Here’s How to Fix Windows 10/11 Grub Rescue in 6 Quick Steps

Many use two operating systems on their PC, but that results in Grub rescue error on Windows 10

This issue occurs when Windows PC users who intend to boot their computer get stuck at the boot screen and the issue is caused by a corrupt boot directory. However, there are ways to fix it.

How do I fix Windows 10 Grub Rescue errors?

1. Set the correct partition

1. Connect the Windows 10 bootable media to your computer (DVD or USB flash drive)
2. Restart your computer to enter into ‘Automatic Repair’ mode.
3. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt to launch the CMD.
4. Now, Type ‘diskpart’ without quotes and hit the ‘Enter’ key.
5. Type the following commands one after the other:
6. Then type the following commands one by one:
   • list disk: ( this list all hard drives in your computer)
   • select disk n: (n means the disk where the OS is installed. Here you can select disk 0 or any other disk where Windows 10 is installed.)
   • list volume: (this list all volumes on disk 0 is listed.)
   • select volume n: (the n implies the number of the system partitions.)
   • active: (this indicates the active system partition.)
7. From the list of the displayed system partition, determine the right partition which should be active.
8. Type the following command and hit ‘Enter’ after each command:
   • select partition d
   • active
   • quit
9. Restart your PC afterward.

There are multiple third-party solutions that can deliver great support to manage your partitions, so see the results using the best partition manager software on Windows 10.

2. Reset BIOS Settings

1. Shut down your PC and then start it up.
2. Hit the “F2” key repetitively until the system screen window come into view.(Note: BIOS function key may vary depending on your system. Check for the BIOS Function key when you switch on your PC).
3. Use the “Right Arrow” on your keyboard to navigate to the “Exit” menu tab.
4. Now, hit on the “Down Arrow” and navigate to the “Load Optimized Defaults” option.
5. Select the “Load Optimized Defaults” option, and then hit the “Enter” button.

3. Use Windows 10 Automatic Repair to restore the Boot Sector Code

1. Restart your PC few times during the boot sequence.
2. From the list of options, Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
3. The repair process will now start.
4. After the repair process is complete, check if the problem is resolved.

In addition, you can also use a bootable Windows 10 DVD or USB flash drive to restore boot sector code.

1. Connect the Windows 10 bootable media to your computer (DVD or USB flash drive)
2. Restart your computer to enter into ‘Automatic Repair’ mode.
3. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt to launch the CMD.
4. In the CMD window, type the following command and hit “Enter” afterward:
   • diskpart
   • select disk 0
   • list volume
5. All volumes will be displayed. In the “Type” column, you will find the “DVD-ROM” value. (ensure you remember the drive letter of the Windows 10 bootable media you plugged to your PC). For instance letter E.
6. Now, type the following command and hit Enter afterward:
   • Exit
   • E:
   • cd boot
   • Dir
7. Check to see if you have bootsect.exe files in the list. If yes, enter the following command keys and hit ‘Enter’ afterward:
   • bootsect /nt60 SYS /mbr
   • Exit
8. Restart your PC and check to see if the problem is resolved.

Note: In case you do not see the bootsect.exe file from the steps above, you may proceed to the next step in order to rebuild BCD.

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4. Rebuild BCD using Windows 10 Automatic Repair

1. Connect the Windows 10 bootable media to your computer (DVD or USB flash drive)
2. Restart your computer to enter into ‘Automatic Repair’ mode.
3. In the Advanced options window, select “Command Prompt” to initiate the BCD files.
4. In the CMD window, type the following commands in turn, and then hit the ‘Enter’ key afterward:
   • bootrec /fixmbr
   • bootrec /fixboot
   • bootrec /rebuildbcd
5. After the process is complete, close Command Prompt, and then restart your PC.

5. Clean Install Windows 10

1. Download the Media Creation Tool from the official download website.
2. Plug in the USB flash drive with at least 4 GB.
3. Run Media Creation Tool and accept the License Terms.
4. Select the “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC” option.
5. Pick the preferred language, architecture, and edition and click ‘Next’.
6. Choose a USB flash drive and then click ‘Next’.
7. Wait for Media Creation Tool to download the setup and copy the installation files onto the USB flash drive.
8. Finally, restart the affected PC.
9. Plug in the USB and start the Setup on your PC.
10. Follow the prompts to set up new Windows.

This method installs Windows 10 OS afresh on your PC thereby wiping off previous system installations.

Before you proceed, download Windows 10 ISO file with the ‘media creation tool’ on another PC, and then create a bootable USB drive with it or burn it on a DVD.

Note: Ensure that the USB drive for the Windows 10 installation is 2.0 version instead of 3.0 or 3.1 and it’s at least 4GB.

6. Replace hard drive

Another alternative for fixing Windows 10 Grub Rescue issue is by replacing the hard drive. This is because the hard drive may be damaged hence resulting in the grub rescue startup problem.

Therefore, we recommend that you get another hard drive from your PC’s manufacturer websites or mainstream retail sites and then replace it yourself if you have the tech knowledge.

In conclusion, we do hope that you were able to fix Windows 10 grub rescue problem by using any of the highlighted solutions we mentioned above. However, if you have any questions regarding any of the solutions, feel free to drop us a comment below.

This isn’t the only Grub issue sadly, and many reported a deleted Grub when using Windows. If you’re on Windows 11, we have a great article on how to add Windows 11 to Grub, so don’t miss it.

Keep in mind that Grub issues can be serious, and they can cause Windows and Ubuntu Dual Boot not to work, so you need to fix them as soon as possible.

Are you experiencing any technical issues with your Windows PC? Drop us a message at the contact form located here for assistance.