Windows 7 x64 will not start on dual boot PC


  1. Posts : 5
    Win 7 x64 ultimate
       #1

    Windows 7 x64 will not start on dual boot PC


    Here we go:
    PC is a dual boot WinXP32/Win7x64. Son in law made the mistake of trying to repartition the hard drive to move some free space on the XP partition to the Win7 partition. The end result is that the XP boots up and runs fine, but Win7 will not boot up. When you look at the partitions in XP under Computer>Manage>Disk management, the XP partition shows up as a SYSTEM partition, but the Wind7 partition shows up as "page file". Here's what has been tried to date (without sucess):

    1) Boot up in safe mode: stops during loading drivers, auto reboots
    2) " " last know good configuration, auto reboots
    3) Install DVD > System restore to previous point: no previous point found to restore
    4) Install DVD > System Repair: unable to automatically fix "unspecified changes to system configuration might have caused the problem, error code 0x57, repair action system files integrety check and repair.
    5) Install DVD > command mode: sfc /scannow or sfc /verfiyonly - there is a system repair pending which requires reboot to complete.
    6) Install DVD > command mode: sfc /offboot=c:\ /offwindir=e:\windows - windows resource protection could not start the repair service
    7) Search for and delete pending.xml - no file found to delete (to resolve item 5)
    8) Install DVD > command mode: bootrec /fixmbr, /fixboot, /scanos, /rebuildbcd executes, no improvement
    9) Running chkdsk /f on the Win7 partition from the XP partition did not report any problems, no improvement

    Now this is not the end of the world, as the drive was backed up via Novabackup earlier this month, and worst case, all files currently on the Win7 partition were backup to a separate USB drive in case a clean install is required. However, before we imbark on either restoring the disk image, or a clean install, was wondering if there were any other tricks or tests to run to try to get it back up and running, and save some time.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 145
    Windows 7 Enterprise x64 SP1 Version 6.1 Build 7601
       #2

    Welcome lewist57!

    Are both paritions active?
    do you get boot manager when starting computer?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 5
    Win 7 x64 ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Yup, get the basic DOS screen to choose either Windows 7 or and earlier version (XP). As far as the Win7 partition being active, I did go to DISKPART and drill down to the partition and tried to execute the command ACTIVE, but it did not work, and I do not recall the response I got back when I executed the command. I believe that only the XP partition is "active", and only one partition on one physical disk can be active, but I might be wrong about that.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5
    Win 7 x64 ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Problem solved: restored entire disk from image (via NovaBackup). Basically, Aoemi Partition Home scrambled the Win7 partition and left it as a non-system partition, even though all the files are still there. Lession learned, don't mess around with partitions on a dual boot machine.
      My Computer


 

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