Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues  

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    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues

    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues

    How to Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues
    Published by Category: General Tips
    05 Sep 2020
    Designer Media Ltd

    information   Information
    Macrium Reflect is one of the most popular Windows backup programs. It is available both as a paid for version and as a free version. It is my personal choice, I have tested several other products failing to find one as easy to use and secure, complete solution. I wholeheartedly recommend Macrium Reflect, free version being enough for most private users.

    Creating scheduled system image backups is naturally the main function of Macrium Reflect. For installing Macrium Reflect and basic imaging instructions, see this tutorial: Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect Windows 10 Backup Restore Tutorials

    This tutorial will show how to use Macrium Reflect to fix Windows boot issues when Windows fails to boot.


    Note   Note
    The starting point for this tutorial is that you have already created Macrium Rescue media (USB flash drive or CD/DVD), or that you have added Macrium Rescue Environment to Windows Boot Menu as told in Part Two in Macrium Reflect tutorial.



     Contents

    One: Optional: Dual / Multi Boot systems - Backup Boot Menu
    Two: Fix Windows Boot Issues with Macrium Reflect
    Three: Optional: Dual / Multi Boot systems - Restore Boot Menu


     1. Optional: Dual / Multi Boot systems - Backup Boot Menu
    1.1) Open an elevated Command Prompt (tutorial) or PowerShell (tutorial).

    1.2) In elevated Command Prompt, enter following command replacing E:\BootMenu_Backup with your preferred storage location and file name (no file extension required):

    bcdedit /export E:\BootMenu_Backup
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    1.3 If using an elevated PowerShell instead, enter the following command:

    cmd /c 'bcdedit /export E:\BootMenu_Backup'
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Note   Note
    As seen above, when using Windows commands in PowerShell, start command line with cmd /c to tell PowerShell that what follows is a Windows command instead of PowerShell cmdlet or script, followed by command with all its options, parameters and switches as a string within quotes (both single and double quotes can be used, as you prefer).



     2. Fix Windows Boot Issues with Macrium Reflect
    Note   Note
    The below method to fix boot issues can also be used if you for any reason lose your dual / multi boot menu being not able to select from all installed operating systems.

    A dual boot system with two different version of Windows can for instance occasionally lose the boot menu.

    2.1) When Windows can't boot you will see the Recovery screen (screenshot from UEFI based PC, BIOS based machines do not have option to enter BIOS settings):
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.2) On dual / multi boot system, or on single OS system with a recovery console like that of Macrium Reflect added to boot menu, F9 takes you back to boot menu and you can try to boot another OS.

    2.3) If the failed OS is Windows 7 or older, the Recovery screen is shown in legacy mode:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Pressing Enter takes you back to boot menu

    2.4) If you are not able to select and start any of available operating systems, select Macrium Reflect System Recovery from boot menu:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Alternatively, if you have not added it to boot menu, start your PC from Macrium Rescue media (USB or CD/DVD).

    Note   Note
    On some UEFI based computers booting to Macrium Rescue fails if Secure Boot is enabled. If you have it enabled, press ESC on Recovery screen to enter UEFI settings and disable Secure Boot.

    You can enable it again when boot issues have been fixed.

    2.5) When Macrium Rescue has booted, select Fix Windows boot problems on top left:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.6) Macrium scans all disks and shows a list of installed operating systems it finds. If you are satisfied, all operating systems found, click Next and continue from step 2.12:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Note   Note
    Macrium Rescue does not find operating systems installed on a native boot virtual hard disk, these you must add manually after boot issues have been fixed and you are able to boot to Windows desktop.

    Also if you have copied a boot menu entry of an existing physical Windows installation to be able to use the same OS installation with different settings, the copied boot entries will not be found and need to be manually added later.

    For an example, see screenshot above in step 2.4 showing I have four OS entries in boot menu, in addition to Macrium Rescue. Only two of these will be found by Macrium Rescue when selecting Fix Windows boot problems as shown in screenshot in step 2.6 because one of the four OS entries is a native boot VHD (W10 PRO (VHD)), another (W10 PRO (VMware)) being just a copy of my main OS entry (W10 PRO (Hyper-V)) with different settings to allow me to run both Hyper-V and VMware virtualization programs on same PC, on same installation.

