Accidentally deleted system partition.

[ChrisWinks]

Hey guys.
I made a bit of a mistake. I was deleting my XP partition on my HDD (Via the windows 7 setup) and accidentally deleted a system partition. This in turn, as you can imagine, left my computer unable to process that my windows 7 partition was a bootable partition. I installed a fresh copy of W7 on another partition, and all my data from the previous W7 installation is still there. Now my question is this (and I think I know the horrible answer, but no harm in asking); is there any way to restore the original partition to a bootable state? I tried using the W7 DVD to perform a repair, but that doesn't work since it doesn't recognise the partition as a bootable partition, only a data partition.

 

[zigzag3143]

Hey guys.
I made a bit of a mistake. I was deleting my XP partition on my HDD (Via the windows 7 setup) and accidentally deleted a system partition. This in turn, as you can imagine, left my computer unable to process that my windows 7 partition was a bootable partition. I installed a fresh copy of W7 on another partition, and all my data from the previous W7 installation is still there. Now my question is this (and I think I know the horrible answer, but no harm in asking); is there any way to restore the original partition to a bootable state? I tried using the W7 DVD to perform a repair, but that doesn't work since it doesn't recognise the partition as a bootable partition, only a data partition.

Do you want to restore the old partition or import the data and settings to the new one so you dont have to re-install?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, you should ask here beforehand as we helped with this exact operation hundreds of times.

Please post back a screenshot of your maximized full Disk Management drive map with listings, using the SNipping Tool in Start Menu. Attach file using Paper Clip in Reply Box.

Tell us which partition is which, and if you want to recover the old XP and/or new Win7 disk space as well as System boot files into your old Win7.

 

[ChrisWinks]

@zigzag3143: I would like to restore the old W7 partition to a functional state.

@gregrocker: How can I view my drive map?

 

[gregrocker]

Type Disk Management in Start Search box above start button.

Maximize window, open SNipping Tool in Start Menu, draw a rectangular box around the full drive map with listings above it. Save file, attach with paper clip in reply box.

 

[ChrisWinks]

Now how did I miss that... silly me. Here we go. Thanks for the help by the way guys.

Edit: Oh right, and "C" is the new W7 installation, "D" is the old installation that I wish to restore, "E" is just a data drive.

 

[gregrocker]

The problem is that your old WIn7 is on a Logical Extended partition which cannot host System boot files.

But we can probably start it up anyway without having to convert the Logical to Primary which would require moving the data off of E to delete it. Instead we can use the 101mb partition to recreate the Win7 boot partition.

Backup all of your data first externally. Partition Wizard bootable CD has never failed in hundreds of these repartitioning operations but your data should be backed up anyway.

Download and burn to CD free Partition Wizard, boot PW CD, select 1 for screen resolution, rightclick on 100mb space to Create New NTFS Primary partition, assign no letter, label System Reserved, click OK. Now rightclick again on new Partition, select Modify>Set to Active. Click Apply.

Next rightclick new WIn7 partition to Delete, click OK.

Now rightclick on old Win7 partition (which will assume C afterward), select Resize, drag left grey border to the left to take up old XP space, click OK. Apply all steps.

Confirm you have 100mb Primary Active partition, reboot into Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts up.

A benefit of the 100mb System Reserved partition is that it places the Repair console from the DVD on the F8 Advanced Boot Options so make sure it is there now.

The alternative method would be to move the data off your Logical data partition, delete it, Modify old Win7>convert to Primary, mark Active and run Startup Repair 3 times until it starts with the System boot files on itself. You can then (or before) delete and resize into the old XP and 101mb space.

 

[ChrisWinks]

Yup, that worked a treat.
Cheers for the help

 

[gregrocker]

Good work.