If when you start your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer, you receive a Your PC needs to be repaired error message, then Then this post may be able to help you resolve the issue.
A required device isn’t connected or can’t be accessed
The first thing you want to try is to boot into Advanced Boot options and try to Refresh your PC. But if you do this, you are in all likelihood expected to receive the following message:
The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again
If you try to Reset your PC you will see the following message:
Unable to reset your PC. A required drive partition is missing
The cause for this error is normally a corrupt MBR or BCD file. To resolve this issue, there are a few things you may want to try.
If you can log in normally, good; else you will have to boot into Safe Mode, enter Advanced Startup options screen, or use the Installation Media to boot to be able to carry out these instructions.
1] Run Check Disk via WinRE screen
Boot into Advanced Boot Options. From the WinRE screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt. Run Check Disk using CMD. You may use the chkdsk /r command.
2] Run System File Checker
If a system file required for booting up has become corrupted, running System File Checker may help you.
3] Change the active partition
You may be required to change the active partition using diskpart. An Active partition is the one that your BIOS detects is the one that will start your computer.
It is important to note that changing Active Partition wrongly may make your computer unbootable. So do not by mistake, mark a partition as Active, if it does not contain the NTDLR loader for your operating system.
To do this, enter the following commands:
diskpart
list disk
Now select the disk – it will typically be Disk 0 – and set it as the Active disk. Assuming it is Disk 0, the commands become:
select disk 0
Now list the partitions using:
list partition
Assuming your partition number is 0, the command becomes
select partition 0
To make it the Active partition, type the following and hit Enter:
active
Exit diskpart.
4] Repair Master Boot Record
Repair Master Boot Record. It is one of the effective troubleshooting steps, to fix boot issues, and will hopefully help you fix the problem.
Update: Please see boozi‘s comment too, below.
Some other links that may help you someday:
how do i select my partition to boot
i have 7 partitions
1 system(300MB)
2 recovery(900MB)
3 reserved(128MB)
4 primary (279GB)
5 recovery(450MB)
6 Primary (397GB)
7 recovery(20GB)
i simply try to select partition 1(which is labeled as system) but it written there the selected disk is not a fixed MBR disk. The active command can only be used on fixed MBR disks. Can anyone hlp me to solve this ?
I have the same issue, need help
FROM : http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26203-convert-gpt-disk-mbr-disk.html
This method has you manually delete each volume on the disk before converting the disk to MBR.
A) Type detail disk and press enter. If the disk does not have any volumes listed, then you can go to step 8E below.
NOTE: This will give you a list of all the volume numbers on the selected disk number that you will need to delete in steps 8B and 8C below.
B) Type select volume # and press enter.
NOTE: Substitute # with a volume number listed in step 8A. For example, select volume 3.
C) Type delete volume and press enter.
D) Repeat steps 8B and 8C for each volume # listed in step 8A until you have deleted all volume #’s.
E) When finished, type select disk # and press enter.
NOTE: You would use the same one from step 5 above. For example, select disk 1.
F) Go to step 9 below.
9. Type convert mbr and press enter.
10. Close the command prompt.
It doesn’t allow me to run the active command. It just says that this partition cannot be activated. Something along those lines
I tried to install ubundu along with my current window 8.1.while partitioning ubundu instalation stops andwhile restart my pc,windows is loading and tries for auto repair and fails ,what can i do ?
you could just turn off hibernation. it causes drive to be locked.
uninformed post and comments,
most new pc’s running win 8 are using efi(or UEFI) boot with gpt “partitioned” drives. (as opposed to the old bios+MBR) this method does not have or use an “active partition” function as a part of the boot process.
BIOS v EFI (still often referred to as “uefi bios”)
MBR v GPT
the first comment is a case of a GPT drive: (MBR drives can only contain 4 partitions)
partition 1 “system”(300MB) is an efi partition which is the first on the boot process and it contains the bootmgr and BCD files(windows boot program)
all other partitions except 4 and 6 are repair and recovery tools both built in to windows and added by the vendor.
from a “superuser” post:
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get my Windows 8 PC to boot again after cloning to a new SSD and try to summarise how I finally got it all working –
Firstly, boot from a UEFI Windows 8 recovery disk (CD/DVD/USB) – I found that the automated recovery process didn’t find the correct Windows partition, nor when I managed to add it to BCD settings would it make it reliably bootable e.g. using BCDEDIT I got it to find and launch the Windows partition but it refused to cold boot or would not “keep” the settings after a 2nd reboot or power off.
Go into the Advanced options and run the Command Prompt.
Enter diskpart to use the DiskPart tool to ensure you have all the right partitions and to identify your EFI partition – the key thing here is that your EFI partition is formatted as FAT32:
DISKPART> sel disk 0
Disk 0 is now the selected disk.
DISKPART> list vol
Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
———- — ———– —– ———- ——- ——— ——–
Volume 0 E DVD-ROM 0 B No Media
Volume 1 C NTFS Partition 195 GB Healthy Boot
Volume 2 WINRE NTFS Partition 400 MB Healthy Hidden
Volume 3 FAT32 Partition 260 MB Healthy System
Then assign a drive letter to the EFI partition:
DISKPART> sel vol 3
Volume 3 is the selected volume.
DISKPART> assign letter=b:
DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.
