Got MBR Error 1 on Windows? Check Reason & Fixes Here

Cici updated on Jul 08, 2024 | Home >Computer Instruction

The computer finds the operating system through the MBR (Master Boot Record). If there is an MBR error, you cannot enter the operating system. MBR error 1 occurs during boot, which means the master boot record is corrupted. This guide will lead you to find the cause of MBR error 1 and give you effective fixes.

View the Necessary Tools for MBR Error 1:

⏱️Duration 3-5 minutes (depending on your method)
⛏️Tools Windows installation media or bootable USB/DVD
🧑‍💻Supported Systems Windows 11/10
⛏️Required Software
  1. ✔️MBR Repair Tool - EaseUS Partition Master
  2. ✔️Command Prompt
✍️Specific Steps
  1. ✔️Change BIOS boot order...Full steps
  2. ✔️Rebuild MBR via Repair Tool - for beginners...Full steps
  3. ✔️Repair MBR via CMD - complicated steps...Full steps

Read on to learn more about repairing MBR error 1.                      

What Caused MBR Error 1?

MBR error 1 usually occurs during Windows startup. If the boot fails, you may receive some error message like "MBR Error 1", "MBR Error 2", or "MBR Error 3." Of course, you may also not receive any error message. There are three significant reasons for the MBR boot error 1:

  • Incorrect BIOS boot order: If the boot order changes due to some reason, or you set the wrong drive as the boot drive, you cannot boot your computer. 
  • MBR is damaged or corrupted: If the MBR is corrupt, you could receive Windows MBR error 1 with a PC boot issue. To fix it, you'll need to repair the MBR.
  • OS boot error with attached external disk: If you connected an external drive, the computer could falsely load the system from it. 

Whatever the reason you received MBR errors 1, 2, or 3, follow the effective methods provided in this article, and you can fix MBR errors quickly.

How to Fix MBR Error 1?

We'll present several appropriate measures to fix MBR error 1 according to the above causes. The easiest one is to disconnect the external device and restart the computer. If this method does not work, please follow these steps to fix it. 

And if you think these methods are helpful in solving the error, you can click the button below to share it with other people in need.

 

Fix 1. Change the BIOS Boot Order

The most common cause of MBR error 1 is a change in the default boot order. Before proceeding with other fixes, you can check if the BIOS boot order is correct.

Method 1: Change Boot Order via BIOS Settings

The following is a detailed step-by-step guide:

Step 1. Reboot your computer and press F2/F12/Del to enter BIOS. You may need Windows installation media or a bootable USB if your computer does not boot.

Notice:
Different computers require different Fn keys to access the BIOS.

Step 2. Select Boot options in the BIOS Setup Utility screen.

select boot

Notice:
BIOS utility may vary depending on different computers. But usually, you can get the menu options at the top, and BIOS changes at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3. Usually, the first boot sequence should be Hard Drive. If not, press + or - to move the gadget up or down and find the drive.

Step 4. Save and confirm the boot order change.

Method 2. Configure Boot Order in 1 Click via Automated Software

Third-party partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master, with its newly released Boot Repair feature, helps you change the boot order in its UEFI Items section.

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

If your computer motherboard is compatible with UEFI boot mode, here are the detailed steps for you to get rid of MBR error 1 with just one click here:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master on your computer and navigate to the "Boot Repair" section in "Toolkit."

easeus boot repair

Step 2. Go to the "UEFI items" tab and change the boot order by dragging the drive to the first position.

drag to change boot drive

Step 3.Click "Save" to apply the changes. Then, your OS is set to boot from the new hard drive.

change boot order

Note:If you hit on the "Reboot" button after the drive, the OS can boot from this disk at the next time for once.

Then, you can reboot your computer and see if MBR Error 1 has been fixed. If not, then it may be MBR corruption.

Fix 2. Use MBR Repair Tool

If your computer fails to boot, you need to restart it with the help of Windows installation media and repair the corrupted MBR. The process is complicated, so it is better to get the help of a professional MBR repair tool - EaseUS Partition Master. It provides the function of rebuilding MBR and allows you to repair MBR in simple steps. Using this safe and reliable tool, you can easily boot your computer without losing data.

