System disk disappeared after Macrium install and usb boot stick creat

[rebadurchee]

Trying to be mindful of backups I installed Macrium Free and created a USB boot drive. However, it took about six tries to get that made. When I went to reboot, the message was: insert the proper media and reboot. It took about a dozen times for the USB drive to be accepted as the boot drive.

My system drive no longer appears in the list of drives. I thought it might be a MBR thing, but there is no disk to select to rewrite the MBR. I tried 'fixmbr /scanos' but that detected no Windows installation on any of the disks, which is true, because the system disk has gone into a parallel universe.

Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit. I am not entire dumb, but this is way over my head. How do I get my system disk back? I have the Windows 7 repair disk, the Macrium PE USB boot drive to work with so far.

Would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[gregrocker]

Boot into BIOS setup to see if HD is any longer detected. If not reinstall it, change the cables, or replace it.

If so boot the WIn7 repair CD, accept any offered repair. If none then run Startup Repair repeatedly with reboots no matter what it reports or finds - even if no installation is found to repair.

If this fails every other possible thing to be done is in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

 

[rebadurchee]

Thanks, Greg, I appreciate the reply. No joy with Repair. On to the Troubleshooting. I'll report later.

 

[miching99]

software not good enuff to put back ur windows into normal state

 

[Kaktussoft]

Trying to be mindful of backups I installed Macrium Free and created a USB boot drive. However, it took about six tries to get that made. When I went to reboot, the message was: insert the proper media and reboot. It took about a dozen times for the USB drive to be accepted as the boot drive.

My system drive no longer appears in the list of drives. I thought it might be a MBR thing, but there is no disk to select to rewrite the MBR. I tried 'fixmbr /scanos' but that detected no Windows installation on any of the disks, which is true, because the system disk has gone into a parallel universe.

Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit. I am not entire dumb, but this is way over my head. How do I get my system disk back? I have the Windows 7 repair disk, the Macrium PE USB boot drive to work with so far.

Would appreciate any suggestions.

Doesn't macrium see the harddisk at all? Why did it take a dozen times to make macrium usb bootable. Only thing you have to do are:

• extract the winpe ISO to an empty partition on usb stick
• that partition must be marked ACTIVE (so bootable). Only PRIMARY partitions can be made ACTIVE
• put correct bootsector on that partition. But that's done automatically if formatted in win7

Of course boot from usb using BIOS. What problems did you have to make it bootable? How did you fix it?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online laste download so "Free Download Bootable CD Now!"
Burn it to cd/dvd and boot from it. Does it see the internal disk?

 

[rebadurchee]

Thank you all for replying. Much appreciated.

The problems with making the usb stick were mainly interrupted downloads. Then I obviously did something wrong because the computer froze. I finally got a bootable usb stick with Macrium on it. That boot does not see the disk. Neither does the Win7 x64 repair disk, nor does a very old version, 4.1.1, of UBCD, and neither does BIOS setup.

I've run Windows repair off the rescue CD probably 8 or nine times with no joy. I've swapped out the SATA cable, I've changed SATA ports with both old and new cables, I've felt the disk and can feel the drive spinning, so it is getting power.

It seems too much of a coincidence that my HD bricked just at the moment of Macrium usb stick creation. But, then again, life is full of incredible long-odds things.

Later today I will start on the bootrec route, whatever that involves. I will also have to go several miles to another rig to burn a PM DC since all I have here is this netbook. I'll give anything a try.

I am at wit's end.

 

[gregrocker]

Please reply back about whether your HD is detected in BIOS setup, under Storage devices or in boot order. Key to Press to Access BIOS for Various OEM and Computer Systems « My Digital Life

It should be listed as its serial number which can be googled to find the maker. THen run the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan to check its condition, followed by Disk Check from the DVD or REpair CD System Recovery Options Command Line.

If it checks out OK then work through the steps I gave you earlier which try everything possible for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

 

[Kaktussoft]

Thank you all for replying. Much appreciated.

The problems with making the usb stick were mainly interrupted downloads. Then I obviously did something wrong because the computer froze. I finally got a bootable usb stick with Macrium on it. That boot does not see the disk. Neither does the Win7 x64 repair disk, nor does a very old version, 4.1.1, of UBCD, and neither does BIOS setup.

I've run Windows repair off the rescue CD probably 8 or nine times with no joy. I've swapped out the SATA cable, I've changed SATA ports with both old and new cables, I've felt the disk and can feel the drive spinning, so it is getting power.

It seems too much of a coincidence that my HD bricked just at the moment of Macrium usb stick creation. But, then again, life is full of incredible long-odds things.