Exit DiskPart tool by entering exit and at the command prompt run the following:
cd /d b:EFIMicrosoftBoot
bootrec /fixboot
Delete or rename the BCD file:
ren BCD BCD.bak
Use bcdboot.exe to recreate BCD store:
bcdboot c:Windows /l en-gb /s b: /f ALL
The /f ALL parameter updates the BIOS settings including UEFI firmware/NVRAM, /l en-gb is to localise for UK/GB locale. The localisation defaults to US English, or use en-US.
Reboot and cross your fingers.
This gave me headaches. I was going in circles for a long while. There isn’t a lot of reliable info about fixing UEFI/Windows 8 at the time of writing.
[EDIT]
To re-enable Hyper-V, I also had to run the following from an Administrator Command Prompt within Windows after rebooting:
bcdedit /set {default} hypervisorlaunchtype Auto
bcdedit /set {default} nx OptIn
when we need MBR and GPT
i was type in commond the above …but if we type select partition 0 says that partition 0 is un avalible
by using active command
it says that active command is only used on fixed MBR disks
i am using windows 8.1
Thanks you so much! Been working on my father’s computer for hours now, got it fixed with this. Thanks!
i denied access to my local disk but now i cant access it what should i do
please
So I typed in ‘ list partition’ and this came up and I only have six partitions and don’t know which one to pick …..I need some help please
Partiton 1 Recorvery 400MB 1024KB
Partition 2 System 260MB 401MB
Partiton 3 Reserved 128MB 661MB
Partition 4 Primary 274GB 789MB
Partition 5 Recorvery 450MB 275GB
Partiton 6 Primary 21GB 276GB
I think both win 8 and 10 suck big time. I got evaluation copies of both. Neither would install on their own isolated partitions cleanly. The worst part of the whole experience is that both these OSes would randomly lock out some of the logical drives for unknown reason. I googled to find out how to fix it and cme up with zilch. This happened on both the internal AND external USB connected drives. Absolutely no problems with my existing Win 7 Ultimate.
As a last resort I totally disconnected the internal drive and installed a brand new 2 TB drive to attempt clean install. Installation would simply fail. Funny thing is that my hardware has been checked and verified the free upgrade to Win 10 offer from Microsoft ! Go Figure !
This actually works for me. I have a same problem, and it works like a charm. Although I miss some steps that require me to reset my BIOS setting to UEFI instead of Legacy. I usually picked Legacy if I need to run some troubleshooting.
Anyway, if anyone have the issue, this one works. Kudos to boozi for this info.
When I typed the last command it gave me what looked like a list of commands like you’d get if you typed /help
omg thank you so much!!! I thought I had totally screwed myself. youre amazing.
Partition 2 (system)
I had the same problem but found but putting the /l en-gb at the end it worked. A roboot and finally the windows 10 upgrade appears to be completing.
Running through all that worked until the bcdboot part. Get an error: Failure when attempting to copy boot files.
does not contain the NTDLR loader? i belive you meant the bootmgr loader buddy we don’t use ntldr anymore since Xp wsa released in 2002.:)
It worked like charm!
Thank you very, very much!
Me too
How do you turn off hibernation?
Pl see https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-and-re-enable-hibernation-using-microsoft-fix-it
I’ve ran into this issue after cloning my hd to a larger one. Both are MBR, one is 3TB the second is 4 but I have not used any program to extend the capacities, anyway after True Image finished the cloning process it shut down the pc and for the last 3 days I have been trying every fix under the sun for inaccessible_boot_device. Absolutely nothing has worked, my Bios is set to legacy only, drivers and software always update to date, neither drive is dead just not able to boot from them. I did a clean install of windows on an SSD and can access both drives, I can see them in my boot options just cannot boot to them. Inaccessible_Boot_Device or System32winload.exe is corrupt or missing.. I get these messages no matter what I try… and I have tried everything!
I just looked in diskpart yet again thinking about attempting your fix, but the drives have 5 partitions? 3 of which are System reserved, 100MB has a drive letter but the two 450MB partitions are hidden, could this have any effect on my problem?
Oh, I know that winload is not missing or corrupt, I replaced it from the clean install. I have ran sfc and tried dism but neither is fixing the corrupt files. Really do not want to have to attempt a clean install it is my graphic design system I would hate to lose the software I purchased but no longer have the old emails.. Can’t afford PhotoShop again.
You are brilliant. Saved me. Thank you!
I need help. My system sees my Cdrive but can’t see os or mbr. Chkdsk says drive is write protected. Dskpart shows partitions but says it is locked.
Hello. Would you be abble to fix it? I got the same error: Failure when attempting to copy boot files.
Hello. Would you be abble to fix it? I got the same error: Failure when attempting to copy boot files. I need help
I think I had to reinstall Windows completely. It’s been a long time, sorry I don’t remember.
kerri
Will I able to reset my pc after following this steps
how do i do this if i cant boot my system? if i click advanced options or refresh my laptop crashes.
thanks alot, this is the only solution that really worked.. for me :D
thank you, u just saved me alot of work .. much appreciated
I am getting the same messages can anyone help???
I know this is an old thread, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Jesus Christ, the people of the broken Windows PC world would all be lost without command line geniuses like you. Thanks mate.