BOOTMGR is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart. Im trying to format an older computer with XP Pro. I physically took out the only hard drive in the computer and hooked it up externally to my laptop to save files and burned copies of the data my friend needed. I then formatted the drive (my laptop's OS is Vista Home Premium), and reinstalled the hard drive (an old 40 gig Maxtor drive) into it's old computer. The motherboard is an MSI KM4M-L. I changed the BIOS to boot from CD drive, and each time the message: BOOTMGR is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart. What can I do to solve this? What do I need to change? I have the XP pro disc and my product key.

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This sounds like a hard drive failure, try your recovery disc if available, if no change! have the hardware checked for possible replacement.

There are a number of possible causes for BOOTMGR errors, including the most common "BOOTMGR is missing" error message.

The most common reasons for BOOTMGR errors include corrupt and misconfigured files, hard drive and operating system upgrade issues, corrupt hard drive sectors, an outdated BIOS, and damaged or loose IDE cables.


i strongly suggest formatting your hard disk drive, and reinstalling the recovery CDs

if you dont have them, get Dell to send them to you -- it will cost you money

Are you sure you are booting from the CD? Does the CD light go on when you reboot? Watch the information on the screen when you reboot, you may have to press the F12 key to get to a boot device list and then select the CD Drive.

If this solves your problem, please take the time to leave feedback.

If XP, boot the XP CD, go to recovery console (R at first prompt) Type the command BOOTCFG /REBUILD
Microsoft instuctions are here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330184

If Vista boot to the Vista DVD, and run a startup repair per this:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html

Open cpu cabinet and Refix RAM some times bootable files not load on ram properly so this error comes.
So refix RAM memory clean dust from circuit and RAM .
Also pull cmos cell from motherbord for 5 minutes so all settings are defaults then check.

Windows Vista?

Insert the installation CD. Once it boots from CD, click "Repair Your Computer", select the drive, and then "Startup Repair". This should fix it.

More info here.

first u go to bios settings and change first bootdevice cdrom and reboot system u put winxp cd in cd drive

u will see this message


press any key to boot from cd


u press any key


winxp setup start automatically



and repair winxp



som case hardisk partition probelm , that case u will format drive and re install winxp

Just had this problem kept getting

"BOOTMGR is missing
Press ctl+alt+del to restart"

and it just cycles through to the same screen. Called tech support and this is how they solved the issue for me in less than 10 mins

turn computer off completely

Hold the "alt" and "Fn" down and power computer back on
While computer is powering on tap the "F10" key

(you need to hit the F10 key on the black screen with the cursor just before the BOOTMGR error appears)

You should get a screen that says "Windows programs Loading"

And then you have to run a restore to factory defaults (this means the computer will work fine once it finishes up the restore, but everything saved on the computer will be lost)

Hope this helps.