Missing Boot Manager can't be repaired – How to, please.

Neophile said:

I have over 120 programs installed. It will be a long and hard job reinstalling and customizing everything, one month or more. That is why I asked you if when doing as your tutorial the new installation would inherit this issue, because your way would save everything, and that is great.

The problem is that an upgrade install would save all your data, but you would need to reinstall all the programs.

Neophile said:

Sorry, I've done exactly that before. I run Startup Repair three times with a reboot after each one. Here are the results (log):

Root cause found:
Boot status indicates that the OS booted successfully. (Not true)
and
Root cause found:
Unexpected changes to system configuration might have caused the problem.

All other results on the log are Error = 0x0. When booting normally right after finishing the 3rd repair with the XP drive unplugged, it reboots immediately after the shrinking/growing logo. For me it looks like Startup Repair did install the bootloader, but it does not finish booting, and that is the problem.

But did you do that with JUST the windows 7 harddrive plugged in?

~Lordbob

Neophile said:

Lordbob75 said:

The problem is that an upgrade install would save all your data, but you would need to reinstall all the programs.

If I could enter the OS and atarted the installation from there I could chose the "Upgrade", and it would be like a hot fix keeping everuthing.

No. You should be able to run the upgrade install from the CD without being in Windows.
It still would not keep your programs though. You would HAVE to reinstall them all.

~Lordbob

When I start the computer directly from the Windows installation disc, the Upgrade option on the upper part of the window states that the Upgrade that keeps all files, settings and programs "is only available when an existing version of Windows is running". If I go on and click on Upgrade, the next window tels me that opion is not available, and to restart, take the disc out of the computer, start Windows normally and then start the Installation disc. As you know, my problem is exactly because the OS doesn't finish booting, so I can't do what is recommended. Is there a way to turn around this? If there is, please tell me how.

Neophile said:

Lordbob75 said:

But did you do that with JUST the windows 7 harddrive plugged in?

Yes, the drive with the XP is the SATA3, the one direcly connected to the board, with the small SATA plug, very easy to desconnect. I did not disconnect Disk 1 because, as I said, it is a "dead drive" with no OS, no root files; it is a dead weight. It does boot, but reboots just after the logo, when the blue "Please wait" screen should appear.

I asked you to unplug all other HD's to try Startup Repair, not leave one plugged in because it is only a "dead drive with no OS" although "it does boot...."

Did you also ignore the repeated requests to set Win7 HD as first to boot in BIOS setup?

Try actually unplugging all other HD's to run the Repairs.

Then try again with Win7 HD plugged into your SATA 3 port, also set as first HD to boot in BIOS setup, since this is the SATA controller booting your System drive.

Next turn around and plug only the XP HD with System drive into DISK0 position to see how it boots there. If so, plug Win7 HD into DISK1 and see what happens.

gregrocker,

Can you clarify my doubt on my preceding post, please?


Edit:
Sorry, I missed your answer because there was a page change and I kept waiting in here. I am going to tey now,