MBR error 3

My laptop will not boot. Shows MBR error briefly.
I can go into the repair thicket and open a command prompt
window. I tried bootrec fixes, but the /scanos option reports
0 configurations. /rebuildbcd and /fixmbr complete, but /fixboot
reports "access denied".

Still at the command prompt I can find and list the boot drive's
files. Everything looks okay, machine just cannot boot.

(The machine seems to be functioning properly otherwise - I can
boot a utility DVD and can boot into the manufacturer's recovery
environment. I just don't want to start from scratch with that
recovery step if I don't have to.)

Jason wrote:
My laptop will not boot. Shows MBR error briefly.
I can go into the repair thicket and open a command prompt
window. I tried bootrec fixes, but the /scanos option reports
0 configurations. /rebuildbcd and /fixmbr complete, but /fixboot
reports "access denied".

Still at the command prompt I can find and list the boot drive's
files. Everything looks okay, machine just cannot boot.

(The machine seems to be functioning properly otherwise - I can
boot a utility DVD and can boot into the manufacturer's recovery
environment. I just don't want to start from scratch with that
recovery step if I don't have to.)


There is a ring of truth in here, but a pretty generous sprinkling
of baloney.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com...w7itproinstall

OK, the suggestion is "some minor corruption of the MBR", good so far.

Then people start blaming third-party applications without explaining
how they've buggered up the MBR in the first place. And a couple of
posters "want you to come to their website", presumably for the
advertising to be found there.

Some questions would be:

1) Are you using any of the named software ?

2) How could a third party application prevent a boot DVD
from doing offline repairs to the MBR ? That doesn't
make a lot of sense. And the MBR doesn't have permissions.

Paul