Solved BootMgr Missing after Easus Repart of C - No Repair Tool is Working

[Kaktussoft]

Please explain how you made the backup (the thing you used to restore).
How many partitions are in the backup?
Is it possible to restore only one partition (if you want that)?

 

[remm]

Please explain how you made the backup (the thing you used to restore).

Used Paragon Backup & Recovery 11 Free, which was the current version at the time (Dec 2012). Said it supported GPT but obviously not. A newer Paragon version came out in March of this year that specifically says it supports UEFI/GPT and 'boot problems related to restoring W7 to UEFI/GPT systems'. I tried a boot disc iso of the newer version hoping it would restore the archive successfully. It did not, though it got closer. Now at boot, it boots into Windows Recovery and tries to repair.... fails after several minutes, then throws me into the HP Recovery routine that asks if I want to return the machine to factory. (So at least those two partitions are working again!)

How many partitions are in the backup?

Seven. (4-user created.) UEFI/GPT/GUID disks require extra partitions as explained here for those new to GPT like me, and these are the ones that were not restored correctly (looking at diskpart "list vol").

Required by GPT/GUID in this order:

Windows RE Tools Partition (min 300MB) -- don't see it but WinRE is coming up!?
SYSTEM (FAT32) -- aka the EFI partition -- restored
Microsoft Reserved Partition (MSR) 128MB -- in BU archive, not restored
Operating System partition -- restored
Recovery Image Partition (HP_Recovery) -- restored (recovery, optional)

Starting at the top, the 300MB WinRE partition is not required but recommended and is supposed to be dead first: "this partition must use the Type ID: DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC"... I don't see that in the archive or in diskpart so it is possible Paragon never backed it up to begin with. But then how is WinRE coming up when I boot? A script running in RAM?

As to the missing MSR partition (for "drive management"), it needs to be created after the SYSTEM and before the OS partitions. If I boot to the Paragon disc and select the MSR partition from the archive to restore, it asks which partition on the hard disk I want to restore it to. I wish I could tell it "between those two, thanks!" Seems the only way to restore these is to wipe the drive then restore them one at a time in the order they need to be in... OR (just read)... running a script from diskpart as explained here!

Is it possible to restore only one partition (if you want that)?

Yes.

I do feel I'm getting closer to a solution... slowly. I hope. Don't want to rebuild the OS again.

 

[Kaktussoft]

In the first post you said:
C (OS-W764) 100GB
D (Hidden HP Recovery Part 2GB)
E (DVD ROM)
F Pictures 200GB
G Another... 200GB
H Misc.... 500GB

Where are F,G,H??? Not on GPT disk (and backup)?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Windows RE Tools Partition (min 300MB) -- don't see it but WinRE is coming up!?=>not really needed. Can be recreated later
SYSTEM (FAT32) -- aka the EFI partition -- restored=>not really needed
Microsoft Reserved Partition (MSR) 128MB -- in BU archive, not restored=>not really needed if disk is NOT gpt
Operating System partition -- restored
Recovery Image Partition (HP_Recovery) -- restored (recovery, optional)=>not really needed now. It's just for go back to factory install

 

[Kaktussoft]

Detach external disk with backup.
Do Command Prompt at Startup

diskpart
list disk
exit

Only 1 disk listed? if so:

diskpart
select disk 0
detail disk

Now you know the drive letters of the volumes on that disk, for example C,D

diskpart
select volume c
delete volume
select volume d
delete volume
select disk 0
convert mbr
exit

Post results

 

[Kaktussoft]

If #45 finished without problems the internal disk is MBR type now. Restore "C (OS-W764) 100GB" partition only (make it PRIMARY). If succesful, mark it ACTIVE

diskpart
list vol [COLOR=red](I assume the 100GB volume is called C in this example)[/COLOR]
select volume C
active
exit

Check that volume for errors:

chkdsk/f  C:

No errors?

Now do a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html . Do it 3 times with reboots from repair DVD in between.

 

[remm]

In the first post you said:
C (OS-W764) 100GB
D (Hidden HP Recovery Part 2GB)
E (DVD ROM)
F Pictures 200GB
G Another... 200GB
H Misc.... 500GB

Where are F,G,H??? Not on GPT disk (and backup)?

Sorry for the confusion. In the previous post I was just listing what partitions EFI/GPT required. Yes, FGH are all on the same GPT disk and were all restored.

Thanks so much for continuing to help... it is 2:30am here so I will follow your instructions tomorrow and report back.

 

[Kaktussoft]

F Pictures 200GB
G Another... 200GB
H Misc.... 500GB

These are all just data stuff? No installed programs on F,G,H (installers are fine though)? So they are not important at all in boot process?

