Extended dual boot time following single BSOD

essenbe · 20 Oct 2014

Gav, have you tried this? Bootmgr is missing - Fix

Boozad · 20 Oct 2014

No unfortunately. I've performed a clean install now and am just trying to restore a Macrium image to see if that takes. If not it's a completely fresh start as I've formatted the SSD now. Maybe that's a good thing.

I'll update shortly.

Boozad · 20 Oct 2014

I've successfully restored a Macrium image over the clean Windows install and now have C: as Active boot and have deleted my W8.1 partition, I just need to get that rogue 3GB partition merged into the rest of the drive. Luckily I haven't really lost much (four months worth of emails and some less important stuff) so I got off lucky there. That'll teach me to image more often.

Extended dual boot time following single BSOD-capture.jpg

gregrocker · 20 Oct 2014

Unfortunately because the other drives were still plugged in it derailed your System (boot) partition to Games on D. This is not desirable since Disk0 cannot now boot without Disk1.

To repair it I would follow Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD to move the System flag to C. Change the disk set to boot first to Disk0. Then mark D Inactive: Partition - Mark as Inactive

To recover the 3gb from M into C, first Delete M and then use Partition Wizard to Resize C Partition to the left. The Partition Wizard boot disk is safest but since it's a new install I'd get it over with now so if it gets messed up not much is lost.

I'm sorry you had to reinstall. Had I been awake I would have had you move the boot files into C manually to try the repairs again.

Boozad · 20 Oct 2014

Not a problem Greg. I've moved the system flag to C: and marked D: as inactive but now have no boot at all, just a black screen with a flashing cursor to the top left. I could have sworn I'd unplugged all drives before the fresh install, I must have missed that one obviously.

Now to fix thus issue.

gregrocker · 20 Oct 2014

Are you sure that the System flag was moved to C as it should have started if you changed the BIOS boot order to boot from Disk0? Since Disk1 was (incorrectly) booting the System it would have been the one set first to boot with D as System partition or it wouldn't have booted.

Set Disk0 to boot first in BIOS setup. This may involve changing it to be primary HD, or just changing its Boot Priority order.

Once you're sure Disk0 is set first to boot, then if it doesn't start run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

If forced to reinstall again this time unplug all other drives, delete M and C during install using the Drive Options.

Boozad · 20 Oct 2014

Strangely my Disk 0 isn't even showing in my BIOS anymore, I can pick it using Fast Boot but it doesn't appear in my list of bootable disks to set as default. I'll keep messing about with that to see if I can solve it, it's obviously booting as it just did after sorting out the issues with drive D:

gregrocker · 20 Oct 2014

The flags are set correctly now.

If BIOS settings won't cooperate you can unplug the other drives to see if it forces default to DISK0, then hopefully it will hold when you plug the others back in. Steve may have better ideas.

All you need to do to resize C is boot or run Partition Wizard, rightclick on C to Resize, drag left border all the way to the left, click OK, then Apply. It will never fail if you use the boot disk.

Boozad · 20 Oct 2014

Thanks Greg. I'll sort that out later, I'm just trying to get my head around why my SSD isn't being listed as a bootable device yet my system is booting. I'll update as I go along, every day's a school day.

Boozad · 20 Oct 2014

OK, after a lot of messing around I've finally managed to get the SSD set as priority in the boot order so that's another issues out of the way. Now just extend C: to take up that last 3GB of space and I'm all done.

EDIT: And job done.