"Bootmgr is missing" before I can install W7

[cooltouch]

I've decided to install Windows 7 on a machine without any other OS resident. The drive has been formatted to NTFS. When I insert the Win7 DVD, I get the "BOOTMGR is missing" message.

I did a bit of googling, and found out that this is actually a common problem with a fairly simple solution IF the OS is already installed. I found directions on how to make a system startup repair disk, but this requires the use of the OS in order to make the disk.

I'm wondering if there's a way to create this disk outside of the OS. From what I understand, this message is found with Vista as well. I do have a Vista machine, so I'm wondering if it would be possible to make the disk with the Vista machine and have it work with the Windows 7 one.

And I'm also wondering if, since Win7 is not yet installed on this machine, this repair disk will even do what I need, namely (I suppose) install bootmgr.

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

[zigzag3143]

bootmgr is missing

I've decided to install Windows 7 on a machine without any other OS resident. The drive has been formatted to NTFS. When I insert the Win7 DVD, I get the "BOOTMGR is missing" message.

I did a bit of googling, and found out that this is actually a common problem with a fairly simple solution IF the OS is already installed. I found directions on how to make a system startup repair disk, but this requires the use of the OS in order to make the disk.

I'm wondering if there's a way to create this disk outside of the OS. From what I understand, this message is found with Vista as well. I do have a Vista machine, so I'm wondering if it would be possible to make the disk with the Vista machine and have it work with the Windows 7 one.

And I'm also wondering if, since Win7 is not yet installed on this machine, this repair disk will even do what I need, namely (I suppose) install bootmgr.

Any help would be most appreciated.

First welcome to sevenforums.
Im wondering where you got the win 7 image from? and what you used to format the HD?

Waiting on more info
Ken

 

[SIW2]

Hi,

See if this helps:

disable AHCI mode for your disk controller in the system BIOS. Typically the controller has to be changed from AHCI mode to "IDE" or "ATA" mode.

 

[cooltouch]

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I d/l'd the .iso file directly from Microsoft's website, and used the Linux utility GParted to partition and format the disk, and then checked the disk for formatting errors and set the "boot" flag also using GParted. I've used GParted to create and format ntfs partitions on my XP machine also, without issues.


Best,

Michael

 

[cooltouch]

Thanks for the response, SIW2. My mb's BIOS has no AHCI setting. IDE's all I got to choose from. The mb is an older MSI running a 1.2GHz Athlon. Good enough for this test drive was my reasoning.

Best,

Michael

 

[ikilledkenny]

You said that you had Win2000, so you might be able to do something with this:

How to Create an Emergency Repair Disk in Windows 2000

 

[SIW2]

You could try installing from a usb drive.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

 

[cooltouch]

You said that you had Win2000, so you might be able to do something with this:

How to Create an Emergency Repair Disk in Windows 2000

Actually, I have Win2000 on disk right now -- it used to be this machine's OS until I decided to try Win7.

 

[cooltouch]

You could try installing from a usb drive.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

Thanks, but this mb doesn't have the "boot from usb" capability. Heck, I just bought a new mb for another system a week ago (an ASUS) and it doesn't even support "boot from usb".

 

[cooltouch]

I've updated my profile to include my system specs, if this might help you answer my problems.

Best,

Michael

 

[sup3rsprt]

If you can, delete all partitions on the hard disk so that all space is unallocated. Later, you will be able to create any partition(s) using the Windows 7 DVD itself.

Are you sure you are booting from the DVD? Sometimes you need to go into the BIOS and make DVD the first boot device. Either that or press ESC or F10 key (it varies between systems) during the POST and you can choose the DVD.

If you have any IDE/PATA drives, make sure jumpers are set correctly.

Also, when you write an ISO to DVD, you need to burn it as an image so it will be bootable. If you wrote the .iso as a file to the disc it will not work (i.e. if you put the disc in another computer and you see an .iso file on it, it is in the wrong format).

