How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista

Find yourself receiving "BOOTMGR is missing, Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart" message? Don't stress! Its easier to fix than you think. Here's how:

SOLUTION 1

- Get your Vista installation DVD and pop it into your drive.
- Then restart your computer
.
- Set your computer to boot from DVD or CD in your BIOS.

Vista will ask you for language and keyboard layout information, after which you will be asked if you want to re-install Vista or repair your existing installation.
Select Repair. After which Vista's System Recovery Tool will start.

Select Startup Repair and let Vista do its thing! That really is all there is to it!


If that doesn't work try this:


SOLUTION 2

If the previous method does not resolve the problem, you can rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment. To do this, follow these steps:

- Get your Vista installation DVD and pop it into your drive.
- Then restart your computer.
- Press a key when you are prompted.
- Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next
- Click Repair your computer
- Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next
- In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt
- Type bootrec /rebuildbcd and then press ENTER

• If Bootrec runs successfully, it will present you with the installation path of a Windows directory. To add the entry to the BCD store, type Yes . A confirmation message appears that indicates the entry was added successfully.

• If Bootrec cannot locate any missing Windows installations, you must remove the BCD store, and then you must re-create it. To do this, type the following commands in the order shown below: (Remember to press ENTER after each command)

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

bootrec /rebuildbcd

- Restart the computer.
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Alternatively you could have chosen the Command Prompt option instead, and use the following command to fix the boot options only:

bootrec /fixboot



At this point you should be able to reboot your computer, remove the DVD and everything should be working. If not, then head over to our forums and ask your question there. We've got some top-notch geeks over there!

How to remove Ubuntu from a Vista dual-boot config

On my new PC I wanted (still want) to have to a go with Linux. I chose to experiment with Ubuntu. I downloaded the desktop CD, burned it, freed up some disk space (inside Vista) and loaded up Ubuntu from the CD. After some experimenting I figured out how to install Ubuntu in the empty disk space and it all worked fine (GRUB took over my booting (recognized Vista automatically!) and Ubuntu loaded up fine).

Then I tried to install my GPU drivers and everything went wrong.. For some reason Ubuntu wouldn't boot anymore (failed to load X-Server or something). I was completely lost and wanted to remove Ubuntu.

This is where things start to get really messy!

If you simply remove the Ubuntu partition, GRUB (Linux boot loader) will still be on your PC (in control). It will trip out, as the Ubuntu partition will be removed.. Bad thing!

So you need to restore your Master Boot Record (MBR) for Vista (so that Vista will handle the booting, not GRUB).

Google only pointed me to sites that explained how to REMOVE VISTA, which isn't what I wanted. Many sites talked about the 'fixmbr' command, but this is really only available in Windows XP.

So how do you restore your MBR for Windows Vista?

1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press a key when you are prompted.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
7. Type Bootrec.exe /FixMbr, and then press ENTER.

That's it. Now when you reboot your PC, Vista will load automatically... You can now safely boot using your Ubuntu desktop CD, to use the built in Gnome Partition Manager to remove your Ubuntu partition!

Change the amount of space used by System Restore - Vista

In order to configure the amount of space used by System Restore, you need to use a tool called Volume Shadow Copy Administrative Command-Line Tool (or vssadmin.exe).

1. To access vssadmin.exe we will have to open the command prompt with administrative rights. In order to do that, type "cmd" or "command" in the Start Menu search field. The first result should be cmd.exe or the Command Prompt. If you have UAC turned on, right click on it and select Run as administrator.



2. The Command Prompt will open. The Volume Shadow Copy Service offers several configuration option. Type vssadmin /? and press Enter to see the list of available options.
3. If you want to know how much space has been allocated and the maximum amount of space that can be used by System Restore, type vssadmin list shadowstorage and then hit the Enter key.



