CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)Software TroubleshootingMedium
A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 desktop that fails to boot, displaying the error message 'Invalid Partition Table'. The technician has confirmed that the physical drive is detected in the BIOS/UEFI. Which command-line utility should be used to attempt to resolve this specific boot error?
- Abootrec /fixmbr
- Bsfc /scannow
- Cformat C:
- Dchkdsk /r
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. bootrec /fixmbr
The 'Invalid Partition Table' error usually indicates a problem with the Master Boot Record (MBR) on older BIOS-based systems or an issue with the partition table itself. The `bootrec /fixmbr` command can rewrite the MBR, which often resolves this specific boot error without affecting the partition table or data.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. `sfc /scannow` checks and repairs corrupted Windows system files, which is not the cause of an 'Invalid Partition Table' error.
- C. `format C:` would erase all data on the C: drive and is a destructive action, not a repair for a boot error like 'Invalid Partition Table'.
- D. `chkdsk /r` checks for and attempts to recover bad sectors on the disk, not directly related to a corrupted partition table or MBR.
Repairing MBR/Boot Sector
The `bootrec` command-line utility, specifically `/fixmbr`, is used to repair issues with the Master Boot Record (MBR) or boot sector, which can prevent a system from booting.
- Accessed from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
- `/fixmbr` rewrites the MBR without overwriting partition table information.
- `/fixboot` writes a new boot sector to the system partition.
Memory trick: Bootrec fixes the boot, especially the MBR.