Select your language and keyboard layout, click Next , and then click Repair your computer in the bottom-left corner. 2. Basic Startup Repair
Insert the bootable USB drive and restart the server. Configure the server to boot from the USB drive.
If the BCD is severely damaged or the system partition is corrupted, you can use the bcdboot tool to completely recreate the boot environment. This is a more advanced but often definitive fix. The bcdboot tool copies a fresh set of boot environment files from the Windows partition to the system partition, effectively rebuilding the BCD store from the system's own templates.
If the or the Master Boot Record (MBR) is corrupted, the server will not know how to locate and load the operating system. You can manually rebuild these via the Command Prompt. Navigate to Advanced options and open Command Prompt . windows server 2012 r2 boot repair
: Scans for Windows installations and lets you add them to the Boot Configuration Data. Microsoft Community Hub rebuildbcd fails, manually reset the BCD: Microsoft Community Hub
If your server is already showing a boot error, follow this structured troubleshooting sequence.
Finally, to rebuild the BCD entirely, it is often safest to export and delete the old one first. Type the following commands, pressing after each: bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old bootrec /rebuildbcd Select your language and keyboard layout, click Next
: Ensure the server is correctly activated. If the edition needs to be set (e.g., from Evaluation to Standard), use DISM commands with a valid product key. Verify Roles Server Manager to ensure all previously installed roles and features are functioning correctly. step-by-step breakdown
Windows Server 2012 R2 supports native boot from VHDX (often in Hyper-V). Repair requires attaching the VHDX offline.
For Spanish-speaking administrators, the command-line process is identical, but the interface prompts will be in Spanish. The steps involve booting from the installation media, selecting "Reparar su equipo" (Repair your computer), and then "Solucionar problemas" (Troubleshoot) > "Opciones avanzadas" (Advanced options) > "Símbolo del sistema" (Command Prompt). The same bootrec , sfc , and dism commands work universally. Configure the server to boot from the USB drive
bootrec /fixmbr bootrec /fixboot bootrec /scanos bootrec /rebuildbcd
By following the steps and techniques outlined in this article, you should be able to successfully repair the boot on your Windows Server 2012 R2 machine.