Fix Error 0xc0000098: BCD Has No Valid OS Entry

The fast answer. Error 0xc0000098 ("The Boot Configuration Data file doesn't contain valid information for an operating system", usually with File: \Boot\BCD; older versions say "does not contain a valid OS entry") means Windows Boot Manager opened the BCD store but found no usable Windows entry in it. Your Windows files are usually intact — only the boot entry is gone. Boot into Windows Recovery (WinRE), run Startup Repair, and if that fails add Windows back from Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Command Prompt:

bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

Type Y to add the installation it finds, then reboot. On a UEFI/GPT machine, rebuild the store with bcdboot instead (Step 5).

Why this happens

The BCD lost its Windows entry — a disk write error, power loss, or forced shutdown while boot data was being written leaves the store with no operating system entry. This is the most common cause.
Manual BCD or partition changes — deleting the wrong entry with bcdedit or a boot manager tool, removing a second OS, or cloning to a new drive can leave the store pointing at nothing.
An incompatible storage driver after an update — a less common trigger is a hard-drive driver installed with an update that doesn't suit the storage controller.
File-system damage or bad sectors — corruption on the partition that holds the BCD, sometimes from a failing drive.

Step-by-step fix

Step 1 — Get into Windows Recovery (WinRE)

Force three failed boots (power on, then hold the power button as the Windows logo appears, three times) to open Automatic Repair. If the error screen appears every time and Automatic Repair never opens, boot from a Windows 10/11 install USB and choose Repair your computer. Then go to Troubleshoot → Advanced options.

Step 2 — Run Startup Repair

Choose Startup Repair and let it finish. It rebuilds many missing BCD entries automatically. Reboot and test before running commands.

Step 3 — If it started after an update, uninstall the update

If the error appeared right after Windows Update or a driver install, go to Advanced options → Uninstall Updates and remove the latest quality update. This doesn't touch your files. Reboot and test.

Step 4 — Rebuild the BCD with bootrec

In Advanced options → Command Prompt, run:

bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

When /rebuildbcd lists a Windows installation, type Y to add it and reboot. If it reports "Total identified Windows installations: 0" on a legacy BIOS system, back up and rename the old store, then rebuild:

bcdedit /export C:\bcdbackup
attrib C:\boot\bcd -h -r -s
ren C:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd

Use the letter of the volume that holds the \Boot folder — drive letters in WinRE often differ from normal Windows. Check with dir C:\boot first.

Step 5 — UEFI/GPT: recreate the store with bcdboot

On UEFI machines the BCD lives at \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD on the small FAT32 EFI System Partition, so the C:\boot\bcd rename above doesn't apply. Give that partition a letter and let bcdboot write a fresh Windows entry from the Windows folder:

diskpart
list disk
sel disk 0
list vol
sel vol <EFI-FAT32-vol#>
assign letter=S:
exit
bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI

The EFI partition is the ~100–500 MB FAT32 volume. Replace C:\Windows if Windows has a different letter in WinRE (confirm with dir C:\Windows). You should see "Boot files successfully created." Skip bootrec /fixboot here — on UEFI it commonly returns "Access is denied"; see the full bcdboot walkthrough.

Step 6 — Check the disk and system files

If the entry keeps disappearing, check the Windows volume for file-system damage, then scan system files offline (use the correct letter):

chkdsk C: /f /r
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows

If chkdsk finds bad sectors, or the BCD breaks again soon after a rebuild, treat the drive as failing: back up and plan a replacement instead of repeating repairs.

Data safety: bootrec, bcdboot, and renaming the BCD change only boot data, not your documents. The risky parts are chkdsk /r, which stresses weak sectors on a failing drive, and diskpart, where one wrong volume number can destroy a partition. If the files matter and you have no backup, image the drive to a known-good external disk first, never run clean or format in diskpart for this error, and never run repairs on the only copy of irreplaceable data.

GRAM tip: These repairs run in Windows Recovery, which is already on the broken PC or any Windows install USB. Once the machine boots again, plug in GRAM — a free portable repair toolkit that runs from a USB inside Windows — to check the drive's SMART health, read the event logs for unexpected shutdowns and disk errors, and let its AI agent confirm why the boot entry vanished so the error doesn't come back.

Download GRAM free See AI pricing →

FAQ

Can I fix this without a second working computer?

Usually, yes. WinRE lives on the broken PC itself — three failed boots trigger Automatic Repair, where Startup Repair and Command Prompt are available. If Automatic Repair never opens, boot a Windows install USB (made on any PC, even a borrowed one) and choose Repair your computer. The repair itself needs no second computer. (GRAM runs inside Windows rather than from boot media — use it once the machine boots to verify disk health and confirm the root cause.)

Will rebuilding the BCD delete my files?

No. The BCD is a small boot database; bootrec /rebuildbcd and bcdboot rewrite boot configuration only. Documents and programs are untouched. Custom boot entries, such as a second OS, may need to be re-added afterward.

How is 0xc0000098 different from 0xc0000034 or 0xc000014c?

All three are BCD errors with the same repair path. 0xc0000098 means the store was read but holds no valid Windows entry; 0xc0000034 typically means the store or a required entry is missing; 0xc000014c typically means the store is corrupt or unreadable. Start with Startup Repair, then rebuild with bootrec or bcdboot.

Startup Repair and bootrec both failed. What now?

On UEFI machines, use bcdboot (Step 5) — it writes a new Windows entry even when bootrec can't. Also check BIOS: the boot mode (UEFI vs Legacy/CSM) must match how the disk was set up. If nothing works, run chkdsk, back up your data, and consider reinstalling Windows.