ALL data on C Drive Deleted including Windows Install-Failed To Boot

NateThug · 21 Apr 2015

I was installing Ubuntu on a separate partition and in the ubuntu install I was partitioning the C Drive and then it said loading for 45 mins so I shut down my pc with the power button and it boot from the ubuntu cd and then in the partition menu it said that the c drive was free space. I hit quit, removed the install dvd and then it says windows failed to boot. What do you want to boot to? Windows 7 or Ubuntu but they both dont work. Ubuntu wasn't even installed.

Ztruker · 21 Apr 2015

Try running Startup Repair up to 3 times, see if it fixes it.

How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7

gregrocker · 21 Apr 2015

How were you partitioning the C drive during Ubuntu install? You should have shrunk it in Disk Mgmt, then created from the shrink space your Ubuntu partition during its install. It sounds like you lost your Win7 partition.

You can browse in with the Win7 installation media or System Repair Disk to see if you can see your files or anything else, using Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console.

If C appears to be intact then using the same disk's System Recovery Options Command Line confirm that 100mb System Reserved (if you have it) or C (if you don't) is Partition Marked Active then run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times.

NateThug · 22 Apr 2015

I was shrinking the partition to make space for the ubuntu install. I opened My Computer in the load drivers menu and I have 3 options:
Boot (X:) 21.0 MB out of 31.4
System Reserved (C:) 239 MB out of 349 MB
Local Disk (

) (My CD/DVD Drive)
I ran startup repair 3 times and the first 2 times it said it could not repair my computer but the third time it saidrestart your pc and see ifit fixed it but it did not.

AddRAM · 22 Apr 2015

Startup repair does not always work to fix windows

gregrocker · 22 Apr 2015

Which was the partition marked Active? Did you skip that crucial step?

Other last resort steps in Troubleshoot Failure link under my pic below.

NateThug · 23 Apr 2015

gregrocker said:

Which was the partition marked Active? Did you skip that crucial step?

Other last resort steps in Troubleshoot Failure link under my pic below.

The troubleshoot failure link is not there. Also what do you mean by which was the partition marked active? Did you skip that crucial step? Thanks! Also is there any way to get some of my data back? Maybe installing a second os on a USB and run a file recovery program on the c drive from that OS?

gregrocker · 23 Apr 2015

All of that is contained in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start which was clearly visible under the picture if you'd looked. You need to be thorough, read and observe closely to resolve these problems.

NateThug · 24 Apr 2015

I thought you meant under your profile pic not your sig. Windows used to find the win y
7 partition and say it was 0 mb but i ran all the steps in the link and now it can't find it. I only need one answer now lol. Is there any way I can get my files back. I dont care about installing another os, hacking it (lol) i jut want to know if and how i can get my files back. Thanks

gregrocker · 24 Apr 2015

Rescuiing your files is discussed in the introduction and Step 11 in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start. Unless the partition has been deleted the files should be there to copy out as shown. If you cannot browse to them and copy them out then you'll need to try data recovery. But this is usually only necessary if deleted and in the vast majority of cases they are sitting there waiting.

I assume you didn't try everything in the tutorial to try to start Win7 since you didn't read the introduction which tells how to rescue your files. So you really haven't started to try to fix the OS until you work through those steps.