I have a laptop running only Fedora Workstation and tried to install Windows 11 using a Ventoy USB drive. During the boot or installation process, I received this message: "Windows Boot Manager failed. EFI/Microsoft/Boot/BCD files are missing or contain errors." I checked the EFI folder, but those files were not present. I created the installer from a Windows ISO file. What should I check or change to get the Windows 11 installer to boot correctly?
1 Answer
Using an ISO alone doesn’t confirm that the installer was created correctly. Make sure you downloaded an official Windows 11 ISO and copied it properly to the Ventoy USB. Boot the USB in UEFI mode, not legacy or BIOS compatibility mode, and select the ISO from Ventoy’s menu. If it still fails, update or reinstall Ventoy on the USB and copy the ISO again. Also verify the ISO’s checksum if one is provided, since a damaged download can cause missing BCD files.
I only tried booting the ISO through Ventoy so far. I’ll recreate the Ventoy drive, check the ISO, and make sure the laptop is using UEFI mode.