How to Fix MBR on External Drive in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

MBR is a necessary part of your PC. It allows your PC / laptop to identify the location of the second data disk so that Windows 11 is able to boot. Sometimes some various stuff such as incorrect shutdown and viruses or other malware can corrupt the MBR. Or, sometimes you may receive an error that says “Bootmgr is missing” this error will hinder your device from starting. So, to solve these kinds of issues, you need to fix the MBR to permit Windows 11 to load your MBR disk again.

In this article, we described how to fix MBR on the external drive in Windows 11. To learn more, follow us till the end of this article.

MBR

Master Boot Record or MBR is the information in the first part of any hard drive or diskette which identifies the location of the operating system so that it can boot or be loaded into RAM or the main storage of your PC.

The MBR is also called “master partition table” or “partition sector” since it has a table consisting of each partition into which the hard disk has been formatted. Furthermore, MBR involves a program that reads the partition’s boot sector record with the OS (operating system), which needs to be loaded into RAM.

The Basic Features of MBR

• There are three types of MBR: Logical Partitions, Primary Partitions, and Extended Partitions.
• Each MBR disk can involve a maximum of 4 primary partitions, and each partition needs 16 bytes of space.
• The MBR’s partition table involves the details of the extended and primary partitions.

The Signs of a Damaged MBR

The MBR is a necessary part of your computer. So, when it is damaged, your Windows 11 will not be able to load the disk and you will face various boot errors.

Here is a list of some boot errors that you might encounter on Windows 11:

• Bootmgr is missing.
• Operating system not found.
• Error loading MBR disk.
• Reboot and select the proper boot device.
• Invalid partition table.

So, when you encounter any of the above errors, it means the MBR is corrupted and needs to be fixed.

How to Fix MBR in Windows 11?

Here we suggested two methods to fix the MBR. The first method guides you to fix MBR in Windows 11 via an advanced tool. The second method guides you to fix MBR in Windows 11 via Command Prompt.

Both methods will give you desirable results.

1. Fixing MBR in Windows 11 via EaseUS Partition Master

EaseUS Partition Master is an excellent tool that provides you with the fast fixes and simple solutions to repair your damaged MBR data disk in Windows 11. This outstanding tool presents a “Rebuild MBR” feature that let you rebuild MBR Windows 11 in a short time.

So, this tool can fix the MBR issue without ruining the table of a disk partition.

To fix the MBR issue via the EaseUS Partition Master tool, follow the steps below:

1. The First Step is to Create a WinPE Bootable Disk

• Launch the EaseUS Partition Master app.
• Hit the WinPE Creator button from the toolbar.
• Choose to create the bootable disk on a USB drive. (You can also make a bootable disk to CD / DVD if you have a CD / DVD drive on your PC.)
• To finish the process, select the Proceed option.

2. The Second Step is to Boot EaseUS Partition Master Bootable USB

• First, you need to connect your bootable USB or CD / DVD to your computer.
• Then, restart your PC. While restarting, hold the F2 + Del hotkey to go to the BIOS page.
• From the Removable Devices or CD-ROM option, set and boot your PC.
• Now, the EaseUS Partition Master will run automatically.

3. The Third Step is Rebuilding MBR

Right-click on a disk with damaged MBR.

Then, select the Rebuild MBR option.

Choose the MBR’s type with the current OS (operating system).

Hit the OK button.

Then, hit the Execute Operation button at the top of the screen.

In the opened window, click on the Apply button. This action will build the MBR.

Now, your PC will boot normally again.

Other features of the EaseUS Partition Master tool:

• Changing the Partition Label: This tool lets you change the label of a partition or a drive letter to improve the data organization.
• Check Partition: This tool checks out the selected partitions in order to find errors and issues. Then, it fixes and repairs the issues in a short time.
• SSD 4K Alignment: This tool has a feature to correctly aligns the partitions on SSDs to boost the performance of your PC.

2. Fixing MBR in Windows 11 via Command Prompt

Another method to fix a damaged MBR in Windows 11 is to use Command Prompt. If you want to know how to repair the MBR via Command Prompt manually, follow the mentioned steps:

First of all, you need to boot Windows 11 from an original Windows Installation media.

On the install screen, choose the Repair Your Computer option from the bottom of the screen.

Then, go to Command Prompt from the Creation Tool. To do so, choose the Troubleshoot option. Go to Advanced Options, then click on Command Prompt.

When the Command Prompt window pops up, copy and paste each of these commands. You need to hit the Enter key after each command.

• bootrec /fixmbr
• bootrec /fixboot
• bootrec /scanos
• bootrec /rebuildbcd

To close Command Prompt, copy and paste exit. Then, restart your PC.

Now, you should be able to boot your Windows 11 without any problem.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we described two methods to fix MBR in Windows 11. Both methods are efficient and easy. But, if you want a more professional tool with a fast repair for a damaged MBR, we suggest the EaseUS Partition Master app. Which methods do you prefer? Do you know any other methods? Share your ideas with us via the comment section.