Error Message When You Run fixmbr Command

View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q266745

Expand all | Collapse all

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to run the fixmbr command in the Microsoft Windows 2000 recovery console, your computer system may display the following error message:

This computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record. FIXMBR may damage your partition tables if you proceed. This could cause all the partitions on the current hard disk to become inaccessible. If you are not having problems accessing your drive, do not continue. Are you sure you want to write a new MBR?

Back to the top

RESOLUTION

Ignore the error message described in the "Symptoms" section of this article. The fixmbr command can safely rewrite the MBR.

Back to the top

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Back to the top

MORE INFORMATION

The fixmbr command causes this error message to be displayed on your computer system whenever you run the command, regardless of the state of the Master Boot Record (MBR).

After you run the fixmbr command, your computer reports whether or not the command worked properly. If the command worked, your computer system displays the following message:

Writing new master boot record on physical drive
\Device\Harddisk0\Partition0.
The new master boot record has been successfully written.

Back to the top