Reinstalled Windows 7 Multi-Partition Drive (Basic Disk now Dynamic)

From earlier in the thread. You should read it. Show me where he says he doesn't have an OS on the HD. It looks alike any other Win7 HD that's been converted to Dynamic.

The solution is to boot PW 4.2 to delete the extra partition which tipped it to Dynamic and then convert the Disk back to Basic.

OP didn't delete the partition first so got PW error when trying to Convert, plugged in another Win7 HD to install Easeus which Home Edition also will convert to Basic. This has caused great confusion.

I was waiting to see if he wants to start up the disk he converted back to Basic.

The pic does not show that there is no longer an OS on Disk1. It shows that the former C is now Logical after conversion. That does not mean it cannot still have Win7 on it, or that it cannot boot. It needs the System flag returned to SysReserved to boot however - it may merely not be showing, or it may require Startup Repair with Disk0 unplugged and marked Active. I gave him these steps earlier in Post 14 and was waiting to see if he'd gotten around to them.

We get 3-4 of these per week, every week for nearly 4 years. So it is not unfamilar territory and always is recoverable if the OP will work with us.

Ok guys I just saw what gregrocker mentioned.

Disk1 still has Windows7 on WD1TB_C, but apprently after running EaseUS, it has become a logical drive and lost the (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition) flag? Is that correct gregrocker?

Rather then continue to recover, since I have the drive backed up, I would like your advice on how to partition Disk1 going forward.

Disk0 is just an additional drive I keep around when installing a new OS so lets remove that from the equation.

I have another hard drive that once I solve the windows 7 install issue I will be reconnecting. This drive has Windows XP x64, its my backup drive. In the case of something failing with Disk1, I boot into this via the bios and still be able to do work.

Now back to Disk1.
I would like to have 4 partitions,
1. OS
2. Programs
3. Docs
4. Docs

Which now leads me to this question. If I setup 4 partitions as stated above, does the "System Reserved" which windows 7 creates, count against the 4 limit?

No, what was lost somehow was the System flag on Disk1's System Reserved drive which tells us it was booting C. The other flags you mention are not there now because it is not booted, in fact another Drives' OS is booted from its System Reserved partition.

Did you read the steps I gave you to start it up again: in Disk mgmt mark System Reserved on Disk1 Active, unplug Disk0 then run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times This is likely all you need to start it now since Win7 can be on a Logical partiiton as long as the System Reserved boot partition is Primary.

You have no worries about partition limitations if you're using Logical partitions, which can have as many adjacent Logical partitions as you want.

AddRam, yes Disk1 and all the partitions have data on them I would like to keep. But I do have them backed up externally so I could blank the whole drive and start fresh.

greg, I am in disk management and when I right clock on Disk1 "System Reserved" the "Mark Partition as Active" is greyed out.

Question: Does the "System Reserved" which windows 7 creates, count against the 4 limit?

Yes, System Reserved must be Primary so it counts as one of the maximum four Primary you may have, before one must be converted to Logical so you can add as many Logical as you want.

Unplug Disk0 and attempt to boot Disk1 now. Make sure it's set first HD to boot in BIOS setup, after DVD drive.

If it won't boot, boot into WIn7 DVD, on second screen select Repair My Computer. Does it find a WIn7 installation to Repair? If not click through to System Recovery Options to open a Command Line, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SEL DIS # (Win7 HD # from list)
LIST PARTITION
SEL Part # (System Reserved partition # from list - should be first)
ACTIVE
EXIT

Now close Command Box and from Recovery Options run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts.

AddRam,

Just want to review so I understand what you are saying. Install Partition Wizard on Disk0, Delete Disk1 to unallocated space. Then make 4 new Primary Partitions (C D E F) and make (C:OS7) 150 GB and mark it ACTIVE using partition wizard.

^ The above should all be done from within my current windows setup.

Now you mentioned unplugging (Disk0) and then installing windows to the first 150GB partition. I am assuming I would shut down windows and then unplug and the boot from the Windows 7 boot DVD.

I have been reading about the "System Reserved", with the setup above I would lose that. Can you tell me what the pro's and con's are if I go this route? Not sure how recovery would work.

After I finish setting up the drive (Install Windows 7 and updates and drivers), I plan on running Acronis Media Rescue Disk 2011, and making a full copy of Disk1 C Drive.