Fixboot VS Fixmbr: Find the Difference Between Fixboot and Fixmbr

Before discussing Fixboot vs Fixmbr, let’s get an overview of them first.

An Overview of Fixboot

Fixboot, a boot sector repair utility, writes a new boot sector to the system partition. It is capable of restoring the default boot sector for a Windows installation. It solves most boot sector issues which stops Windows from starting, and can also be used to fix boot sectors that have been damaged by viruses or malware.

When the Windows boot sector is corrupted, make use of Fixboot. You can write a new Windows boot sectors on the system partition by using Fixboot.

Simply put, Fixboot is a useful tool for repairing boot sector issues. However, it shouldn’t be used as a replacement for proper backups. Instead, it should only be used as a last resort after other tools failed to solve the issue.

An Overview of Fixmbr

As the name suggests, Fixmbr is a tool that is used to repair Windows Master Boot Record (MBR) and get the OS up and running again. In most cases, Fixmbr simply overwrites the existing MBR with a new one. Once Fixmbr can’t repair the MBR, you need to reinstall the operating system.

In conclusion, Fixmbr is a valuable tool for people who rely on Windows for their primary computing needs. In addition to Fixmbr, MiniTool Partition Wizard can also help you fix MBR. Its Rebuild MBR feature enables you to repair MBR easily.

MiniTool Partition Wizard DemoClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

If your computer can’t boot due to the damaged MBR, create a bootable CD/DVD/USB flash drive on another properly running computer. Then plug the created bootable media into the target computer and boot the PC from it.

After entering the main interface of the program, click on the system disk (with MBR damage) and click Rebuild MBR in the left panel. Then click the Apply button to execute the operation.

Fixboot VS Fixmbr

Learning from the above content, you may have a basic understanding of Fixboot and Fixmbr. What’s the difference between Fixboot and Fixmbr? Fixboot helps update a specific partition of the boot sector code, while Fixmbr is mainly used to update the master boot record.

Note: The Fixboot command can only update the desired partition and not all of them.

Like Fixboot, Fixmbr requires you indicate the location of the drive that is to be fixed. Otherwise, the master boot record will be written on the primary boot drive. Fixboot uses DriveLetter, whereas Fixmbr uses a specific path known as DrivePath to execute its function.

Both of two tools can fix issues with the boot process, but they repair different parts of it. When you want to repair the boot sector of a certain partition, pick the Fixboot utility. To repair the master boot record, use the Fixmbr command.

Fixboot is compatible with Windows 7, but Fixmbr can’t. The Windows Vista replacement command for Fixboot is “bootrec.exe/mbr”, and for Fixmbr it’s “bootsect.exe/mbr”. It’s worth noting that Fixboot has no impact on data but Fimbr can cause data loss if the MBR includes information about partitions that haven’t been backed up.

MiniTool Partition Wizard DemoClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Though the two tools are different in some aspects, they share some similarities. For instance, both Fixboot and Fixmbr are compatible with Windows 2000, XP, and Windows Server 2003. Moreover, the two commands are available in the Windows recovery console.

They can be accessed by booting from a Windows installation disc or by holding a specific key during startup. The key varies depending on the manufacturer of the PC. Fixmbr vs Fixboot: which one to pick? After finding the difference between Fixboot and Fixmbr, you can make a right decision. Explore the details in this post now!