What is the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader? What causes the error that Startup Repair missing OS loader? How to fix the error code 0x490? This post from MiniTool will show you the solutions.

What Is the Error that Boot Manager Failed to Find OS Loader?

Startup Repair is a Windows built-in tool that can help you to fix some Windows errors. However, some users complain that they come across the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader when booting the computer and the Startup Repair launched listing the above error message.

And the detailed error messages are as follows:

Root cause found:

Boot manager failed to find OS loader.

Repair action: File Repair
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x490
Time Taken = 4767 ms

Repair action: Boot configuration data store repair
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x490
Time Taken = 150 ms

Repair action: System Restore
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x1f
Time taken = 68489 ms

So, what causes the error code 0x490?

What Causes the Error that Boot Manager Failed to Find OS Loader?

In general, the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader Windows 10 indicates that Startup Repair was unable to find the correct BOOTMGR bootloader at the expected locations. And the Startup Repair missing OS loader error may be caused by the following reasons.

  1. Corrupted boot partition on Windows 7.
  2. Bootloader was deleted.
  3. The hard disk is removed.
  4. The system disk might be damaged physically.

So, in the following section, we will show you how to fix the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader and fix the error code 0x490.

Tip: You may interested in the post: 11 Solutions to “BOOTMGR Is Missing” Error in Windows 10/8/7.

Top 3 Ways to Fix Boot Manager Failed to Find OS Loader

In this part, we will show you how to fix the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader Windows 7. You can try these solutions one by one.

Way 1. Run System File Checker

In order to fix Startup Repair missing OS loader error, you can choose to run System File Checker to scan and fix the corrupted system files on your computer.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. When your computer encountered the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader, it means it can’t boot normally. Hence, you need to create the bootable media to boot the unbootable computer.

2. Go to Microsoft official site to download the Windows Media Creation Tool.

3. Then run it on a normal computer and create the recovery drive.

4. Then connect it to the computer encountering the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader and boot from it.

5. Then choose the language, time and keyboard input.

6. Next, click Repair your computer to continue.

choose Repair your computer

7. In the System Recovery Options window, click Command Prompt to continue.

choose Command Prompt to continue

8. Type the command sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows in the command line window and hit Enter to continue. (C is the partition which holds your Windows 10, 8, or 7 installations. If you have installed Windows to a different partition, you should replace it.)

type the command

When all steps are finished, reboot your computer and check the error that boot manager failed to find OS is fixed.

Related article: Quickly Fix – SFC Scannow Not Working (Focus on 2 Cases)

Way 2. Repair Bad Sectors on Hard Drive

If there are bad sectors on hard drive, you may also come across the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader. In this situation, you can choose to repair bad sectors on hard drive.

Now, we will show how to repair bad sectors on hard drive so as to fix the issue that boot manager failed to find OS loader Windows 7.

1. Boot your computer from the Windows installation media.

2. Choose the language, time and keyboard input.

3. Click Repair your computer.

4. Click Command Prompt.

5. Type the command chkdsk C: /f /r and hit Enter to continue. (c refers to the system partition.)

type the command

When all steps are finished, reboot your computer and check whether the error code 0x490 is fixed.

CHKDSK /F or /R | Difference Between CHKDSK /F and CHKDSK /R
CHKDSK /F or /R | Difference Between CHKDSK /F and CHKDSK /R

Wonder using CHKDSK /f or /r to check & fix hard disk errors? Check difference between CHKDSK /f and CHKDSK /r. Learn how to run CHKDSK /f /r Windows 10.

Read More

Way 3. Rebuild MBR

If the Master Boot Record of the hard drive is corrupted, you may also come across the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader. In this situation, you can choose to rebuild MBR and many users have reported that they fixed the Startup Repair missing OS loader error after rebuilding MBR.

Now, we will show you the detailed tutorial.

1. Connect the Windows installation media to your computer.

2. Boot the computer from it.

3. Select the time, language and keyboard input.

4. Then click Repair your computer.

5. Next, click Command Prompt to continue.

6. In the pop-up window, type the following commands and hit Enter after each command.

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd

type the commands

After that, reboot your computer and check whether this BCD repair tool has resolved the problem signature missing OS loader.

