Problems dual booting with ubuntu - now Win7 wont start

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  1. Posts : 8
    7 home x64
       #1

    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 win7 laptop.

    I assumed I required several partitions to run ubuntu alongside win7 - 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 Win7 sys partition by another 5 gb - and then try and reboot into win7...

    And now nothing. I load the Win7 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 win7 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. Win7 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
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #2

    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
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 8
    7 home x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    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...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #4

    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
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #5

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


  6. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #6

    Thats it right there - thanks for your help theog.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 8
    7 home x64
    Thread Starter
       #7

    thanks for your assistance.
    right, I've tried loading up the win7 recovery environment - but (as per the attachment)

    I can't move to the c: where win7 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
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Problems dual booting with ubuntu - now Win7 wont start-img00021-20120123-1357.jpg  
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #8

    Why you in DISKPART?

    Problems dual booting with ubuntu - now Win7 wont start-startup-repair-6.png
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 26,863
    Windows 11 Pro
       #9

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

  10.    #10

    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.
      My Computer


 
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