Later today I will start on the bootrec route, whatever that involves. I will also have to go several miles to another rig to burn a PM DC since all I have here is this netbook. I'll give anything a try.

I am at wit's end.

If BIOS can't see the disk.... UBCD, win7 install dvd, .... no software can see it!

 

[kronckew]

might be recognised by the bios, but it might need the correct drivers for the drives to recognise the ntfs disk format. a custom winpe build including any windows sata drivers may be needed. my last motherboard needed to have the sata drivers manually added to the winpe image in order to see the hard drive from the macrium rescue cd. you may need to contact macrium support. check the knowledge base. they also have a support forum that might help.

 

[rebadurchee]

Kaktussoft - Not currently detected by BIOS setup. I have a second HD, same model, that is detected, but it doesn't have the OS on it. It is a Samsung Spinpoint 4 HD103SJ. I went to the Samsung support page, but they've been bought out by Seagate and I haven't been able to drill down far enough on the Seagate site to find it, yet.

kronkew - I saw that the Macrium recovery program has that option of manually loading the drivers, but, as I said to Kakussoft, I'm having problems finding the drivers after Seagate bought out Samsung. This was my first use of Macrium and I was using the trial version so there is no support for me there. A quick trip through their forum didn't come up with an instant solution so I'll have to go back and drill down some more.

Again, thanks for support!

 

[jumanji]

.......... I will also have to go several miles to another rig to burn a PM DC since all I have here is this netbook........

Not to worry. You may create a bootable Partition Wizard pen drive on your netbook.

Have a look at my post here http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...ck-my-hard-drive-clean-hdat2.html#post2385581

You may download Rufus v1.3.2 (442KB) from Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way It is a .exe file. Just click on it to run after plugging in the pen drive . Check the correct drive is selected and proceed as per the screenshot in my post.

( If the problem HDD is in your Desktop in your System Specs, then you have two Samsung s F3 drives in it. Right? You have an Asus motherboard. Right? Check your motherboard manual on how to enter the BIOS. I also hope the HDDs are not in RAID configuration - in which case the Partition Wizard either run from the CD or pen drive will not detect it. If those are not in RAID, you must be able to see atleast the other working drive. I also hope that you have not accidentally interchanged the system drive and the second drive. )

 

[Kaktussoft]

Kaktussoft - Not currently detected by BIOS setup. I have a second HD, same model, that is detected, but it doesn't have the OS on it. It is a Samsung Spinpoint 4 HD103SJ. I went to the Samsung support page, but they've been bought out by Seagate and I haven't been able to drill down far enough on the Seagate site to find it, yet.

kronkew - I saw that the Macrium recovery program has that option of manually loading the drivers, but, as I said to Kakussoft, I'm having problems finding the drivers after Seagate bought out Samsung. This was my first use of Macrium and I was using the trial version so there is no support for me there. A quick trip through their forum didn't come up with an instant solution so I'll have to go back and drill down some more.

Again, thanks for support!

Bios is not seeing it, so no driver or any software can see it as well! You did connect second HD same model to same sata cable, same power cable, same connection on motherboard? So actually you swapped HD only?

 

[rebadurchee]

Kakussoft --

The drive is not recognized by BIOS setup
I swapped out SATA cables from the working hard drive to the non-responsive deive
I changed SATA calble to a brand new cable
I switched SATA ports with both swapped and new SATA cables
I switched power connector with the one that supplied power to the other hard drive
Then I just connected power to the 'bad' drive with the 'good' power cable and the 'good' SATA cabel. - no drive detected at all.

No go on anything. This is starting to sound like a brick.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Maybe the HDD (coincidentally) died whilst you were battling with your USB stick.

 

[whs]

might be recognised by the bios, but it might need the correct drivers for the drives to recognise the ntfs disk format. a custom winpe build including any windows sata drivers may be needed. my last motherboard needed to have the sata drivers manually added to the winpe image in order to see the hard drive from the macrium rescue cd. you may need to contact macrium support. check the knowledge base. they also have a support forum that might help.

If you do not have the Macrium Pro version, you do not get any support by Macrium nor can you access their support forum - unfortunately.

Btw: I doubt that this problem has anything directly to do with the recovery USB stick creation by Macrium. The OP apparently made a lot of trial and error during that process and anything could have happened.

I have created Macrium rescue media many times and never had a problem.

 

[rebadurchee]

Coincidences do happen and who knows what happens when some software thing crashes. Fortunately, I believe in backups. I guess the hd goes to see a hardware man.