4. If you want to change the amount of space used by System Restore, you should use the following command:
5. vssadmin resize shadowstorage /on=[drive letter]: /For=[drive letter]: /Maxsize=[maximum size]
6. MaxSizeSpec must be 300MB or greater and accepts the following suffixes: KB (for kilobytes), MB (for megabytes), GB (for gigabytes), TB (for terabytes), PB (for petabytes) and EB (for exabytes). If a suffix is not supplied, MaxSizeSpec is in bytes. If MaxSizeSpec is not specified, then there will be no limit to the amount of space it may use.
7. For example, if you want System Restore to use a maximum of 1GB of space for the restore points on drive "C:", you should type the following:
8. vssadmin resize shadowstorage /On=C: /For=C: /Maxsize=1GB



9. The maximum space used by System Restore has now been resized.

Windows Vista keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

• F1 - Display Help
• CTRL+C - Copy the selected item
• CTRL+X - Cut the selected item
• CTRL+V - Paste the selected item
• CTRL+Z - Undo an action
• CTRL+Y - Redo an action
• DELETE - Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
• SHIFT+DELETE - Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
• F2 - Rename the selected item
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
• CTRL+UP ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
• CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow key - Select a block of text
• SHIFT with any arrow key - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
• CTRL with any arrow key+SPACEBAR - Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
• CTRL+A - Select all items in a document or window
• F3- Search for a file or folder
• ALT+ENTER - Display properties for the selected item
• ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or exit the active program
• ALT+SPACEBAR - Open the shortcut menu for the active window
• CTRL+F4 - Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
• ALT+TAB - Switch between open items
• CTRL+ALT+TAB - Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
• CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size of icons on the desktop
• Windows logo key + TAB - Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• CTRL+Windows logo key + TAB - Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• ALT+ESC - Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
• F6 - Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
• F4 - Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer
• SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
• CTRL+ESC - Open the Start menu
• F10 - Activate the menu bar in the active program
• RIGHT ARROW - Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
• LEFT ARROW - Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
• F5 - Refresh the active window
• ALT+UP ARROW - View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
• ESC - Cancel the current task
• CTRL+SHIFT+ESC - Open Task Manager
• SHIFT when you insert a CD - Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

• CTRL+TAB - Move forward through tabs
• CTRL+SHIFT+TAB - Move back through tabs
• TAB - Move forward through options
• SHIFT+TAB - Move back through options
• ALT+underlined letter - Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
• ENTER - Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
• SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
• Arrow keys - Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
• F1 - Display Help
• F4 - Display the items in the active list
• BACKSPACE - Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box

Windows Sidebar keyboard shortcuts

• Windows logo key Picture of Windows logo key + SPACEBAR - Bring all gadgets to the front and select Sidebar
• Windows logo key Picture of Windows logo key +G - Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
• TAB - Cycle through Sidebar controls

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

• CTRL+N - Open a new window
• END - Display the bottom of the active window
• HOME - Display the top of the active window
• F11 - Maximize or minimize the active window
• LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder
• ALT+LEFT ARROW - View the previous folder
• RIGHT ARROW - Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder
• ALT+RIGHT ARROW - View the next folder
• CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
• ALT+D - Select the Address bar

Windows Help viewer keyboard shortcuts

• ALT+C - Display the Table of Contents
• ALT+N - Display the Connection Settings menu
• F10 - Display the Options menu
• ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move back to the previously viewed topic
• ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to the next (previously viewed) topic
• ALT+A - Display the customer support page
• ALT+HOME - Display the Help and Support home page
• HOME - Move the to beginning of a topic
• END - Move to the end of a topic
• CTRL+F - Search the current topic
• CTRL+P - Print a topic
• F3- Move to the Search box

Using BCDEDIT.EXE to Clean Up Windows Vista Boot Manager

How to clean up the Windows Vista Boot Manager using the command line tool called BCDEDIT.EXE located at C:\Windows\System32 assuming Windows Vista is installed on Drive C.
You may have installed another operating system earlier on another drive and you now have formatted this drive. When you boot your computer, you are presented with a choice of what operating system to start with but one of the entries do not work because you have removed the operating system. BCDEDIT.EXE is a command line tool to manage the BCD store (Windows Vista Boot Manager). For a list of complete commands that BCDEDIT.EXE offers, open a Command Window and type bcdedit /?.
NOTE: To enlarge the images, simply click on the images you would like to view. With Internet Explorer 7, you can right-click on the image to select Open in New Tab.

Removing invalid entries in the Windows Vista Boot Manager

1. Type: bcdedit > c:\users\yourusername\desktop\bcd.txt NOTE: A file called "bcd.txt" should now be on the desktop.
2. Open "bcd.txt" and note the "identifier" value for the invalid boot entries.
3. Type: bcdedit /delete {identifiler}
4. To remove the timeout of the Windows Boot Manager, type: bcdedit /timeout 0

Platforms Tested

• Microsoft Windows XP Editions x86 Versions