Win7 boot issue --- after new mobo/cpu/ram

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ToddW2

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Here's what I've done and how things are setup.

Win7 computer from mid 2010 with an Intel 80gb G2 SSD and 640gb WD Black (user home), 850w PSU, 7970. The goal is to update the SSD, CPU, MOBO, RAM. I replaced the SSD last week and migrated the user dirs back to C: without problem, here's my entire process.

1. Mirror 80gb Intel G2 SSD to new Crucial MX100 512gb.
2. Boot from Crucial MX100.
3. Update locations of 'user directories' from WD Black to new MX100. (and wait for file transfers to complete)
4. Reboot, Update Windows, enjoying a lot more space on the 512gb SSD.

A week goes by and the mobo / cpu / ram arrive.

5. Remove old stuff.
6. Install new stuff, plug everything back in and attempt to boot.
I get the "J..." flashing cursor. I verify all connections with hard drives, verify ram, etc... reboot, same thing, continue troubleshooting to point where nothing is installed but the SSD & new cpu/mobo/ram same thing. I did disable UEFI BIOS and force LEGACY bios since this is so old I'm assuming the partition will cause issues, and did some Googling and this DID fix it for some people... NOT me. I decided to reconnect everything (other HDs, DVD, video card, etc..) and then try another Win7 SSD from another system, and sure enough it works fine (in legacy bios - didn't re-enable UEFI to test, but can) boots right into Windows7 as if nothing was different than the system I yanked it from.

At this point I KNOW no other hardware is bad since I can use Windows on another HD just fine. So I go back to repairing the windows/boot crap on the MX100.

7. MX100 only drive hooked up.
8. Boot from Win7 CD
9. "Repair"
10. Repair UTility finds nothing wrong with Windows Install on the MX100, and says it was "capable to load os" or something along those lines was the last report.


That didn't do anything, so I still can't boot the MX100 into windows... other SSD w/Win7 work fine though.

As this is my only 512g SSD at this location I REALLY don't want to copy 300 gigs from this SSD to a Spinner, re-install Win7 on the new SSD, and then migrate data back, and re-install all the software again.

I'm hoping someone has another suggestion for repairing the boot _____ on this mirrored drive that WAS working and booting just fine on other hardware.
 
It was a little confusing story but it seems to me that when you installed windows you didn't unplug your other drives. Your bootloader resides in your then primary hdd instead of the SSD and thats why you can't boot without the other hdds in place.
 
AHCI/RAID/IDE setting in BIOS different on new mobo?

I don't think I've ever seen "the "J..." flashing cursor" so I'm unsure of what that is.

B00nie said:
It was a little confusing story but it seems to me that when you installed windows you didn't unplug your other drives. Your bootloader resides in your then primary hdd instead of the SSD and thats why you can't boot without the other hdds in place.
Click to expand...

He said it doesn't boot with HIS SSD and other drives plugged in.
It DOES boot with a DIFFERENT SSD with a Win7 install from a different machine.
 
j-sta said:
AHCI/RAID/IDE setting in BIOS different on new mobo?

I don't think I've ever seen "the "J..." flashing cursor" so I'm unsure of what that is.



He said it doesn't boot with HIS SSD and other drives plugged in.
It DOES boot with a DIFFERENT SSD with a Win7 install from a different machine.
Click to expand...

If that DIFFERENT SSD contains the bootloader he can boot with it but not with the other one that does not contain the loader. If he had other drives plugged in during the OS install and his SSD wasn't the first drive in the first motherboard sata slot, the bootloader does not get installed on the SSD. If he then removes the old drive that contains the loader, the SSD is dead in the water alone even though it contains the OS.
 
Was the chipset on the computer you took the working SSD out of using the same series of chipset as the new MB? What was your previous motherboard, and what's your new one? Most times you'll need to reinstall Windows when swapping out motherboards, or at the very least, run a sysprep /generalize.
 
j-sta said:
AHCI/RAID/IDE setting in BIOS different on new mobo?

I don't think I've ever seen "the "J..." flashing cursor" so I'm unsure of what that is.



He said it doesn't boot with HIS SSD and other drives plugged in.
It DOES boot with a DIFFERENT SSD with a Win7 install from a different machine.
Click to expand...

Same as before, ACHI.

It doesn't boot with the MX100 on the new system, period. 1 drive, 2 drive, etc.
Correct on booting on another SSD with Win7 on it from another system from the SAME Generation (x58).

B00nie said:
If that DIFFERENT SSD contains the bootloader he can boot with it but not with the other one that does not contain the loader. If he had other drives plugged in during the OS install and his SSD wasn't the first drive in the first motherboard sata slot, the bootloader does not get installed on the SSD. If he then removes the old drive that contains the loader, the SSD is dead in the water alone even though it contains the OS.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you're confused. I haven't re-installed Windows, and this SSD was/is running Win7 just fine... just not on this new mobo/cpu/ram combo. How can I re-install the BootLoader? If that was the case wouldn't the Win7 Disc in repair mode have found/fixed this? (I ran it, found 0 problems with win booting).

spydermonkey said:
Was the chipset on the computer you took the working SSD out of using the same series of chipset as the new MB? What was your previous motherboard, and what's your new one? Most times you'll need to reinstall Windows when swapping out motherboards, or at the very least, run a sysprep /generalize.
Click to expand...

No, it wasn't. And neither is the WORKING SSD w/WIN7. Both are from x58. I've also done Ivy -> Haswell w/out any re-install. However, in the past I've always re-installed


Thanks everyone for their input, I have about 15 hours before I start a fresh install to solve this.
 
ToddW2 said:
Same as before, ACHI.

Sorry, you're confused. I haven't re-installed Windows, and this SSD was/is running Win7 just fine... just not on this new mobo/cpu/ram combo. How can I re-install the BootLoader? If that was the case wouldn't the Win7 Disc in repair mode have found/fixed this? (I ran it, found 0 problems with win booting).
Click to expand...

If you changed motherboards chances are your sata device ordering changed too which still leaves the possibility of your bootloader residing on another drive which is not the primary drive anymore after the swap (or obviously if you leave them unplugged).

If you find out that plugging in a _certain_ extra hdd or old ssd makes you bootable again, then your issue is with the master boot record not being found on the mx100.

According to http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/927392 if windows startup repair doesn't find the problem you can try to fix the boot record in the recovery mode.
 
FWIW - We did a fresh install since it was ~4 years old iirc. All working now, and the drive is a great performer. Although putting 2 IPS screens next to my parents TN now wants them to upgrade that!! LOL
 
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