 

[dmex]

I've decided to install Windows 7 on a machine without any other OS resident. The drive has been formatted to NTFS. When I insert the Win7 DVD, I get the "BOOTMGR is missing" message.

Hi CT,

Do you have two hard-drives connected (USB, flash, hard-disks) ?

If you see that message then it means your booting from the wrong device, just change the default boot device in your BIOS config

Steven

 

[sup3rsprt]

Yes that was my advice as well.

"BOOTMGR is missing" means that the active partition does not have the required files in order to boot the system. The master boot record (MBR) is pointing to boot code that doesn't exist.

It means you are not booting off of the DVD when you should be.

 

[Frostbite]

Yes that was my advice as well.

"BOOTMGR is missing" means that the active partition does not have the required files in order to boot the system. The master boot record (MBR) is pointing to boot code that doesn't exist.

It means you are not booting off of the DVD when you should be.

That's what I think is happening also.

 

[cooltouch]

Thanks for the info, guys. I originally had three hard drives in the machine, all formatted as single partitions, ntfs, with the "boot" flag set on drive 0 only. Then I disconnected the other two, just to uncomplicate things. Didn't make any difference -- still got the BOOTMGR is missing message.

OK, so now I did like sup3rsprt suggested, and deleted the NTFS partition on the single hard drive remaining. It's just unallocated space now. At least I got a different message this time:

"BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The system cannot boot."

I used the Active@ISO burner utility to burn the ISO to DVD but it looks like I might have burned a bad copy. So I'm gonna try burning another one, at a slow speed, and see if that might be the culprit.

I'll get back with you and let you know what I find out.

Best,
Michael

 

[sup3rsprt]

I use Imgburnhttp://www.imgburn.com/ (freeware) and enable the verify option.

Imgburn is an awesome program.

BTW thanks for the rep!

 

[cooltouch]

OK, I have more to report now. I began to suspect the quality of the burn done by Active@ISO, and tried another uitlity I have -- CDBurner XP, also freeware. This has worked well for me in the past, and I've come to rely on it.

So, anyway, I burned another copy in my XP machine. On impulse, I pushed the burner's door closed after it had opened following the burn, and Windows 7's install window popped up. I even went through the first few screens of the install process before canceling out. So now, I feel reasonably confident that I have a good burn.

So, I put it in the target machine, and I get an entirely new screen. Across the top it says "Windows Boot Manager" and then it says:

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change mght be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your windows installation disc and restart your computer.

2.Choose your language setting, and then click "next."

3. Click "Repair your computer."

And more stuff.


Well, I did this, and instead of getting this screen again, I got the "boot manager is corrupted" message, or words to that effect. So, I said, what the heck, and reformatted the partition to ntfs, and set it as bootable. After doing this, I got the old "BOOTMGR is missing" message.

Now, I was hoping that I could use the Win 7 disk on my other machine maybe to make a boot disk or something so I could play around with it on the target machine, but I didn't see any options in that regard.

Now that I know I have a good Win 7 disk, I think what I'm gonna try to do is reinstall Win2000 on the target machine and then install Win7 over it.

 

[ikilledkenny]

I use Imgburn (freeware) and enable the verify option.

Imgburn is an awesome program.

BTW thanks for the rep!

Yes it is! I have a CD with installers for "Essential" software and ImgBurn is on there!

 

[sup3rsprt]

cooltouch. When you install Windows onto a computer with an empty hard disk, you need to boot from the Windows DVD and start the install (not repair). You are giving us messages that only arise when your computer is trying to boot from the hard disk. If you boot from the hard disk, as you can tell it is too late and installing Windows is not possible.

I'm glad you guys like Imgburn as much as I do! cooltouch I also use CDBurnerXP for a while now and I like it too.

 

[ikilledkenny]

Idea! Since you have another computer, hook this hard drive up to it and install from there. Then take out that hard drive and hook it up to the other computer!