How to Fix “bootrec /fixboot access is denied”

The bootrec /fixboot command is used to repair the boot sector of a Windows installation. If you receive an “access is denied” error message when you try to run the command, it means that the system is unable to access the boot sector for some reason. There are a few potential causes for this error message and a few possible solutions you can try to fix it:

1. Check that you are running the bootrec command from an elevated command prompt. To do this, right-click on the Start menu and select “Command Prompt (Admin)”. Then, try running the bootrec command again.
2. Make sure that the boot sector is not damaged or corrupted. You can try running the bootrec /scanos command to see if the system can detect your Windows installation. If it can’t, you may need to repair the boot sector by running the bootrec /fixmbr and bootrec /fixboot commands.
3. Check the permissions on the boot sector. If the permissions are incorrect, you may not have access to the boot sector. You can try changing the permissions by running the takeown and icacls commands.
4. Make sure that the boot sector is not locked. Some systems have a BIOS or UEFI setting that allows you to lock the boot sector to prevent changes. If this setting is enabled, you will not be able to access the boot sector.
5. Check for any hardware issues. If the boot sector is on a physical disk, make sure that the disk is properly connected and functioning. You can try running a disk check to see if there are any issues with the disk.

I hope these suggestions help! If you’re still having trouble, you may want to try booting into safe mode or booting from a Windows installation media and running the bootrec command from there.

Also Read: How to Fix “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart”