Cannot boot without distribution disk in DVD drive

gregrocker · 26 Feb 2012

The boot files are not on the Win7 partition. They were somehow derailed to Z during install or repairs.

This is likely the cause but it could be other unseen factors.

BarnabasSackett · 26 Feb 2012

Now wondering if it would be simpler to start from scratch. Wipe out C: again and re-install Windows. I haven't gotten around to re-installing any of my applications yet, so I wouldn't be losing much in the way of time or effort.

gregrocker · 26 Feb 2012

It's up to you. You can move the boot files to C and extend it using the steps I provided which should solve the issue, or you can unplug Z, boot the installer, use Custom install Drive Options to delete C, create and format a new partition, install.

Clean Install Windows 7
Clean Reinstall Windows 7 Factory OEM.

jumanji · 27 Feb 2012

May be I am late again.

If you are doing a clean install, make sure that you disconnect the Z drive and also any other external drive/s during the install.

BarnabasSackett · 27 Feb 2012

Disconnected Z. Reinstalled Windows. Reconnected Z. Everything works fine now. Now I have to go about the laborious process of reinstalling all of my applications and utilities and then getting everything back to looking the way it did.

Thanks to all.

Never had problems like this with DR-DOS. :)

whs · 27 Feb 2012

You were victim of the Windows7 installer. It grabs any disk/partition that is active or it grabs the one that is first in the port sequence.

Since your Z drive was a leftover from a previous OS installation, it was probably still marked as active.

That is why we always recommend to disconnect all drives that are not required for the installation - or transfer the bootmgr right after the installation if the disconnect gymnastics is not possible or inconvenient.

jumanji · 28 Feb 2012

BarnabasSackett said:

Disconnected Z. Reinstalled Windows. Reconnected Z. Everything works fine now. Now I have to go about the laborious process of reinstalling all of my applications and utilities and then getting everything back to looking the way it did.

Thanks to all.

Never had problems like this with DR-DOS. :)

All is well that ends well.:)

After the drivers, updates and activation take an image of your C drive with any of the free imaging sofftware and save it to an external drive. Anytime later if a clean install is required you can simply restore that image and save yourself going through this entire drill again.(At this stage it is also essential that you restore the image and make sure it works so that there is no surprise of a non-working image.)

After you install all the essential software too take an image and save it. ( As a matter of fact, whenever I take an image, I restore it and confirm. Otherwise I can't sleep peacefully. Good practices can save you a lot of botheration and breakdown later.:))