Windows 7: Problems dual booting with ubuntu - now Win7 wont start

Hi, I have a problem which I'm lookin for some advice.
I've downloaded and loaded up ubuntu 11.10 on my Windows 7 laptop.

I assumed I required several partitions to run ubuntu alongside Windows 7 - but having freed up some space (100gb) in gparted – which then stayed “unusable” - I then (initially) rebooted back into Win 7 fine (after a 5min chkdsk at startup) - saw my free space, and formatted it as fat32 (why I did that, I’m not entirely sure – but I supposed gparted could see/use it.

So far so good (or so I thought). Fired up ubuntu, set the install partition (mount "/" - ex4, etc) - but with no swap partition. So I repeat the process - resize the main Windows 7 sys partition by another 5 gb - and then try and reboot into Windows 7...

And now nothing. I load the Windows 7 recovery environment - and startup repair states chkdsk fails due to "system volume on disk is corrupt". load up diskpart - select the dist - but now shows the main hdd has no volumes - and status is invalid. Also - there is an * denoting it's a dynamic disk. ???

If I reload ubuntu from a dvd- all ok, from gparted - I see in disks: the ntfs partitions with all the data -and the 100gb free for ubuntu (all of which are unaccessible in windows recovery env - or so it seems).

how can I repair the Windows 7 boot option? I'm not too fussed about the ubuntu (and wouldn't have ventured if I'd have known what lay in store) - however, it all seemed straightforward at the time, and I'm drawn by a quick boot time, etc, etc..

So - dual booting isnt' setup. Windows 7 won't load - and can't access any of the other partitions either.

I don't want to blat the thing - but any advice on getting back to where I was (before I started) would be gratefully recieved...

Thanks

Ouch! Yep, you have to be a bit careful dual-booting Windows and Linux, in that order, but it can be done quite easily - I have Windows 7 and Linux Mint 12 dual-booted, although I chose to go to separate disk for the Linux installation.

Do you have the Windows 7 installation DVD handy? I speak under correction, but I believe it is possible to fix the bootmgr from the Windows 7 DVD, but I've never done it myself....and certainly never after a borked Linux installation. I'll see if I can find someone that has, and point them this way.

Help has been requested - locate your Windows 7 installation DVD and sit tight.....

Regards,
Golden

thanksforthespeedyreply.
yes, I have loaded up the recovery dvd - and tried a bootrec.exe /fixmbr - but still no joy.
I don't quite know what I've bodged...

Hi,

A fellow memeber has pointed this out to me :

Bootrec.exe Tool - How to Use in Windows Recovery Environment

Can you please try this and report back?

Regards,
Golden

*** EDIT I just see you tried bootrec /fixmbr. Can you double check with the commands here:

Bootmgr is missing - Fix

To Remove Linux take look at this post:
Error 0xc0000225 on boot

Thats it right there - thanks for your help theog.

thanks for your assistance.
right, I've tried loading up the Windows 7 recovery environment - but (as per the attachment)

I can't move to the c: where Windows 7 is...
? I can see from ubuntu (from the live cd) on gparted - that the ntfs partition is still there - but how come windows can't see it?

forgive my limited knowledge - but any further advice would be great.

thanks

Why you in DISKPART?

See if this tutorial on how to restore MBR after dual booting with Linux. See if this helps.

Make sure the Windows 7 partition or it's 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred if you have it) are marked Active: Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two)

Then boot into System Recovery Options to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times.

The reason it's best to use automated Startup Repair is because there are other tests and fixes it may also need to run, like System Restore or SFC.

If there is suspicion of infection it's best to first run Malwarebytes in Safe Mode or boot into Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper.

In the case of Linux Dual Boot GRUB is itself an infection which can render Windows 7 irreparable.