Windows 7 Will Only Boot if Boot Drive is the only Drive Plugged In

k4show · Oct 18, 2012

I have a Windows 7 install on a 60gb SSD (assigned to C: in Windows), and a 3 other drives just for storage, and programs. Windows will only boot if the SSD is the only one plugged in. BCD lists this as my only entry, and is calling the C: drive to boot.
However when I load my Windows cd, this drive is assigned to E: when all my other drives are plugged in. I'm not sure why its doing this, but could this be the problem and is there a way to fix it?
Thanks

bigmck · Oct 18, 2012

We need to see a screenshot of your Disk Managment. Click on the Windows button in the lower left of your screen and type on the space above the button "Disk Management" without the quotes and hit enter. The Disk Management will pop up. Expand the columns so we can read all of the print. Use your Snipping Tool to post a screenshot of the Disk Management as described in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

k4show · Oct 18, 2012

bigmck said:
We need to see a screenshot of your Disk Managment. Click on the Windows button in the lower left of your screen and type on the space above the button "Disk Management" without the quotes and hit enter. The Disk Management will pop up. Expand the columns so we can read all of the print. Use your Snipping Tool to post a screenshot of the Disk Management as described in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

I have all my drives unplugged right now to boot in, with them plugged in I may not be able to boot. I will try though and report back.

bigmck · Oct 18, 2012

k4show said:
bigmck said:

We need to see a screenshot of your Disk Managment. Click on the Windows button in the lower left of your screen and type on the space above the button "Disk Management" without the quotes and hit enter. The Disk Management will pop up. Expand the columns so we can read all of the print. Use your Snipping Tool to post a screenshot of the Disk Management as described in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Click to expand...

I have all my drives unplugged right now to boot in, with them plugged in I may not be able to boot. I will try though and report back.

If you can't boot with them plugged in, boot with them unplugged, plug them in and make your screenshot.

k4show · Oct 18, 2012

bigmck said:
k4show said:

bigmck said:

We need to see a screenshot of your Disk Managment. Click on the Windows button in the lower left of your screen and type on the space above the button "Disk Management" without the quotes and hit enter. The Disk Management will pop up. Expand the columns so we can read all of the print. Use your Snipping Tool to post a screenshot of the Disk Management as described in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Click to expand...

I have all my drives unplugged right now to boot in, with them plugged in I may not be able to boot. I will try though and report back.

Click to expand...

If you can't boot with them plugged in, boot with them unplugged, plug them in and make your screenshot.

Is it safe to do that? I have hot-swap turned on in my bios.

k4show · Oct 18, 2012

Here is my disk manager, and here is my boot setup.

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
path \bootmgr
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
default {20b1cbf3-18f0-11e2-a2fe-aeed74ca9e4f}
displayorder {20b1cbf3-18f0-11e2-a2fe-aeed74ca9e4f}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {20b1cbf3-18f0-11e2-a2fe-aeed74ca9e4f}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 Professional
locale en-US
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {d16ab8d2-1970-11e2-84f3-806e6f6e6963}

gregrocker · Oct 18, 2012

It looks like Disks 3 and 4 were former System disks which held smaller boot partitions at the beginning, then afterwards they were not wiped of boot code or even deleted before reformatting for data.

As a result you have the risk of stray boot code interfering at boot from those data drives, and you also have a Dynamic Disk on Disk 3 which is only meant to span a partition across multiple HD's.

To resolve this I would move the data off of each to wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command then repartition in Disk Mgmt: Partition or Volume - Create New

Once you've done this post back another screenshot and how it boots now.

k4show · Oct 18, 2012

Ok, will do. Thanks for the quick responses!

k4show · Nov 1, 2012

Okay update:

I've had it booting for the last few weeks fine (a few times it didn't booting into an ubuntu live cd alone fixed it). Now it won't even boot at all even with just my boot drive plugged in. There is only a black screen on boot up, hitting F8 for safe mode doesn't do anything. Windows startup repair doesn't find a problem and my BCDEDIT appears correct, however rebuildbcd doesn't find any instance of Windows 7.

Thanks

bigmck · Nov 1, 2012

Disk 3 is Dynamic. Take it out and see if you can boot OK.

gregrocker · Nov 1, 2012

Did you follow the steps I suggested?

Unplug the other HD's, enter BIOS setup to see that Win7 HD is set to boot first. What happens exactly?

If you can boot into Partition Wizard CD, post back a camera snap of the maximized drive window with listings. Which is active? Run Startup Repair 3 separate times no matter what it reports.

k4show · Nov 1, 2012

I ran startup repair one more time and now it boots. I think its time for a repair install...

gregrocker · Nov 1, 2012

I asked you if you followed the steps I suggested. You'll need to reply to each and every step we give so we know what you have done, not just post added problems you may have caused by being uncooperative.

Why would you ask for help here if you want to ignore everything we post and just rattle out your own theories and additional problems caused by ignoring us.

k4show · Nov 1, 2012

gregrocker said:
I asked you if you followed the steps I suggested. You'll need to reply to each and every step we give so we know what you have done, not just post added problems you may have caused by being uncooperative.

Why would you ask for help here if you want to ignore everything we post and just rattle out your own theories and additional problems caused by ignoring us.

Sorry I should have been more clear, I followed your advice to a T and removed all my data off the drives with the irregular partition patterns, and formatted them as single simple NTFS volumes. I then put the data back on the drives, now Windows booted. Also according to diskpart my boot drive has the only active parition.

EDIT: Would you recommend doing an upgrade install?

gregrocker · Nov 1, 2012

Then you didn't follow the steps in Post 7 which clearly said to wipe the former OS HD's with Diskpart Clean Command , not just format them which does nothing to clean the boot sector where bad code may be interfering.

But if the OS stopped booting then Startup Repair is a correct solution and appears to be helping, however you want to run it at least three separate times with reboots to be assured it completely repairs or rewrites the System Boot files, after we confirm the correct partition remains Active.

Post back the latest maximized Disk Mgmt drive map and listings.

k4show · Nov 1, 2012

Here is the screenshot.

http://i.imgur.com/a0utD.png

gregrocker · Nov 1, 2012

It looks correct, however I'd run two more Startup Repairs from DVD or Repair CD no matter what it reports to make sure all tests confirm the boot files are sound and configured correctly.

Then if anything continues to interfere with boot remove each HD to determine which is responsible, then move its data off to run Diskpart Clean command on it.

Your idea to run a Repair Install is not a bad one but it may not be necessary to reinstall the entire OS just to assure the boot files are configured correctly. If you get that far I'd follow these same steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 in order to wipe the HD first.

FuturDreamz · Nov 2, 2012

Is it possible your computer BIOS is looking at the wrong drive?

Sounds to me that when no other drive is connected it defaults to the SSD, but when others are connected it is set to boot to a different one.

Go into your computer's BIOS and make sure that the SSD is at the top of the boot order.

k4show · Nov 2, 2012

FuturDreamz said:
Is it possible your computer BIOS is looking at the wrong drive?

Sounds to me that when no other drive is connected it defaults to the SSD, but when others are connected it is set to boot to a different one.

Go into your computer's BIOS and make sure that the SSD is at the top of the boot order.

I have verified that, it was one of the first things I did. I also wasn't able to boot when the SSD was unplugged (this was a few weeks after my initial problem)

AddRAM · Nov 2, 2012

Where are you at with it and what types of problems are you still having ?

Windows 7 Will Only Boot if Boot Drive is the only Drive Plugged In

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