Windows 7 - System Image problem

Way too hot for a walk, but a nice cold shower will do the trick.

You are lucky. I wish it was hot. I am in Florida and it is currently 40F (5C). We'll have to move south.

This happens frequently with a data drive on DISK0 which gets marked Active, causing the Windows 7 installer to place MBR there since it looks for first Active partition.

The solution here is to boot the Windows 7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery tools list to open a Command Line, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0 (confirm it contains D drive)
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTITION # (for D partition)
INACTIVE
SELECT DISK 1 (confirm it contains Windows 7)
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTITION # (for Windows 7 partition)
ACTIVE
EXIT

Now return to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots as it will attempt to fix and finally write MBR to Windows 7.

Greg, I wish you had been around earlier. I have to can your solutions in case you are absent. Now UberPhilf went the reinstall route.

Haha i didn't, once i figured id pulled the wrong HDD out, i just ran startup repair ( on the RIGHT drive mind you )
and it repaired itself

While your here Greg, is there a way i can make the D Drive inactive, while in windows?
Through the CMD or something?

EDIT: Followed the Steps above, in CMD, and worked as expected.

Thanks very much all for your help.

Please bring these issues into Installation and Setup in the future as I hardly ever make it out of there.

Glad to help anytime a Philf...