One of the most uncomfortable situations that we can find when using our computer is that when we turn it on we find that it does not start. The truth is that there can be many causes of the problem, but one of the most frequent errors is the one related to the Boot Configuration Data or BCD . There are various reasons why the BCD boot file can get corrupted and cause the system to not boot, so we are going to show you how to backup the boot file and how we can repair it .
The fact that our computer has not shut down correctly, perhaps due to a power cut, some serious error in the system, that our hard drive has broken or we have a virus on the PC, may be the cause of the BCD being has been damaged or may become corrupted. If we are certain that the failure was due to a hardware component, then we will have to replace it with a new one. Either way, the best thing to do is to make a backup copy of the BCD boot file in Windows 10 and in the event of having a problem of this type, all we have to do is recover said copy and that’s it.
Create a copy of BCD in Windows 10 from CMD
Luckily, from the command line it is possible to create a BCD backup in Windows 10 easily and we do not need to resort to third-party tools. The steps to follow are:
- We open a command prompt window with administrator permissions.
- We write the command bcdedit / export D: backup.bcd . Where we must replace D: with the letter of the drive where we want to save said copy and the name of the file that we want so that later we can quickly find it in case we need to restore it.
- We press Enter and if everything goes well, the BCD copy will be created in the indicated path and drive. Ideally, we choose a safe place to save the file and which we can access in case of error.
Make use of a third-party tool
If we do not handle ourselves very well on the command line and we prefer to do it in a more graphical way, then we can use a tool like EasyBCD. It is a free software that allows us to modify the boot manager and its entries, and also does not offer the possibility of creating a backup copy of the Windows 10 BCD boot file. To do this:
- We download and install EasyBCD on our computer.
- We open the tool on the desktop.
- We select the menu option BCD Backup / Repair.
- We configure all the parameters to create the backup.
- File name, path where we want to save it.
- We can access other settings from Backup Settings.
As we can see, the EasyBCD tool itself also allows us to restore a backup copy of the boot file easily. Therefore, it also helps us to restore the file at a certain time.
We can also use AOMEI Backupper Professional . This software allows us to make backup copies of a good number of Windows 10 parameters.
The interface is very easy to use and very intuitive. We can make copies of bootable, the complete operating system, external disks, network disks, etc.
We can make total, integral (of all units) or differential copies, that is, we choose what will be copied. We can also choose the type of encryption and compression of the images (if any). We can create our own boot drive system to restore or copy the existing one , as we have already told you.
Another program that allows us to do the same is EASEUS Todo Backup Home. It has a very careful design and an easy-to-use interface, very similar to Windows 10 itself.
In addition to being able to make copies on our own, it has a backup analyzer with which it advises us which is the best option we have for our device.
We have the ability to choose the compression level, the encryption of the copy (but not the method) and it also lets us make a secondary copy in FTP . Copies of Windows startup is another of its most interesting faculties and the one that concerns us today.
What if I don’t have a BCD backup?
Another option if we encounter problems in starting our computer due to the BCD boot file being damaged or corrupt is to try to repair the Boot loader startup in Windows 10 . To do this, we can use the diagnostic or repair tools offered by Microsoft’s own operating system and have the Windows 10 installation disk, either a physical disk or a bootable USB memory. This is the process to follow to repair it:
- We start the system with the Windows 10 boot disk.
- We select the option Repair equipment.
- Then we choose the option Troubleshoot.
- In the next step, we click on Advanced Options and finally we select Command Prompt.
- Once in front of the command line, we execute the following commands:
- bootrec / fixmbr : It is responsible for writing a new MBR.
- bootrec / fixboot : Write a new boot sector to the system partition, fixing possible bad sectors.
- bootrec / rebuildbcd : Scans all hard drives connected to the computer and, if it detects Windows installations on any of them, adds it to the BCD.
- Finally, we exit the command prompt and restart the PC.
If everything has gone well, the system will be able to start correctly, as the Windows 10 BCD boot file will have been repaired.
