your issue, you should try using the DiskPart utility to reassign a drive letter to your EFI system partition and reformat it.

1. Boot into WinRE, when you see the Automatic Repair screen, click Advanced options＞Troubleshoot＞Command Prompt.

2. Input these two commands one by one into the Command Prompt window and hit Enter on your keyboard to run them in order.

> diskpart > list disk

>select disk 0

3. Type the following line to list all the volumes on this drive:

>list vol

>select vol 1 (1 refers to your EFI volume number and it differs depending on your system configuration)

4. Type the following line and press Enter to reassign a driver letter to this volume: (V can be replaced by any other letter that hasn’t been used by the other volumes.)

>assign letter=V:

5. Type exit and press Enter to leave diskpart.

6. Type V: (the drive letter that you just assigned) and hit Enter. Type the following line and press Enter to reformat this volume:

>format V: /fs:fat32

7. Type the following line and hit Enter:

>bcdboot c:\windows /s V: /f uefi

8. Close the Command Prompt window and then open it again. Then check to see if you’re able to run the “bootrec /fixboot” command.

#3. Run CHKDSK

Check Disk is a tool that can find and fix your system errors. You can run it from the command line using Command Prompt.

1. Once you boot into WinRE, when you see the Automatic Repair screen, click Advanced options＞Troubleshoot＞Command Prompt.

2. Type chkdsk c: /r (If your system partition’s drive letter differs, type the correct one.) into the command prompt and press Enter. It implies you have Windows on your C: drive.

3. CHKDSK will scan for drive errors and let you know if it found any you should repair, Wait for the process to complete, then check to see if you’re able run the “bootrec /fixboot” command.

After trying the bootrec fixboot access denied fix, if each of these methods does not work properly, then you need to use a third-party tool to bring your computer back.

Bonus tip: restore your PC from boot errors with a backup image

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to correct errors that occur during the boot process, and accordingly, the system will not boot if the root cause of the problem is not addressed. The result of such an event can lead to partial or complete loss of data on the disk. To prevent this from happening, you need to ask for help from one of the best free backup and restore software to enable disaster recovery in case of a failure.

As the best free backup and restore solution for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Vista, etc., AOMEI Backupper Standard offers you complete and powerful functions to safeguard your data security. It supports not only operating system, but can also be used to restore partition, disk, or individual files & folders. With a system backup file on hand, you can recover your computer in case of unexpected situations such as hard drive failure, virus attack, etc.

Now let’s get the graphical instructions to restore your computer with AOMEI Backupper in case of a system crash. Firstly, download and install AOMEI Backupper Standard on your computer.

👣 Before you use AOMEI Backupper to restore your PC to normal state, you need to do preparations:

• System backup image is required. You need to create a full backup of your PC in advance.
• A bootable media is required. Create a bootable media to restore your Windows system as it cannot boot up correctly.

Once you have the 2 prerequisites, you can follow the tutorial below to restore your PC and make it bootable:

Step 1. Boot your computer from the bootable disk, and then AOMEI Backupper Standard will load automatically after booting. In the main interface, click Restore on the left menu and click Select Task or Select Image File to find the image.

Step 2. Select the system backup in the following window and then click Next.

Step 3. Then, select to restore the entire backup or a part and click Next. 

Note: Normally you need to select a path for your backup after this step. But if AOMEI Backupper can detect this image and you want to restore it to the original location, this software will select the destination path for you.

Step 4. Then, click Start Restore to execute the progress. When the progress is completed, click Finish to exit.

Note: If the system image is created on another PC with different hardware, you need to tick Universal Restore (supported in Professional edition) to make sure the computer can boot up after restoration.

Final thoughts

That’s all about the most effective 3 ways to fix bootrec/fixboot access denied error. You can try to boot into Windows RE and use the tools to repair this issue. But unfortunately not all computers can be restored to normal state with this repair method. Thus, you’ll need the best backup and restore tool – AOMEI Backupper to do you a favor for disaster recovery. With its help, once you have created a system backup and bootable media, you will be able to restore your computer to a normal state in case it does not boot properly.

AOMEI Backupper integrates many powerful features such as backup and restore, clone, sync and more. As the best alternative to Qsync one-way sync, you can use it to sync your files from various resource paths to other destinations as you like. Try it and explore more features by yourself.