How to Recover Partition Table Windows 10?

“Invalid partition table” message in Windows 10

The partition table enables the operating system to identify the existing hard disk and allows users to manage data by adding, extending, shrinking, or deleting partitions. On Windows and Mac computers, the partition table is normally built during the installation of an operating system.

However, if the partition table becomes corrupted, you couldn’t use or access the partition's stored data. A partition table can become logically corrupted or damaged for a variety of reasons, including virus attacks, faulty sectors, and so on.

How to identify the partition table corrupted?

When a partition table is corrupted or damaged, it may show up as Unallocated, Not Initialized, or with an error message like "Invalid Partition Table." You need to open Disk Management and verify the partition status to validate it. Once this is confirmed, you can proceed to repair the damaged hard drive partition table using the procedures listed below.

How to recover partition table in Windows 10?

When the disk becomes unallocated, professional partition recovery software can be used to recover the corrupted partition table. AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard can help you restore the lost partitions with the data you've saved. Partitions and the corrupted partition table will be restored simultaneously. Alternatively, you could repair the partition table via Command Prompt to rebuild the MBR boot.

Solution 1: Repair partition table via Command Prompt

If you have a Windows installation CD or DVD, you can use it to enter the Command Prompt in Windows 10 to repair a broken partition table.

Step 1: Insert the installation disc, and restart your computer, and boot from the disc.

Step 2: After booting your system, launch the command prompt. At the Welcome screen, click “Repair your computer” > “Troubleshoot” > “Command Prompt”.

Step 3: When the Command Prompt loads successfully, execute the following two commands:

bootrec /FixMbr

bootrec /FixBoot

Solution 2: Fix corrupted partition table via free partition manager utility

If you don't have Windows setup media, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, a free partition management tool. Its "Rebuild MBR" option can be used to repair a broken partition table for Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/XP/Vista. The following is a step-by-step procedure for repairing a corrupted partition table in Windows 10.

Step 1: Free download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard on another computer because your computer can't start up due to a corrupted partition table.

Step 2: Insert an empty USB drive into the computer and select “Make Bootable Media” on the left panel.

Step 3: Connect the bootable USB drive to the computer that is having problems booting. Change the BIOS boot order and start the machine from the USB stick. The AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard will start automatically when you log in.

Step 4: After AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard is running, right-click the disk which has problems and select “Rebuild MBR”.

Step 5: Select a proper MBR type for your operating system and click "OK".

Step 6: Click “Proceed” and go back to the main interface to click “Apply”.

Solution 3: Use AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard to recover lost partitions

If your partition is marked as Unallocated in Disk Management only due to a corrupted partition table and you can boot your computer, you could use AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard to recover the lost partition easily.

AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard, a built-in utility in AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, is created to recover deleted or lost partitions for Windows 10/8/7 due to accidental deletion, repartition hard drive, unexpected system shutdown, operating system or file system corruption, partition table loss, or damage, etc.

Steps to recover lost partitions via AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard

Step 1: Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Select the Partition Recovery Wizard on the left panel and choose the disk you want to recover. Then click “Next”.

Step 2: Select a search mode. It is recommended that you select Fast Search the first time due to time-saving. Then, click “Next” to proceed.

Step 3: Then the tool will show the list of all lost partitions. You can select the one you want to recover.

Step 4: After the partition recovery process completes, a “Congratulations” message shows, and click “Finish” to exit the window.

You could go to Windows File Explorer to check whether the lost partition comes back. If you didn’t make any operation on the partition since it was lost, the data could be recovered as well.

If it fails, you could follow the steps below to create a new volume in Disk Management to the Unallocated space or right-click the partition in AOMEI Partition Assistant main interface to select “Assign a drive letter”. Remember that creating a new partition will erase all the data saved in the previous partition. 

Step 1: Press “Windows + R” and type “diskmgmt.msc” to open Disk Management. Find the unallocated space on your hard drive.

Step 2: Right-click the unallocated space and select “New Simple Volume”.

Step 3: Enter the New Simple Volume Wizard, click "Next" to continue. Follow the wizard to assign a drive letter to the new simple volume. And then click “Finish” to complete the new volume creation process.

Conclusion

To sum up, we've collected three solutions to help you recover the partition table. If the computer couldn't boot, you could repair the partition table via Command Prompt with Windows installation disc or use the freeware-AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard to rebuild MBR.  

Another situation is the partition is marked with unallocated space, you could try AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard to restore the partition and assign drive letter via AOMEI Partition Assistant.

However, the best way to keep your data safe is to back up your files regularly in an external hard drive or try a reliable and worry-free tool-AOMEI Backupper.