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How to fix ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ error on Windows

To fix 'bootrec /fixboot access is denied' error on your Windows desktop, this guide has some tips and tricks to follow.

The fixboot and boot recovery utilities on your Windows desktop help to create a new compatible boot sector on your System’s partition. This is helpful especially when you want to replace the damaged boot sector. Although sometimes users experience the ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied‘ error on Windows. This error can be easily fixed, and this guide has some tips and tricks to help you with the same.

Fix: Windows ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ Error (2023)

Fix bootrec /fixboot access denied error on windows

To fix the Windows ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ error, here are two essential methods mentioned below:

Method 1: Recreate EFI Partition

You can recreate the EFI partition to fix the ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ error on Windows in three steps:

  • Boot into Windows Recovery Environment
  • Find EFI Partition (Extensible Firmware Interface)
  • Assign the Volume for EFI

1. Boot into Windows Recovery Environment

  • Insert your Windows installation media (e.g., USB drive or DVD) into your computer and restart the system.
  • Open the Boot menu by restarting your Windows desktop by pressing the Boot key, which is different for different motherboard manufacturers.
  • Once the Windows installation screen appears, click on the ‘Next’ option.
  • Click on the ‘Repair your computer’ button on the screen.
  • Select the ‘Troubleshoot’ option and then click on the ‘Advanced options’ button from the screen.
  • Click on the ‘Command Prompt’ to access the Windows Recovery Environment.

2. Find EFI Partition

  • Type ‘diskpart’ without quotes on the Command Prompt screen and press the ‘Enter’ key to perform the function.
  • The ‘diskpart’ prompt will open.
  • Here, type ‘list disk’ without quotes and press the ‘Enter’ key on your keyboard.
  • Note down the list of disks and their respective numbers.
  • Now type the following command in the Command Prompt:

sel disk X

  • Note that you need to replace ‘X’ with the actual disk name of the Boot Drive.
  • Type ‘list vol’ without quotes.
  • The list of all volumes in the selected partition drive will be shown.
  • Note down the volume numbers and their respective letters.
  • Now type ‘select volume X’ without quotes. Also, note that you need to replace the letter ‘X’ with a drive letter that indicates your EFI partition.
  • EFI partitions will be in the FAT32 file system format, which must be easy to identify.

3. Assign the Volume for EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface)

  • Type the following command:

assign letter=X:

  • Again here ‘X’ represents a letter, it can be any letter even ‘X’ as per your wish. The only condition is that the assigned letter must not be previously assigned to any Volume disk on your system.
  • Now exit the diskpart by typing ‘exit’ without quotes and pressing the Enter key on your Windows desktop.
  • On the Command Prompt, type the following command and press the ‘Enter’ key from the keyboard:

bcdboot C:\windows /s X: /f UEFI

Note that here ‘X’ represents the assigned EFI partition’s volume letter.

  • Type ‘exit’ without quotes on your Command Prompt and press the ‘Enter’ key on your keyboard to execute the command.
  • Now restart and try to run the fixboot command on the Command Prompt with administrative rights to see if the ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ error is fixed.

Method 2: Rebuild the BCD Store

  • Type the following command in the Command Prompt and press the ‘Enter’ key from your keyboard:

bootrec /fixmbr

This will repair the Master Boot Record (MBR)

  • Then type the following command and press the ‘Enter’ key from your keyboard:

bootrec /fixboot

The following command will repair the boot sector

  • Now type the following command and press the ‘Enter’ key from your keyboard:

bootrec /scanos

This will scan for installed operating systems and add them to the boot menu.

  • Now type the following command and press the ‘Enter’ key from your keyboard:

bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup

The following command will back up the current BCD store.

  • Type the following command and press the ‘Enter’ key from your keyboard:

bcdedit /import c:\bcdbackup

This will restore the BCD store.

  • Now type ‘exit’ without quotes and press the ‘Enter’ key on your keyboard to close the Command Prompt.
  • Restart your system to fix the ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ error.

With this, the errors should be fixed, but if the issue persists, you may want to consider reinstalling Windows or seek further assistance from a professional.

That’s everything covered on how to fix the ‘bootrec /fixboot access is denied’ error on your Windows desktop. Also, check out our other guides, such as How to fix DISM error 87 on Windows 10/11 or How to fix the dual Boot option not showing in Windows 10/11.