Clean install WIN7 to new SSD - corrupt Boot Config/partition lost

[PrasannaSK]

Hi

Firstly, thanks to all those tutorials and help provided in the forum by the forum members/experts - Kudos.

Laptop - Sony Vaio VPCEE23FX
OS - Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU - AMD Athlon II P320 Dual Core 2.1GHz
Memory - 8GB (2 x 4gb) DDR3/1066MHz
Graphics Card - ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4250 Graphics
Hard Drives - Capacity: 320GB - Speed: 5400rpm - Type: Serial ATA

Now to the problem: I installed a new SSD (Sandisk Ultra Plus - 256GB) in my old laptop. I did a clean install of Windows 7 with the guide from clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7

I had trouble with Windows updates (almost 150 updates) - failure to configure windows updates etc - after a few times of trying all the windows updates were installed. I installed the drives before the window updates and everything was fine and dandy for a few hours. The system was fast, the response time improved a lot and it was great.

Here is what i did:

1. Upgraded to SSD - replaced the HD with the SSD and did a clean install with Win 7 home preimum iso dvd.
2. During installation, I created System reserved space (which Win did automatically), 100GB Primary partition and the rest around 138GB - instead of creating extended, I created another primary partition by mistake. I did not think it was an issue and continued the installation. Win7 was installed to second primary partition of 138GB.
3. Installed all the drivers and updates from vaio website.
4. Installed Windows 7 updates - after some restarts, the failure to config windows updates disappeared and all updates were installed.

Today morning when I started the system - It never booted.

The windows logo would start and the before it finishes, a error will be flashed for a micro second and it will restart by itself. Then, Windows suggested - Startup Repair - which failed - startup repair error code 0x490. When I ran Bootrec /osscan - it detected zero OS installations. The Repair utility detected Win7 - but with 0MB partition.

So, I took out the SSD and connected with a SATA to USB enclosure to another laptop and checked with Manufactures Sandisk SSD utility - it showed 138GB partition as unallocated space. The Win7 that was installed in this partition is no longer there.


Since, this is a new SSD, I do not have any data in it - So, I can easily ERASE it with Sandisk utility and re install the OS. But, I would like to see if there is a way to recover from this scenario. Can someone please help? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ztruker]

This is the tutorial you should be using I believe: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[AddRAM]

Install windows again, this time put it on the 100 GB and format the 138 GB partition.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[PrasannaSK]

Thanks for taking time to reply. The link that you gave only says how to transfer - I am looking for a clean install.

And I followed almost all of the steps given in that link as a part of my installation - only difference - Windows Disk Management (during installation) created a 100MB partition (I believe this is for recovery?) and I created a 100GB and a 138GB partition - one for Win7 (as in C and another for other data storage.

Should SSD not be partitioned this way?

 

[AddRAM]

Windows creates the 100 MB System Reserved partition not disk management. ( Totally normal )

Read post #3

If you do not want a System Reserved partition then you would have to make a partition to install windows before you start, with a tool like a Partition Wizard boot cd or by using Diskpart, the tutorial is linked above.

http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

 

[PrasannaSK]

Install windows again, this time put it on the 100 GB and format the 138 GB partition.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

Sorry - did not see your post when I replied -

So - When installing a clean install - I had a total of 238GB unallocated space. After installation- it was 100MB (system reserved), 100GB and 138GB. As I said in my post, I created the 138GB partition as logical partition too by mistake. Should it be created as extended partition - or left unallocated until Windows is fully installed and then I can allocate it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[AddRAM]

I would leave it as unallocated then create a primary partition out of it for storage after you`re done the install.

 

[PrasannaSK]

I would leave it as unallocated then create a primary partition out of it for storage after you`re done the install.

Thank you. I will try that and will update the results.

Any idea what could've went wrong in what I did? Why did the partition suddenly get unallocated?

 

[gregrocker]

Where does it say anything in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 about installing a bunch of drivers from the Sony website before you even run Windows Update, which is how Win7 delivers the drivers IT wants?

Not only does it not say to do such a thing - which hasn't been done since XP - but it has the portions pertaining to drivers printed in bold red so that no one could make such a mistake. But maybe trying to force Win7 to install like its XP is so compelling that bold red print is overridden by imaginary steps which likely ruined your Win7?

I would start over and this time actually follow the steps in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

Don't forget to install to the first partition after the small boot partition which Win7 creates that is perfectly OK and never causes any problems.

 

[PrasannaSK]

gregrocker - As far as I can remember - the only drivers/updates I installed are the ones that enables the fn+key and may be the touchpad driver which added the scroll functionality.

Other than that I did not update anything from VAIO site - Sorry if I was not clear when I said I installed all drivers from Sony Website - I meant only these.

I will try to clean install it in the first partition (which I what I meant to do before) - not sure how I ended up installing it in the second. Will try again. Thanks for the reply.