Stubborn laptop - boot issues

I don't know if bcdboot.exe is on the install disk or not. I always use PE.

When I set up a drive for installation or imaging, I set the first partition (2 gigs in my case) as active and format both it and the second partition, which is most of what's left of the drive.

If I"m installing, it all just plain works.

If I'm applying an image, I always have to run "bcdboot d:\windows" to make it boot. (C is assigned to the first partition and D to the second)

It's worth a try.

Good luck.

Thanks to seavixen32's suggestions, I am now booting the laptop and running updates! I've never had to manually set a partition active in my thousands of systems I've had to fix....but I am not about to argue with results.

Once I used Partition Wizard's boot disc to mark the system volume as active, I rebooted. Still no go, so I reran the system repair from the Windows 7 DVD, and it quickly told me it found errors and would fix them. That was a first for this system...and it ended up being true. Upon reboot...no BSoD.

Thank you thank you! Thanks to all those who made suggestions as well.

You're very welcome and delighted to hear your problem has been solved.