Getting that “Bootrec \/FixBoot Access Is Denied” error is a real pain, especially if you’re poking around trying to repair your Windows bootloader. The thing is, on UEFI systems, Windows doesn’t quite handle this command the same way as with older BIOS setups, because the EFI System Partition (ESP) is kind of hidden and unmounted by default. So, when FixBoot tries to write to it, it just hits a wall with an “Access Denied” error. Frustrating, right? But there\u2019s a workaround that\u2019s worth trying, especially if you\u2019re stuck and can\u2019t boot into Windows normally. It involves manually mounting that EFI partition using diskpart, then rerunning some commands or using BCDBoot to rebuild the boot files. It\u2019s kind of a hassle, but it works sometimes when other fixes fail. Plus, for some Windows versions like 1707, 1709, or 1803, this is *more* common, so if you\u2019re on those, be prepared for extra troubleshooting.<\/p>\n
This method helps because FixBoot can’t punch through the EFI partition if it\u2019s not mounted. By assigning a drive letter to the ESP, you give Windows a location to work with. Here\u2019s how it\u2019s done:<\/p>\n
diskpart<\/code><\/li>\n- List all disks:
list disk<\/code>. Find your primary disk (usually Disk 0), then select it with: sel disk 0<\/code>. On some setups, if your disk has a small size (~128 GB or 256 GB), it\u2019s probably your main drive.<\/li>\n- Next, list all volumes to find the EFI partition:
list vol<\/code>. Look for the volume labeled as System<\/strong> or FAT32<\/strong>, around 100MB-200MB in size. It might be marked as System<\/strong> and Boot<\/strong>. The volume number might be 2 or 3.<\/li>\n- Select that volume:
sel vol 2<\/code> (replace 2 with your volume number if different).<\/li>\n- Assign it a drive letter\u2014say R:\u2014using:
assign letter=R<\/code>. This is necessary so Windows can work with it.<\/li>\n- Type
exit<\/code> to leave diskpart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nNow, with the EFI partition mounted, you can attempt to repair boot files again. Running bootrec \/FixBoot<\/code> might work now, but if not, here\u2019s the alternate magic trick:<\/p>\nUse BCDBoot to Rebuild Boot Files<\/h3>\n\n- Navigate to the EFI folder:
cd \/d R:\\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot\\<\/code>. If that path isn\u2019t found, try these alternatives:\n\ncd \/d R:\\Boot\\<\/code><\/li>\ncd \/d R:\\ESD\\Windows\\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot\\<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n- Run this command to copy the boot files from your Windows installation:
bcdboot C:\\Windows \/s R: \/f UEFI<\/code>. Make sure to replace C:\\Windows<\/code> with your actual Windows directory if it\u2019s different. This command rebuilds the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) and copies all necessary files to the EFI partition.<\/li>\n- Optionally, backup your existing BCD first:
ren BCD BCD.bak<\/code><\/li>\n- Then recreate a new BCD store:
Bcdboot C:\\Windows \/s R: \/f UEFI<\/code>.<\/li>\n- Finally, type
exit<\/code> and restart the machine. Hopefully, your system can boot again without the “Access Denied” hiccup.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nOne thing to keep in mind: sometimes, Windows wants a bit more coaxing. The EFI partition can be stubborn, and on some setups, the commands might need slight tweaks. But hey, it\u2019s often enough to get things rolling again. And yes, on some machines, the process might be a tad flaky\u2014like, it works randomly, then not, then works again. Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.<\/p>\n
When All Else Fails: Delete EFI and Use Automatic Repair<\/h2>\n
If mounting and manually fixing the EFI partition doesn\u2019t help, another approach is to wipe it out and let Windows try to restore itself with its automatic tools. First, create a bootable Windows 10\/11 media (preferably from a version like 1703, since it tends to be a bit more forgiving).Then boot into recovery mode, and do the following:<\/p>\n
\n- Launch Command Prompt<\/strong> again.<\/li>\n
- Use diskpart to delete the EFI partition:\n
\ndiskpart<\/code><\/li>\nlist disk<\/code><\/li>\n- Select your drive with:
sel disk 0<\/code><\/li>\n- List volumes:
list vol<\/code><\/li>\n- Find and select the EFI volume:
sel vol 2<\/code> (or your volume\u2019s number)<\/li>\n- Delete it:
delete volume<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n- Exit diskpart (
exit<\/code>) and then run the Startup Repair<\/strong> tool from the recovery menu. This process sometimes rebuilds the EFI partition from scratch, fixing underlying corruptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThis approach is kind of drastic, but if the EFI partition was corrupt or misconfigured, it might just fix the root cause. Just a heads-up\u2014wiping partitions can be risky, so be sure you\u2019ve got backups if possible. After repair, restart and see if Windows boots normally.<\/p>\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n
Sometimes these EFI boot issues pop up unexpectedly, especially after Windows updates or rogue disk operations. The key takeaway? Mounting that EFI partition manually and running BCDBoot or fixing the BCD directly often unlocks the boot process. It\u2019s not always crystal clear, and on some setups, a bit of trial and error is needed. But in most cases, this method at least gives a fighting chance to fix things without a complete OS reinstall. Fingers crossed this helps someone get back on track without pulling too much hair out.<\/p>\n
Summary<\/h2>\n\n- Mount EFI partition manually using diskpart to assign a drive letter.<\/li>\n
- Use BCDBoot to rebuild or copy boot files if FixBoot fails.<\/li>\n
- If needed, delete the EFI partition and use Automatic Repair to restore system files.<\/li>\n
- Be aware this process can be flaky depending on your hardware and Windows version.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Wrap-up<\/h2>\n
Getting rid of the “Access Is Denied” error on UEFI can be a bit of an adventure, but with patience and the right commands, it\u2019s usually solvable. Just remember to be careful with partition operations\u2014losing data is not fun. In most cases, manually mounting the EFI partition and using BCDBoot gives you a shot at fixing things without starting from scratch. Hope this cut some time off your troubleshooting grind \u2014 good luck out there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Getting that “Bootrec \/FixBoot Access Is Denied” error is a real pain, especially if you’re poking around trying to repair your Windows bootloader. The thing is, on UEFI systems, Windows doesn’t quite handle this command the same way as with older BIOS setups, because the EFI System Partition (ESP) is kind of hidden and unmounted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9931"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9932,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9931\/revisions\/9932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}