disk boot error..wont load into windows HELP!

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NathanP2007

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So my computer as shown in my Sig is setup a little funky. In the first sata slot on the mobo technically is the 80 gig, and the second slot is the 640. However the 640 is the C: drive, and has windows installed on it. The 80 gig was just a cheap HDD to have extra space for.

Now however i am trying to swap out my empty 80gig HDD for my new 1TB HDD. I am having a problem though. So i pulled out the 80 gig hard drive (which i made sure was empty BTW) and put in the 1TB drive. When i restarted my computer, it said "Hard disk error, wont boot". I went into the bios, and put in the boot list my 640gb in first place (hard disk boot priority) so it should see the 640gb first when trying to boot a Hard drive. Same error, wouldnt boot.

I used Ubuntu Live USB to boot into ubuntu and i looked at the Hard drives, it shows the 1TB , and it shows the 640gb, which when i open has everything in it like it should, including windows.

Whats going on? How do i fix this? Is it bad to correct my original mistake and pull out both Hard drives, and plug in the 640gb into the first SATA slot so its seen as the first HDD? Or thats not good to do once you have a established computer?

Just to be clear, what i want it to be working as: 640gb C: drive with windows on it so it boots into windows. E: drive will be a 1TB hard drive.
 
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First off, pull the 1tb drive - leaving only the 640. Will the computer boot off of that one by itself? If you put the 80 back in, does it work again?

My guess is that the 80gb drive actually had the boot manager on it - and just pointed to your 640 to boot windows. If this is the case, you just need to get that onto your 640...

I'll go digging for instructions - I haven't had to repair something like this in awhile. I think the "recovery" built into windows can repair it (if you boot off of the dvd).... don't quote me on it yet though.... :)
 
Blue Knight said:
First off, pull the 1tb drive - leaving only the 640. Will the computer boot off of that one by itself? If you put the 80 back in, does it work again?

My guess is that the 80gb drive actually had the boot manager on it - and just pointed to your 640 to boot windows. If this is the case, you just need to get that onto your 640...

I'll go digging for instructions - I haven't had to repair something like this in awhile. I think the "recovery" built into windows can repair it (if you boot off of the dvd).... don't quote me on it yet though.... :)
Click to expand...

Tried 640 alone, it failed to boot again. Im betting your right about the boot loader being on the 80gig. I will put the 80 gig in and see if it boots.
 
Blue Knight said:
There could be other things too, such as marking the partition bootable. :p

Good luck - here's a set of instructions for Win7 that hopefully will fix your repair. Just make sure you do it with only the 640 installed to it modifies everything appropriately. This would also be the time to switch the sata port before doing the repair.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...ing-error-while-trying-to-boot-windows-vista/
Click to expand...

I put the 80 back in and it booted into windows just how it always has.


So i want to have only the 640 plugged in, then boot from the Win7 DVD, and follow the instructions correct?

Btw is it possible to remove the bootloader from the 80 gig so when i put it into my new computer, the 80 gig is COMPLETELY whipped clean? I had already done a Re-formatting (quick) and it obviously still has the boot loader on it still.
 
NathanP2007 said:
So i want to have only the 640 plugged in, then boot from the Win7 DVD, and follow the instructions correct?

Btw is it possible to remove the bootloader from the 80 gig so when i put it into my new computer, the 80 gig is COMPLETELY whipped clean? I had already done a Re-formatting (quick) and it obviously still has the boot loader on it still.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're good to go.

A reformat of a partition does not remove the information in the boot sector of the hard drive - they're separate parts. Particularly a quick format - as that doesn't do anything....just oks stuff to be able to be overwritten.

Are you reinstalling win 7 on another computer? usually any new installation will overwrite what's already there, so the 80gb should be fine.
 
Blue Knight said:
Sounds like you're good to go.

A reformat of a partition does not remove the information in the boot sector of the hard drive - they're separate parts. Particularly a quick format - as that doesn't do anything....just oks stuff to be able to be overwritten.

Are you reinstalling win 7 on another computer? usually any new installation will overwrite what's already there, so the 80gb should be fine.
Click to expand...

I am doing something more complicated with the 80 gig (kinda). I am putting a new 640 into the new computer, and the 80 gig as secondary. The 640 will have windows 7, and i will install Ubuntu on the 80 gig. Then install a GRUB so i can dual boot between the 2.

I guess i can put the 640 (new) into the new computer...install windows..get it all setup. THEN put in the 80 gig and right away install ubuntu onto it (which will whipe the win boot loader). Instead of having both in at the same time when i first install windows 7, i dont want having a boot loader on the 80 to confuse my new computer into what to boot into.


UPDATE: I am at the point of finding my Windows installation (in the repair part) but its not listed. Nothing is listed. I can click "Load drivers" which then tells me "Insert installation media for the device and click ok to find the driver" , when i click ok it then opens "Desktop", with "My Computer" being one of the options...when i open My Computer i see my 640 gig and a second drive which shows " Boot (X:) " which shows 31.2 of 33.6 mb is free.... do you know what i am saying? Am i wanting to click on that Boot X or am i wanting to find something in my C: drive? (640 gig)

The how to guide for the repair just assumes that Vista (cause its a vista repair guide) is shown in the list. Doesnt tell you what it means if nothing is listed.

BTW just so your fully aware, i am doing this with only the 640gb Hard drive plugged in. The 80gig is disconnected.
 
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Nvm , im gonna try this : http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html

its a windows 7 version of what you showed me, and it says if its not shown, its ok, to click next.