Anyway restore only "C (OS-W764) 100GB" first to the mbr disk (so after conversion to mbr)

 

[remm]

Detach external disk with backup.
Do Command Prompt at Startup

diskpart
list disk
exit

Only 1 disk listed? if so:

diskpart
select disk 0
detail disk

Now you know the drive letters of the volumes on that disk, for example C,D

diskpart
select volume c
delete volume
select volume d
delete volume
select disk 0
convert mbr
exit

Post results

OK, Couldn't stand it... Everything went smoothly until convert mbr:

"Virtual Disk Service error:
The specified disk is not convertible. CDROMs and DVDs are examples of disks that are not convertible."

Meanwhile disk 0 is the 1TB internal HD...

EDIT: Googled the error and ran the diskpart/clean command... then converted successfully... am in the process now of finishing the rest of the steps... YAY!!!!

 

[remm]

F Pictures 200GB
G Another... 200GB
H Misc.... 500GB

These are all just data stuff? No installed programs on F,G,H (installers are fine though)? So they are not import at all in boot process?

Anyway restore only "C (OS-W764) 100GB" first to the mbr disk (so after conversion to mbr)

Correct.... FGH just hold data, no programs. Not important to restore now.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Were you able to make it a PRIMARY partition during the restore process? I mean is there some option the restore it as PRIMARY or LOGICAL partition? Also on option to make it ACTIVE?

diskpart
select disk 0
list part
exit

only 1 partition? No logical partitions? If so:

diskpart
select disk 0
select part <number>
detail part
exit

Is it ACTIVE?

 

[remm]

WILL YOU MARRY ME?? IT WORKED!!!

I cannot tell you how grateful I am that it not only boots, but that it isn't UEFI/GPT anymore!!!

There is only one little thing to fix up.... when I did the Startup Repair routine, in that window where it shows the installed operating systems, it had the correct Win 7, then it had a second W7 with 0MB in an "unknown location". And while I ran the Startup Repair 3x it found no problems, but it listed this second phantom OS every time.

So I went back into diskpart and for list volume it shows:

Volume 0 D GSP1RMxxx UDF DVD-ROM 3167MB Healthy
Volume 1 C OS NTFS Partition 98GB Healthy
Volume 2 E .............Removable 0 B No Media

I selected E then tried to delete but got Virtual Disk Service error: The object cannot be found"...

The only reason I care is, when I booted into windows a boot menu came up with two W7s listed and I had to pick one... so want to eliminate that.

BUT I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!

 

[Kaktussoft]

In http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

bcdedit/enum all>c:\bcdout.txt

Post c:\bcdout.txt
Afterwards you may delete c:\bcdout.txt

 

[remm]

Were you able to make it a PRIMARY partition during the restore process? I mean is there some option the restore it as PRIMARY or LOGICAL partition? Also on option to make it ACTIVE?

I looked for that but no, there wasn't, but I figured since it was the C drive it should already be primary. I followed your initial instructions then, to use diskpart to make it active.

 

[remm]

In http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

bcdedit/enum all>c:\bcdout.txt

Post c:\bcdout.txt
Afterwards you may delete c:\bcdout.txt

Sadly she has a login password I can't get from her until the sun comes up here... but I can't wait to see what this shows.

PS the local time showing on my name at left is wrong... I guess I didn't change it in my profile... this is L.A. and it's 4:50am.

 

[Kaktussoft]

C (OS-W764) 100GB
D (Hidden HP Recovery Part 2GB)
E (DVD ROM)
F Pictures 200GB
G Another... 200GB
H Misc.... 500GB

Was the original drive lettering.
So rename the stupid thing called E now to Z for example. After that rename D to E. After restoring F,G,H as well... give them correct drive letters as it was before!

 

[Kaktussoft]

In http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

bcdedit/enum all>c:\bcdout.txt

Post c:\bcdout.txt
Afterwards you may delete c:\bcdout.txt

Sadly she has a login password I can't get from her until the sun comes up here... but I can't wait to see what this shows.

PS the local time showing on my name at left is wrong... I guess I didn't change it in my profile... this is L.A. and it's 4:50am.

From command prompt at boot:

bcdedit/store  c:\boot\bcd  /enum all>F:\bcdout.txt

If F: is drive letter of external backup drive. Put external drive to another machine and post file. Afterwards delet file

 

[remm]

C (OS-W764) 100GB
D (Hidden HP Recovery Part 2GB)
E (DVD ROM)
F Pictures 200GB
G Another... 200GB
H Misc.... 500GB

Was the original drive lettering.
So rename the stupid thing called E now to Z for example. After that rename D to E. After restoring F,G,H as well... give them correct drive letters as it was before!

Right.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Please do #57 and post file

 

[remm]

Please do #57 and post file

I've been trying. I realized I could login with another user she has setup who does not have a passowrd, then tried to change the account to Admin, but wouldn't let me... then tried to get elevated command prompt, but wouldn't work... (run as admin did not land in system32 path) ...even changing path to %HOMEDRIVE..." etc in "start in" properties didn't work...

And I can't remember how to get to a command prompt at boot...

EDIT: Oh jeeze... from the CD.... ok... working on it

It's 5:30am I've been up all night... sorry...