Missing operating system message, cannot re-install windows 7

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  1. Posts : 13
    windows 7 home premium 64bit
       #1

    Missing operating system message, cannot re-install windows 7


    Hi All,

    Shut down PC last night, all working perfectly. Today it won't boot with the "missing operating system" message. Have booted from Windows 7 installation disc, tried startup recovery - took 2 hours before reporting no automatic fix possible. It cannot find an installed Windows OS to do a system restore, so I attempted a "custom" clean re-install. However, I then get a "canot create system partition or find existing one" error message. I have tried to create a "New" one but nothing doing. I don't seem to have any HDD drivers to point to either.

    I have two 500GB Western Digital WD5000 drives but that's all I know.

    Can anyone help? Do I need fo reformat the C: drive?

    Many thanks.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 9,606
    Win7 Enterprise, Win7 x86 (Ult 7600), Win7 x64 Ult 7600, TechNet RTM on AMD x64 (2.8Ghz)
       #2

    rjs1974 said:
    Hi All,

    Shut down PC last night, all working perfectly. Today it won't boot with the "missing operating system" message. Have booted from Windows 7 installation disc, tried startup recovery - took 2 hours before reporting no automatic fix possible. It cannot find an installed Windows OS to do a system restore, so I attempted a "custom" clean re-install. However, I then get a "canot create system partition or find existing one" error message. I have tried to create a "New" one but nothing doing. I don't seem to have any HDD drivers to point to either.

    I have two 500GB Western Digital WD5000 drives but that's all I know.

    Can anyone help? Do I need fo reformat the C: drive?

    Many thanks.
    Are both hD's seen in the bios setup ?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,187
    Main - Windows 7 Pro SP1 64-Bit; 2nd - Windows Server 2008 R2
       #3

    See if TestDisk can find your old Windows partition. If it does, and the reinstall attempt hasn't overwritten anything, you might be home free.

    I'd also recommend running the hard drive test from WD:

    WD Support > Downloads > Select Product

    Edit: Doc beat me by a minute. Good advice! :)
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 13
    windows 7 home premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Yes, I can see both drives in the BIOS setup - what does that mean?
      My Computer

  5.    #5

    Look in BIOS setup to make sure your DVD drive is set to boot first, then Win7 HD. Unplug all other HD's.

    Boot the Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, at first screen press Shift F10 to open a Command Line, type:

    Diskpart
    List Disk
    Select Disk 0 (confirm this is Win7 HD #)
    List partiiton
    Select partition 1 (confirm this is Win7 partition #)
    Active
    exit

    Now boot back into Win7 DVD Repair console, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots no matter whether it finds an installation or not. Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

    If Win7 won't start, return to the Command Line to type:

    bootrec.exe /fixboot
    bootrec.exe /fixmbr

    Now boot back into Repair console to see if it finds an installation to repair, then run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots.

    If not, copy your files out using the DVD, then wipe the HD to try reinstall: Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console
    SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

    If you have a Recovery Partition you can also try running it by tapping the key given on first boot screen to Run Factory Recovery.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 13
    windows 7 home premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Gregrocker:

    When you say:

    Diskpart
    List Disk
    Select Disk 0 (confirm this is Windows 7 HD #)
    List partiiton
    Select partition 1 (confirm this is Windows 7 partition #)
    Active
    exit

    How do I know what HD number my Windows 7 HD is, and is the partition always #1?

    Many thanks.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 13
    windows 7 home premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    UPDATE:

    When I run Diskpart I can select the disk ok, but when I do List Partition and then try to Select Partition 1, it says "There is no partition selected".

    Any ideas?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 13
    windows 7 home premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Another update.

    Ran Startup repair again. As yesterday, took 2 hours with no reboots occurring. At the end it said "Partition table is corrupt on disk \Device\Harddisk 0. Repair action: partition table repair. Error Code = 0x490.

    What to do next please?

    Many thanks.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 13
    windows 7 home premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Another update.

    I tried the bootrec.exe and only the fixmbr worked, the other saying "element not found".

    I also ran Testdisk and it found NO PARTITIONS at all, even after a "deeper search".

    Does this mean HD failure or just severe corruption?

    Please help someone, I have no idea what to try next.

    Many thanks
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 592
    WIN7 Ultimate 64bit
       #10

    Like you were told several posts ago

    - Go to WD site & download the diagnostics/format program/s to read the 'Smart' off your hard drive!
      My Computer


 
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