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#11
You should boot the Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD to run Startup Repair. All bootrec, bootsect and other repair commands, tests and fixes are automated in Startup Repair. Run it several times then post back what it reports.
Next make sure Win7 or its 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred) are still marked Active: Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two). You can also use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to mark Active, then click on HD to highlight it, from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, Apply steps, reboot. This may preclude the need to run Startup Repair.
If these repairs fail then after confirming HD is good you'll need to run full Factory Recovery from its partition at boot, or from Recovery disks you have made or order. Or find a Win7 installation DVD to clean reinstall using the Product Key on COA sticker: Reinstalling Windows 7
The only disks I have for this computer are the ones I made using the Dell Data safe back up. I did this just before I started messing with this drive. I know I can use it to install Windows back on the computer because I tried it once already but did not try to use the repair console. I am not sure I saw that as an option. I have my Windows 7 professional 64 bit from my new computer; can I use it to get the repair console up?
You can use any Win7 installation DVD for repairs as long as it is the same 32- or 64-bit version.
Try also rebooting and tapping the F8 key to see if Repair console is on Advanced Boot Options menu
If the HD is confirmed good then these are the repairs needed first to know that Win7 is bootable.
I am getting an error message while booting up it states
"No boot sector on internal hard drive"
"No bootable devices--strike F1 to retry boot"Are all signs of a bad HD Drive.I had been receiving the error message about no boot sector for about 3 months
Hopefully not a bad MOBO.