220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A Windows 10 workstation displays the error 'Boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors' on startup. The technician boots from the Windows 10 installation media and opens a command prompt. Which command should the technician run FIRST to attempt to repair the boot configuration?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse BCD corruption with MBR or boot sector issues, leading them to choose `fixmbr` or `fixboot` first, but the specific error message about 'Boot configuration data' points directly to the BCD store, making `rebuildbcd` the correct initial step.
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 error 'Boot configuration data for your PC is missing or contains errors' indicates that the BCD store is corrupted or missing. The `bootrec /rebuildbcd` command scans all disks for Windows installations and rebuilds the BCD store from scratch, which directly addresses this issue. Running this first is the most efficient approach because it recreates the entire boot configuration rather than fixing individual components.
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
The /fixmbr switch rewrites the legacy master boot record code in the first sector of the disk, which only handles the bootstrap code that locates the active partition. The BCD store is a separate file located in the \Boot folder, and the "boot configuration" error indicates that the BCD is missing or corrupt, not that the MBR code is damaged. Additionally, on UEFI systems with GPT disks, the MBR is not used for booting at all, making this command ineffective for this scenario.
- ✗
bootrec /fixboot
Why it's wrong here
The /fixboot switch writes a new boot sector to the system partition, which is the code that loads the boot manager (bootmgr). However, bootmgr still relies on the BCD store to show the boot menu and locate the Windows loader; if the BCD is missing or corrupt, a fresh boot sector alone will not resolve the error. The correct approach is to rebuild the BCD store itself, for which /fixboot is not a substitute.
- ✓
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Why this is correct
This command scans every attached disk for valid Windows installations and offers to add them to a newly rebuilt Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. It directly repairs a missing or corrupted BCD, which is the root cause of a "boot configuration" error. Because it rebuilds the store from discovered installations, it is the correct first-line fix before any other BCD manipulation.
- ✗
bcdedit /default {current}
Why it's wrong here
The bcdedit tool is designed to modify an existing BCD store, and if the store is missing or corrupt, the command will fail because there is nothing to edit. The {current} identifier refers to the current Windows boot entry in that store, so this command would only change the default selection among existing entries, not reconstruct the store. Since the error indicates a problematic BCD, the store must be recreated first with bootrec /rebuildbcd before bcdedit can be used to fine-tune entries.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Update Configuration
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.
Key term
Command Prompt
Command Prompt is a text-based interface in Windows that lets you type commands to perform tasks like managing files, troubleshooting networks, or launching programs.
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Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician receives a Windows 10 computer that fails to boot with the error '0xc000000e' and 'A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed.' The technician suspects the BCD is corrupted. Which command can be used to rebuild the BCD?
hard- ✓ A.bootrec /rebuildbcd
- B.sfc /scannow
- C.chkdsk /f
- D.dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Why A: The bootrec /rebuildbcd command scans all drives for Windows installations and allows you to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store, which is the correct fix for the 0xc000000e error indicating a missing or corrupted BCD. This error specifically points to the boot configuration data being inaccessible or corrupt, and bootrec /rebuildbcd directly addresses that by creating a new BCD store from detected installations.
Variation 2. A user reports that their Windows 10 computer fails to boot with error '0xc0000225' after a failed Windows update. The technician boots from Windows PE and opens a command prompt. Running 'bootrec /scanos' shows no Windows installations found. What should the technician do NEXT?
medium- ✓ A.Run 'bootrec /rebuildbcd'.
- B.Run 'bcdedit /export'.
- C.Run 'sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows'.
- D.Run 'chkdsk /f C:'.
Why A: The error 0xc0000225 indicates the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is missing or corrupted, and 'bootrec /scanos' found no Windows installations because the BCD store is damaged. Running 'bootrec /rebuildbcd' scans all disks for Windows installations and rebuilds the BCD store, which directly resolves the boot failure caused by the failed update.
Variation 3. A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 computer that fails to boot with error 0xc000000f. The technician boots from Windows PE and runs bootrec /scanos, which finds the Windows installation. Which command should the technician run next to fix the boot configuration data?
hard- A.bootrec /fixmbr
- B.bootrec /fixboot
- ✓ C.bootrec /rebuildbcd
- D.bcdedit /export
Why C: The error 0xc000000f indicates a corrupted or missing Boot Configuration Data (BCD). Since bootrec /scanos successfully found the Windows installation, the BCD store itself is damaged or missing entries. Running bootrec /rebuildbcd scans the disk for known Windows installations and prompts you to add them to a new BCD store, directly repairing the boot configuration data.
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.