ErrorFix
Windows PC Errors

How to Fix Error Code 0xc000000f: Boot Selection Failed

By ErrorFix · Updated October 14, 2026 · 9 min read

Error 0xc000000fPlain English: Windows can't reach the drive it boots from, or can't read its Boot Configuration Data — so it gives up on the blue "Your PC needs to be repaired" screen.
Quick answer: Error 0xc000000f (boot selection failed) means Windows can't access the boot device or the BCD file. Boot from a Windows installation USB, open Command Prompt in the recovery screen, and run bootrec /rebuildbcd followed by bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us. Also check that the Windows drive is firmly connected and first in the BIOS boot order. Full steps below.

What error 0xc000000f means

The full message on the blue screen reads: "Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed. File: \BOOT\BCD. Error code: 0xc000000f." The key phrase is the second sentence: either the required device — the drive holding Windows — is not connected or can't be accessed, or the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file that tells Windows how to start is corrupted or unreadable. Either way, the boot loader fails before Windows even begins loading, which is why you see this screen instead of a normal startup.

This makes 0xc000000f a little broader than the closely related 0xc0000034. That error means the BCD file exists but is incomplete; 0xc000000f means Windows can't even get as far as reading it. Because of that, there are two families of causes: boot-data corruption (a BCD Windows can't parse) and device problems (the drive isn't visible to the boot loader at all). The steps below cover both, and the physical checks in Step 5 are what most guides skip — but they matter, because a loose SATA cable can masquerade as boot-data corruption.

Common causes

How to fix error 0xc000000f — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Steps 1 through 4 resolve the error for the large majority of PCs; Step 5 covers the physical side most other guides miss.

  1. Boot into the Windows Recovery Environment. If the blue recovery screen already offers Advanced options, use those. Otherwise, create a Windows 10 or 11 installation USB on another computer with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, plug it into the failing PC, and boot from it (usually by pressing F12, F9, or Esc during startup and choosing the USB drive). On the first setup screen choose your language, then click Repair your computer in the bottom-left corner. Go to Troubleshoot, then Advanced options, then Command Prompt.
  2. Run Startup Repair before anything else. From the Advanced options screen, choose Startup Repair and select your Windows installation. Let it scan and attempt automatic repairs — it can fix a broken BCD reference or a mispointed boot entry on its own. If Startup Repair succeeds, restart and check whether Windows loads. If it fails or reports it can't fix the problem, return to Advanced options and open Command Prompt.
  3. Rebuild the boot records with bootrec. In Command Prompt, type bootrec /fixmbr and press Enter to rewrite the master boot record, then bootrec /fixboot and press Enter to write a new boot sector. If /fixboot reports "Access is denied," skip it for now — Step 5 covers UEFI systems. Then type bootrec /scanos and press Enter to locate your Windows installations, followed by bootrec /rebuildbcd and press Enter. When it asks whether to add an installation to the boot list, type Y and press Enter.
  4. Recreate the BCD with bcdboot. Type bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us and press Enter. This builds a completely fresh BCD from your Windows installation, replacing the one the boot loader couldn't read. If your Windows drive has a different letter inside the recovery environment (check with diskpart, then list volume), replace C: with the correct letter. Restart the PC and see whether the error is gone.
  5. Check the boot device and BIOS boot order. If the rebuild didn't help, the boot device itself may be unreachable — the "required device isn't connected" half of the message. Shut the PC down and confirm the Windows drive's SATA and power cables are firmly seated (on a laptop, skip the reseating). Then enter the BIOS or UEFI setup by pressing Del or F2 during startup, open the Boot menu, and make sure the correct Windows drive is first in the boot order — an update or BIOS reset sometimes promotes another drive. Save with F10 and restart. On UEFI PCs where bootrec /fixboot failed, open diskpart, run list volume, select the small FAT32 EFI partition with select volume N, run assign letter=Z, exit, and finally bcdboot C:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI to write a fresh boot entry directly to the EFI partition.
  6. Check the disk for damage and repair system files. If 0xc000000f persists, the drive itself may be failing. In Command Prompt from Advanced options, run chkdsk C: /f /r to find and repair disk errors — this can take a while on large drives. After that completes, run sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows to repair corrupted system files from outside Windows. If chkdsk reports many bad sectors, or the drive doesn't appear in diskpart's list at all, replace the drive before doing anything else — no software fix survives failing hardware.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

If the error returns after a few restarts, suspect the hardware side: try a different SATA port and cable, and run the drive manufacturer's diagnostics. A CMOS battery that is dying can also reset the boot order on every power-off, so replace it if the BIOS keeps forgetting your settings. As a final software option, use System Restore from Advanced options to roll back to a point before the error appeared, or choose Reset this PC from Troubleshoot with Keep my files to reinstall Windows while preserving your personal data.

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0xc000000f mean?

Error 0xc000000f means Windows failed to select a boot device. The full message reads: Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed. File: \BOOT\BCD. In plain terms, the boot loader either can't reach the drive holding Windows or can't read the Boot Configuration Data file, so it stops on the blue recovery screen before Windows starts.

Why does error 0xc000000f appear after a Windows update?

Windows updates rewrite the boot files and the boot order, and if that process is interrupted by a power cut or a forced shutdown, the BCD ends up corrupted and unreadable. Updates can also reset BIOS settings, changing which drive the PC tries to boot from — so the BCD is fine but the PC is pointing at the wrong device.

Will fixing 0xc000000f delete my files?

No. The bootrec, bcdboot, chkdsk, and sfc repairs only touch boot files, disk metadata, and system files — your documents, photos, and installed programs are not affected. Only a full Windows reinstall or the Reset option with Remove everything would delete your data, and those are last-resort options.

What is the difference between 0xc000000f and 0xc0000034?

Both are boot errors involving the BCD, but 0xc000000f says the boot device or BCD can't be accessed at all (Boot Selection Failed), while 0xc0000034 says the BCD file exists but is missing required information. For 0xc000000f, always check the physical drive connection and BIOS boot order first; for 0xc0000034, the drive is reachable and only the boot data needs rebuilding.

What if 0xc000000f keeps coming back after every fix?

Repeated 0xc000000f errors usually mean the drive itself is failing or the SATA cable or port is faulty. Try a different SATA port and cable, and run the drive manufacturer's diagnostics. If the drive checks out, remove any leftover Linux boot entries with bcdedit and, as a final option, use Reset this PC from Troubleshoot with Keep my files before a clean install.

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