Bootmgr is missing error after installing new hdd, but only sometimes.

bobcat19 · 18 Dec 2012

I recently decided to move a hard drive I've had in an external enclosure to inside my case. After I did this I got a bootmgr is missing error on startup.

Things that may be useful to know:

I have 3 hard drives (this new one being the third), one 60gb for my operating system, one 160gb for other junk, and now this 1tb one I've just put in.

My 60gb operating system drive is connected using an IDE cable, the other two using SATA cables.

I've checked all plugs and connectors in the case.

I've checked the boot order in the BIOS, sometimes the 60gb drive doesn't even show up, sometimes it does.
My boot order is CDROM, then HDD(60gb one obviously).
So startup will go like this:
Bootmgr is missing, go into BIOS, check boot order, HDD not showing up, restart, Bootmgr is missing, go into BIOS, HDD is there, exit and startup ok. except sometimes I have to restart it a few times before it'll show up.

Any help would be much appreciated.

If I have posted this in the wrong thread, then let me know which would be the best thread to post in and Ill move it there.

Update: Just crashed with a blue screen, it restarted itself but now I'm getting "a disk read error occurred" message. I restarted it and I got "Bootmgr is missing" again.

TVeblen · 18 Dec 2012

Hello bobcat19. Welcome to the forum.

Looking at your symptoms and the chain of events I think this a case of a loose cable. You probably knocked the 60's data cable while installing the new drive. But don't rule out the power cable too. Check them all - both ends.

SATA cables are small and the older ones do not have a positive lock latch, so they can be in the slot but not making full contact.

Check that first.

bobcat19 · 18 Dec 2012

Thanks for the reply, I've checked all cables, and double checked them. The hhd I'm trying to boot off is connected using an IDE cable. Now it won't boot at all though, could it be my hhd?

TVeblen · 18 Dec 2012

Yes, it could. But if this behavior happened suddenly, and right after you installed that 3rd drive then I think that is where to focus your attention. Your IDE drive may have decided to die out of jealousy or by coincidence when you added that drive, but I doubt it.

You could check in your BIOS settings to make sure the legacy IDE controller is enabled (I have no idea how old this system is).

You could also try disconnecting the 3rd drive (or both SATA drives) just to see what happens.

Do you have a W7 installation DVD, or a W7 Repair Disk?

bobcat19 · 18 Dec 2012

not sure if this will make a difference, but this happened ages ago to me, same setup same drives, as a temporary fix i put the 1tb hdd into the enclosure and that seemed to sort it. But now that i put it back into the case its done it again. Except now it wont boot at all. Ill get a windows 7 disc tonight and try repair it using that. Ill let you know what happens. Would it be helpful to have my computer specs?

TVeblen · 18 Dec 2012

It is always helpful to have the specs.

I am guessing that one of the partitions on the 3rd HDD is marked active. This would be especially the case if there was ever an OS on that drive.
If you disconnect that 3rd drive and the system boots then that may be the problem and there is a different solution for that.

If the IDE drive will not boot with no other drives connected then you may need to run Startup Repair up to 3 times on the drive to repair the boot files.

Do those tests so you know which way to go.

bobcat19 · 22 Dec 2012

Sorted it, sort of. I decided that seeing as there wasn't anything very important on that hdd (I used it just for operating system) and I had a spare sata drive sitting in my cupboard that I would just install windows on a new drive and start fresh. So I did that and it's working fine, even with the 1tb hhd in the case. Thanks for your help though, really appreciated it :)

TVeblen · 22 Dec 2012

Glad you found a solution.