But if you know answers to my other questions i asked, id still love to hear them.


Update: I clicked next, hit startup repair, it did its repair, restarted the computer and when it got to the point in POST to load windows, it failed. I am trying again. I'll update with results of the second attempt shortly.

Update 2: I did the startup repair again and it still failed to boot.


I tried the "bootrec /fixboot" in the command prompt, it says that prompt essentially doesnt do anything. Like on 7 thats not the prompt you are suppoed to use.

Btw when i do the repair, and click on details, the issue it says it finds is " The Partition table does not have a valid System partition" and it then says it has repaired this. But that doesnt sound like the bootmgr ...which is what i need fixed.
 
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Come on guys , please :)

Need help.
Need to get Main hard drive that has windows on it, to find a way to get bootmgr onto it, so it alone in my computer will boot.
 
Chuklr said:
Hi, NathanP2007,

Check the "How to Restore the Windows 7 MBR (Master Boot Record)" entry in the "Win7 ABCs - Great list of Windows 7 tutorials by MVP Shawn Brink! (alphabetical)" you found the other article.

Hope this helps.

Chuklr
Click to expand...

Well the first way didnt work but the how-to says to try http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392 if it doesnt work.

I am concerned that these tutorials semi assume you see your Hard drive listed in that box showing your OS.
If you look at #3 : http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20864-mbr-restore-windows-7-master-boot-record.html

Mine is empty there. BUT i know my hard drive is plugged in and has windows installed on it.

Everytime i type coding in it says its not correct or theres nothing there or anything. I dont get it.
 
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The one thing i do get to kinda work. Is i type in Bootrec /rebuildBCD and it scans

it successfully fins 1 windows installation on C:\Windows
"Add installation to boot list?" and i hit Y for yes and enter, and it says

"Element not found"

Even when i hit N it says element not found.

I dont get it. This has to be something lots of people experience...installing windows on a drive and the bootmgr accidentally being on the second drive...they remove the second drive and need to get the bootmgr on the first one...

Seems like what i need first is to figure out why my system isnt showing my Windows 7 on my hard drive. Even with the bootmgr missing the whole windows OS should show like on that #3 picture.

Then when i type coding into the command line it will actually DO something


I can get to certain points sometimes that will scan and find my windows and ask if i want to add installation to boot list but when i type yes it always does nothing "element not found"
 
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So what...to keep my system how it is (aka not whipe it clean and re-install windows) i have to keep the 80 gig drive in cause i cant get a stupid boot program to be on my 640 gig hard drive?
 
NathanP2007 said:
So what...to keep my system how it is (aka not whipe it clean and re-install windows) i have to keep the 80 gig drive in cause i cant get a stupid boot program to be on my 640 gig hard drive?
Click to expand...

Hi, NathanP2007,

You might want to hook up the 80 GB HDD, boot into Win 7, go to disk management and make sure the 640 GB HDD is set as an active partition.

A search of this forum should turn up threads posted by other folks with this "issue."

Hope this helps.

Chuklr
 
HOLY CRAP!

I got it working! lol. SWEEEEEEEEEEET. Had to make the drive active, and then booted from DVD, and did auto repair and it repaired my boot. THANK YOU! YAY lol
 
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New question:

I put in my 1TB and went into disk management to format it. It then popped up a window saying

Initialize Disk: You must initialize a disk before logical disk management can access it.

Checked box: Disk 1

Use the following partition style for the selected disks:
Options 1: MBR
Options 2: GPT (GUID Partition table)


Is this talking about the 640 i just got the MBR installed on? Or does this have to do with my new 1TB drive?

And which option do i pick?
 
generally, disk 1 would actually be the 2nd hdd.
disk 0 = 1st hdd
disk 1 = 2nd hdd
etc

so it should be talking about the 1TB BUT...

how many times had you booted into Windows with only the 640gb installed? atleast once, I would hope.
 
Yeah i am 99% sure that the first time that it worked, i got into windows on the 640 only..and thats when i said YAY...i then proceeded to turn off the PC, plug in the 1TB and then i turned it on , i then when into the disk management, what i described is what happened, i figured it was the 1TB so i choose GPT , and it recognized the 1TB drive.

Should i boot the computer a few times with the 1TB unplugged so i can triple be sure the bootloader and all that is OFFICIALLY on the 640? Or was that not your concern?


UPDATE: I just booted into windows with the 1TB disconnected and it booted perfectly. Just in case that was your concern.
 
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NathanP2007 said:
Yeah i am 99% sure that the first time that it worked, i got into windows on the 640 only..and thats when i said YAY...i then proceeded to turn off the PC, plug in the 1TB and then i turned it on , i then when into the disk management, what i described is what happened, i figured it was the 1TB so i choose GPT , and it recognized the 1TB drive.

Should i boot the computer a few times with the 1TB unplugged so i can triple be sure the bootloader and all that is OFFICIALLY on the 640? Or was that not your concern?


UPDATE: I just booted into windows with the 1TB disconnected and it booted perfectly. Just in case that was your concern.
Click to expand...

my concern was, that you fixed the MBR on the 640, shutdown without loading into Windows, installed the 1TB, then got confused :p
but you did good! :D
 
NathanP2007 said:
HOLY CRAP!

I got it working! lol. SWEEEEEEEEEEET. Had to make the drive active, and then booted from DVD, and did auto repair and it repaired my boot. THANK YOU! YAY lol
Click to expand...

Hi, NathanP2007,

Glad to hear you got all your problems resolved.

Chuklr
 
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