Bootsect Command-Line Options
Bootsect.exe updates the master boot code for hard disk partitions to switch between BOOTMGR and NTLDR. You can use this tool to restore the boot sector on your computer. This tool replaces FixFAT and FixNTFS.
Bootsect Commands
Bootsect uses the following conventions:
bootsect.exe {/help | /nt52 | /nt60} {SYS | ALL | <DriveLetter:>} [/force]
For example, to apply the master boot code that is compatible with NTLDR to the volume labeled E, use the following command:
bootsect.exe /nt52 E:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/help |
Displays these usage instructions. |
/nt52 |
Applies the master boot code that is compatible with NTLDR to SYS, ALL, or <DriveLetter>. The operating system installed on SYS, ALL, or <DriveLetter> must be a previous version of Windows Vista. |
/nt60 |
Applies the master boot code that is compatible with BOOTMGR to SYS, ALL, or <DriveLetter>. The operating system installed on SYS, ALL, or <DriveLetter> must be Windows Vista. |
SYS |
Updates the master boot code on the system partition used to boot Windows. |
ALL |
Updates the master boot code on all partitions. ALL does not necessarily update the boot code for each volume. Instead, this option updates the boot code on volumes that can be used as Windows boot volumes, which excludes any dynamic volumes that are not connected with an underlying disk partition. This restriction is present because boot code must be located at the beginning of a disk partition. |
|
Updates the master boot code on the volume associated with this drive letter. Boot code will not be updated if either 1) <DriveLetter> is not associated with a volume or 2) <DriveLetter> is associated with a volume not connected to an underlying disk partition. |
/force |
Forcibly dismounts the volume(s) during the boot code update. You must use this option with caution. If Bootsect.exe cannot gain exclusive volume access, then the file system may overwrite the boot code before the next reboot. Bootsect.exe always attempts to lock and dismount the volume before each update. When /force is specified, a forced dismount is attempted if the initial lock attempt fails. A lock can fail, for example, if files on the destination volume are currently opened by other programs. When successful, a forced dismount enables exclusive volume access and a reliable boot code update even though the initial lock failed. At the same time, a forced dismount invalidates all open handles to files on the destination volume. This can result in unexpected behavior from the programs that opened these files. Therefore, use this option with caution. |