    2.7) If you want to remove one of operating systems found, just select it and click Ignore:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Selected OS will be ignored and not shown in fixed boot menu. If only one OS is found or left after ignoring all others, no boot menu will be shown after boot records have been fixed, Windows booting automatically to only available OS. Boot menu will only be shown by default when there are two or more operating systems to choose.

    2.8) Edit allows you to manually change the path to selected OS, and change Windows version in case it is recorded wrong:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.9) If you think an OS (Windows installation) which should be present is not found, you can browse your PC to find correct partition ID letter:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.10) When you have found the path to missing Windows installation, click Add to add it:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.11) When all operating systems have been found, click Next:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.12) Macrium shows the summary of operating systems found. Click Finish:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    2.13) Macrium will now write new boot records. When done, click Yes to restart PC:
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png



     3. Optional: Dual / Multi Boot systems - Restore Boot Menu
    3.1) When back on Windows desktop, restore your exported (see steps 1.1 to 1.3) original boot menu.

    Elevated Command Prompt:

    bcdedit /import E:\BootMenu_Backup
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png

    Elevated PowerShell:

    cmd /c 'bcdedit /import E:\BootMenu_Backup'
    Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues-image.png




    That's it!

    Kari






  1. WOT
    Posts : 471
    Win 10 Pro 15063.332 (ex-Insider)
       #1

    WOW, super job Kari.
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 26,415
    Windows 11 Pro 22631.3374
       #2

    Great Work Kari
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks geeks.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #4

    Hi @Kari - great tutorial. I have just a minor comment for your consideration:

    You do not need to disable secure boot to boot into a Macrium usb or dvd - just tested it on my laptop and also in a vm.


    Cheers C.
      My Computer


  5. WOT
    Posts : 471
    Win 10 Pro 15063.332 (ex-Insider)
       #5

    cereberus said:
    Hi @Kari - great tutorial. I have just a minor comment for your consideration:

    You do not need to disable secure boot to boot into a Macrium usb or dvd - just tested it on my laptop and also in a vm.


    Cheers C.
    @cereberus: See my post here and provide feedback if you wish:
    Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16193 PC and 15213 Mobile

    Regards,

    WOT
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #6

    WOT said:
    @cereberus: See my post here and provide feedback if you wish:
    Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16193 PC and 15213 Mobile

    Regards,

    WOT
    I have never experienced that on any pc with any version of Macrium Reflect or any winpe version used to build a rescue drive.
      My Computer


  7. WOT
    Posts : 471
    Win 10 Pro 15063.332 (ex-Insider)
       #7

    cereberus said:
    I have never experienced that on any pc with any version of Macrium Reflect or any winpe version used to build a rescue drive.
    OK, thank you for your response; however, when I spoke directly with one of your fellow gurus, they told me they always have to disbale secure boot and that is why I was so confused when it just started happening to me.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #8

    WOT said:
    OK, thank you for your response; however, when I spoke directly with one of your fellow gurus, they told me they always have to disbale secure boot and that is why I was so confused when it just started happening to me.
    I cannot offer any plausible reason unless it is the bios itself allowing it in some cases and not in others which would not surprise me.
      My Computer


  9. WOT
    Posts : 471
    Win 10 Pro 15063.332 (ex-Insider)
       #9

    cereberus said:
    I cannot offer any plausible reason unless it is the bios itself allowing it in some cases and not in others which would not surprise me.
    I am sure that is applicable in some cases; however, mine worked just like yours before I started the Insider builds, and since I never created a new rescue disk, the only thing that changed was when I upgraded from 16188 to 16199. Also, since I do daily imaging, and I frequently restore from a backup image, I am sure this started on both machines after I upgraded from 16188 to the next one (16193 I believe). Anyway, my story is starting to sound like "the boy who cried wolf" so I will let this issue rest.

    However, just to be sure, I retested my laptop and my desktop and I get no uefi boot with secure boot enabled but uefi boot works fine with secure boot disabled... go figure; eh?
      My Computers


 

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