Accidentally deleting a system partition can be a frustrating experience, leaving your Windows computer unbootable. However, there are several effective methods to restore a deleted Windows partition and get your system back up and running. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to recover a lost system partition and fix any resulting boot issues.
Recover Deleted System Partition with MiniTool Partition Wizard
The most straightforward and effective way to recover a deleted system partition is to use a professional partition management tool, such as MiniTool Partition Wizard. This powerful software can help you rebuild or repair a deleted system-reserved partition, even when your computer is unbootable.
Here’s how to use MiniTool Partition Wizard to restore a deleted system partition:
Create a bootable media using the Bootable Media Builder feature. This will allow you to boot your computer from the recovery media and access the partition recovery tools.
Boot your computer from the bootable media and launch MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Right-click on the disk where the system partition was originally located and choose “Partition Recovery” from the context menu.
Select the appropriate scanning range and method (Quick Scan or Full Scan) to search for the deleted partition.
Once the deleted partition is found, select it and click “Proceed” to recover it.
After the recovery process is complete, make sure to set the recovered partition as active by right-clicking on it and selecting “Set Active”.
Click “Apply” to finalize the changes and make your Windows bootable again.
Rebuild System Partition Using Command Prompt
If you don’t want to use a paid partition management tool, you can try rebuilding the system partition using the command prompt. This method requires you to have a Windows installation media, such as a DVD or USB drive.
Here’s how to do it:
Boot your computer using the Windows installation media.
On the first installation screen, press Shift F10 to open the command prompt.
Run the following commands in the command prompt:
bootrec /fixmbr
diskpart
select disk 0
list partition
select partition n (where n is the number of the Windows OS partition)
active
exit
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Exit the command prompt and try to boot your computer from the main drive you just repaired.
If you still encounter the “BOOTMGR is missing” error, you’ll need to copy the bootmgr file from the Windows installation media to the root directory of your Windows OS partition.
Reinstall Windows Without Losing Personal Data
As a last resort, you can try reinstalling Windows without losing your personal files and data. This method should be used if the previous two methods fail to restore the deleted system partition.
Here’s how to do it:
Boot your computer using the Windows installation media.
On the first installation screen, select “Repair your computer”.
Choose “Troubleshoot” and then select “Reset this PC”.
Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your PC. This will reinstall Windows while preserving your personal files, apps, and settings.
Keep in mind that this method may still result in the loss of some system-related files and settings, so it’s essential to have a backup of your important data before proceeding.