However, if rebuilding BCD does not resolve the startup issues, you can export and delete the BCD. Then run this option again. By doing this, you need to make sure that the BCD is completely rebuilt. To do this, type the following commands in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter after each command.

  • bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
  • c:
  • cd boot
  • attrib bcd -s -h -r
  • ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd

After having tried all fixes, you would have fixed the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader. If none of the above solutions works, you may need to reinstall the operating system. But before taking this action, please back up all your important files because it will destroy the original data on the hard drive.

I have encountered the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader when I booted the computer. I tried a lot of ways but this post helped a lot. I’d like to share this post with more friends.Click to Tweet

Create a System Image to Safeguard PC

After fixing the issue that boot manager failed to find OS loader or the error code 0x490, what should you do? In general, after fixing this issue or when the computer is normal, you should create a system image.

You may wonder why you should do that. As a matter of fact, creating a system image is very useful. For example, when your computer is abnormal or unbootable due to the error code 0x490 or the problem total identified Windows installations: 0, you can restore your computer to a normal state with the system image. So, you can know the importance of system image.

Meanwhile, to create the system image, the professional Windows 10 backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker is strongly recommended.

It is designed to back up the operating system, files, folders, disks and partitions. It also enables you to restore your computer to a previous state with the system image when encountering the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader. In addition, it is a clone tool which allows you to clone OS from HDD to SSD without data loss.

So, in the following section, we will walk you through how to create the system image.

1. Download MiniTool ShadowMaker from the following button or choose to purchase an advanced edition.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

2. Then install it on your computer.

3. Launch it.

4. Click Keep Trial to continue.

5. Then click Connect in This Computer to enter its main interface.

click Connect in This Computer to enter its main interface

6. After that, go to the Backup You can see that the operating system is chosen by default. However, if you want to change backup source, you can click Source module to continue.

7. Then click Destination module to select a target disk to save the backup files. It is recommended to choose an external hard drive.

choose the target disk

8. After selecting the backup source and destination, click Back up Now to start creating a system image immediately.

click Back up Now

9. After creating the system image, you had better go to the Tools page, click Media Builder feature and create the MiniTool bootable media. When your computer failed to boot because boot manager failed to find OS loader or other errors, you can use the bootable media and the system image to restore the computer to the normal state.

When all steps are finished, you have successfully created the system image and the bootable media. If you come across the error that boot manager failed to find OS loader or other problems, you can directly restore the computer to a normal state.

Bottom Line

To sum up, this post has shown what may cause the issue that boot manager failed to find OS loader and also introduced 3 ways to fix this Startup Repair missing OS loader issue.

If you have come across the same error, you can try these solutions. If you have any better solutions to fix this problem signature missing OS loader, you can share it in the comment zone.

In addition, if you have any problem with MiniTool program, please feel free to contact us via the email [email protected] and we will reply to you as soon as possible.

Boot Manager Failed to Find OS Loader FAQ

How do I fix missing OS loader?

To fix Startup Repair missing OS loader error, you can try the following solutions.

  1. Run System File Checker.
  2. Repair Bad Sectors on Hard Drive.
  3. Rebuild MBR.
What is an OS loader?
In the Windows operating system, the OS loader is an essential part of the operating system because it is responsible for loading programs and libraries. It is one of the essential stages in the process of starting a program, as it prepares the programs for execution.
How do I fix Windows 10 boot configuration data is missing?

To fix Windows 10 boot configuration data is missing, you can take the following solutions.

  1. Run Startup Repair.
  2. Rebuild the BCD in Windows by using the Bootrec.exe tool.
  3. Set correct partition as active.
  4. Create BCD.

For more detailed instructions, you can read the post: 4 Ways to Fix Boot Configuration Data File Is Missing

How do I fix Windows boot manager failed to start?
To fix Windows boot manager failed to start, you can try to use the Bootrec.exe tool to fix MBR and also try running system restore. For more detailed solutions, you can try read post: Windows Boot Manager Failed To Start In Windows 10
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