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Download this powerful tool and follow these steps to repair MBR:

Step 1. Create a WinPE bootable disk

  • Launch EaseUS Partition Master, and click "Bootable Media" on the toolbar. Select "Create bootable media".
  • Click "Next" to finish the process.
create a bootable disk

Step 2. Boot EaseUS Partition Master Bootable USB

  • Connect the bootable USB or CD/DVD to your PC. 
  • Press F2 or Del when you restart the computer to enter the BIOS screen. Set and boot your computer from "Removable Devices" or "CD-ROM Drive". And then EaseUS Partition Master will run automatically.

Step 3. Rebuild MBR

  • Click "Toolkit" and choose "Rebuild MBR".

rebuild MBR

  • Select the disk and the type of MBR. Then, click "Rebuild".
rebuild MBR
  • After that, you can see "MBR has been successfully rebuilt on Disk X".
rebuild MBR

This powerful tool also supports repairing more disk or partition errors. If you need anything, click the link below to repair it.

Fix 3. Use CMD to repair MBR

If you are familiar with computer command line tools, you can create Windows boot media using the Windows Media Creation Tool. Then set the installation media to the first boot sequence and follow these steps to rebuild the MBR:

Note: This method requires a high level of computer skills, so please beware of parameter errors when entering parameters.

Step 1. Boot the computer from the Windows installation media.

Step 2. Select Troubleshoot>Advanced options>Command Prompt in Choose an option.

rebuild mbr via cmd

Step 3. Enter the following commands and press Enter after each command:

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

cmd

Step 4. Exit the installation media and restart your computer.

Note: These steps are not valid for Windows 7. If you need to rebuild MBR in Windows 7, please go to WinRE. For more detailed steps, please click: Rebuild MBR.

For those who require extra help, our technical support specialists are ready to walk you through each step.

EaseUS experts are available to provide you with 1-on-1 manual services (24*7) and help fix Windows boot error, BSOD or computer boot loop issues. Our experts will offer you FREE evaluation services and efficiently diagnose and resolve system boot failure, Windows stop codes and OS lagging issues using their decades of experiences.

  • 1. Fix BSOD - blue/black screen of death error due to Windows update or other reasons.
  • 2. Get rid of Windows boot error such as no bootable device found, or BCD file corruption.
  • 3. Serve to fix 0X000_error codes on Windows system or OS boot loop issues.

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Conclusion

These are the causes and methods of MBR error 1. This article provides three effective ways to fix it. This method is also applicable to MBR error 2 and MBR error 3. The most likely cause of all MBR errors is MBR corruption. So you can use EaseUS Partition Master to fix boot problems quickly and safely.

FAQs About MBR Error 1

This section has some other questions related to MBR error 1. If you are interested, read on.

1. What is MBR error 2?

MBR error 2 may occur after you have deleted or added something. This error means that your master boot record table is corrupted. So you will get an error when loading the operating system, and you will not find a device to boot from.

2. What is MBR error 3?

MBR error 3 is also a problem that occurs at boot time. You could have multiple drives attached or dual-booting the system. This error code also refers to a master boot record failure. It is probably the same as MBR error 1 and MBR error 2 regarding causes and fixes.

3. How to fix MBR with CMD?

If you want to fix MBR with CMD, you need to master the command line code and prepare a bootable media to boot the PC, then follow these steps to fix mbr with cmd:

Step 1. Navigate to Choose an option> Advanced options>command prompt.

Step 2. Enter the following command and press enter:

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

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Updated by Oliver

Oliver is an EaseUS professional writer who dares explore new areas. With a passion for solving tech issues with straightforward guides for common users, Oliver keeps honing his writing craft by developing in-depth solutions for disk and partition management, computer boot-up issues, file transfer, etc.

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Written by Cici

Cici is the junior editor of the writing team of EaseUS. She accepted the systematic training on computers at EaseUS for over one year. Now, she wrote a lot of professional articles to help people resolve the issues of hard drive corruption, computer boot errors, and disk partition problems.

Read full bio

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