220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A user's Windows 10 workstation fails to boot and displays the error 'Bootmgr is missing'. The technician boots from Windows recovery media and opens a command prompt. Which command should the technician run first to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse `bootrec /fixmbr` or `bootrec /fixboot` as the universal fix for boot errors, but the 'Bootmgr is missing' error specifically indicates a missing or corrupted BCD, which requires rebuilding the store rather than repairing the boot sector or MBR.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
bootrec /rebuildbcd
The correct first command is `bootrec /rebuildbcd` because it scans all drives for Windows installations and prompts the user to add them to a new BCD store, directly addressing the 'Bootmgr is missing' error caused by a missing or corrupted BCD. This command is the most targeted approach to rebuild the boot configuration data that Windows Boot Manager requires to locate and load the operating system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
bootrec /fixmbr
Why it's wrong here
bootrec /fixmbr rewrites the master boot record with a standard Windows MBR that knows how to locate the active partition's boot sector. It addresses MBR corruption, a different failure layer than the BCD store. The 'Bootmgr is missing' message appears after the MBR has already passed control to the boot sector and Bootmgr fails to find usable BCD data, so fixing the MBR does not repair the BCD.
- ✗
bootrec /fixboot
Why it's wrong here
bootrec /fixboot rewrites the boot sector on the system partition, which can repair damage that prevents the Windows Boot Manager from being located. However, it does not reconstruct the BCD store; the BCD is a separate database that Bootmgr reads to find the OS. If the BCD is corrupt, Bootmgr cannot proceed and may display 'Bootmgr is missing,' so this command alone leaves that state unchanged.
- ✓
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Why this is correct
bootrec /rebuildbcd scans all fixed disks for Windows installations and prompts you to add each found installation to a freshly generated Boot Configuration Data store. A corrupt or missing BCD is a primary cause of 'Bootmgr is missing,' because Bootmgr cannot locate a valid OS entry without it. Rebuilding the BCD from the detected installations restores the boot configuration, directly resolving the error.
- ✗
bootrec /scanos
Why it's wrong here
bootrec /scanos only scans all disks for Windows installations and lists any it finds, making no changes to the Boot Configuration Data store. It is diagnostic and often run before /rebuildbcd so you can see which installations will be added. Because it does not rebuild or repair the BCD, running it alone leaves the 'Bootmgr is missing' error unresolved.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Command Line Tools
Key term
Recovery
Recovery is the process of restoring systems, data, and operations after a security incident, failure, or disaster to return to normal functioning.
Key term
Windows
Windows is a family of operating systems developed by Microsoft that manages computer hardware and software, providing a graphical user interface for users to interact with their devices.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1102 question from scratch — 925 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1102 exam.