How to fix Windows 10/11 MBR without CD [FULL GUIDE]

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Key notes

  • The Windows 10 MBR can get corrupted or can crash for various reasons.
  • If you have to restore it but don't have the CD, follow the steps provided below.
  • Find everything there's to know about protecting and managing your device in our Windows 10 Hub.
  • More useful, easy-to-follow guides can be found in the How-To section.
how to fix Windows 10 MBR without installation disk

The Windows 10 MBR (Master Boot Record) might get corrupted or you might experience MBR-related issues if your device was infected with malware, or if an improper shutdown has occurred.

So, as you might know, it’s more than recommended to protect your device by using dedicated antivirus and antimalware tools and you should always be careful when shutting down your Windows computer.

Fixing Windows 10 MBR can be quite easy especially if you can use the Windows 10 installation DVD. You just need to follow the troubleshooting process and to run some commands in Command Prompt.

But what can you do if you can’t use the Windows 10 CD?

In that case, the process is a little bit tricky as you need to be fast when completing the troubleshooting steps. You will see what I am talking about at the right time in the steps below.

How do I fix Windows 10 MBR without an installation disk?

  1. Use a third-party dedicated software
  2. Use Windows Troubleshoot
  3. Run Bootrec
  4. Disconnect USB portable drive

1. Use a third-party dedicated software

boot pc without cd
When you can’t find the Windows 10 CD, you still have a chance of booting your PC, as well as recovering the OS if it’s unbootable using a dedicated tool such as Tenorshare Windows Boot Genius.

This tool can help you with booting up a PC that won’t start properly, burning a bootable ISO image of Windows 10 on a CD/DVD/USB, recover all passwords, product keys, and data in case of boot failure.

So not only you will be able to restore your system and files, but also to repair the crashed MBR or a corrupted registry caused by BSOD, various system crashes, virus infection, or partition damage.

Tenorshare Windows Boot Genius supports Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista.

Tenorshare Windows Boot Genius

Tenorshare Windows Boot Genius

Get all-in-one efficient help with booting and restoring a crashed Windows 10 MBR with just a few clicks.
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2. Use Windows Troubleshoot

  1. Restart your device.
  2. Immediately start pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del (you might need some practice before being able to do this properly).windows-8
  3. Your device will restart automatically.
  4. Repeat pressing the three buttons mentioned above.
  5. Let the machine restart without doing anything else.
  6. You should see the following messages displayed: Preparing automatic repair, Diagnose, Attempting Repairs.
  7. Select Advanced options.
  8. Next, go towards Troubleshoot.
  9. Once more, select Advanced options.
  10. And finally, pick Windows startup settings and choose Restart.
  11. That’s it, now your computer should restart normally.

3. Run Bootrec

  1. Follow the steps listed above until step number 9
  2. When the Advanced options screen appears, select Command Prompt.
  3. Enter the following commands and hit Enter after each one:

bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

run bootrec to fix mbrbootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootrec.exe /fixboot


4.  Disconnect USB portable drive

Disconnect USB portable drive to fix windows 10 mbr
If there is an external USB portable drive connected to your Windows PC, this may explain why you can’t boot your device. Many users who encountered this issue confirmed that unplugging the drive solved the problem.

So, that’s how you can fix Windows 10 MBR without using your installation disk or DVD. If you’re running on an older OS, the tool recommended in the first step, Tenorshare, will surely do the job for you.

If you have questions or if you can’t apply the steps above, share your thoughts with us by using the comments field from below and we will help you as soon as possible.

Also, if you’ve got additional tips and suggestions on how to fix Windows 10 MBR without an installation disk, you can list them in the comments below.

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More about the topics: boot errors, windows 10 fix