Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record


  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #1

    Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record


    Hello,

    My Old hard drive has Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit installed on it. I purchased the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade
    and ran the upgrade. Removed the Vista hard drive, and can not start Windows 7.
    Only issue on this system, I have upgraded two other systems without any problem.
    SSD with Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade on it, Hard drive with Windows Vista Ultimate on it.

    Error Loading operating system.

    Insert Windows 7 setup disk, eventually choose command prompt, then ran bootrec.

    It came up with four choices: /FixBoot, /FixMBR, /ScanOs, and /RebuildBcd

    Vista drive is removed from the system.

    bootrec /ScanOs shows:
    successfully scanned windows installations.
    Total identified Windows installations: 2
    [1] D:\Windows
    [2] D:\Windows.old.000\Windows
    The operation completed successfully

    bootrec /fixmbr
    The operation completed successfully

    bootrec /FixBoot
    Element not found

    bootrec /RebuildBcd
    Total identified Windows installations: 2
    [1] D:\Windows
    Add installation to boot list? Yes(Y)/No(N)/All(A): Choose Y
    [2] D:\Windows.old.000\Windows
    Add installation to boot list? Yes(Y)/No(N)/All(A): Choose Y
    Element not found

    Reinserted the Vista hard drive, then did a bootrec /scanOs
    [1] E:\Windows
    [2] C:\Windows
    [3] E:\Windows.old.000\Windows

    bootrec /RebuildBcd
    Total identified Windows installations: 3
    [1] E:\Windows
    Add installation to boot list? Yes(Y)/No(N)/All(A): Choose Y
    [2] C:\Windows
    Add installation to boot list? Yes(Y)/No(N)/All(A): Choose Y
    [2] E:\Windows.old.000\Windows
    Add installation to boot list? Yes(Y)/No(N)/All(A): Choose Y
    Element not found

    Reboot, then the prompt appears to select two Windows 7 and one Windows Vista.
    From this point, If I choose the second Windows 7, I can get my Windows 7 to start.
    Likewise, if I choose Vista, Vista starts.

    What do I need to do to get Windows 7 to boot up without the vista disk installed?

    Thank you.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #2

    Try this:
    Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD
    or
    As your HD set up is about the same, have look at my post here:
    Follow this base tutorial:
    Help me get windows 7 to boot (again)
      My Computer

  3.    #3

    Always unplug all other HD's when installing or reinstalling an OS.

    To resolve the problem Mark the Win7 or it's 100mb System Reserved Partition Active

    then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times

    No repair will not work if the target boot partition is not marked Active. EasyBCD cannot be run from boot nor does it complete the job like Startup Repair since you'll no longer have Repair console on Advanced Boot Options
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Booted with Windows 7 install disk.
    Choose the Repair link
    --One.jpg--
    Select Use recovery tools… and click Next
    --Two.jpg--
    Select Startup Repair.
    --Three.jpg--
    When repair done, selected the details link.
    --Four.jpg--
    --Five.jpg--
    --Six.jpg--
    --Seven.jpg--

    Output from EaseUS Partition Master.
    Unable to change the Type from Logical to Primary on the SSD. C drive is Windows Vista, F drive is my data disk, and E drive is the SSD Windows 7 drive.
    --Eight.jpg--
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-one.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-two.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-three.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-four.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-five.jpg  

    Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-six.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-seven.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-eight.jpg  
      My Computer

  5.    #5

    I just got through repeating twice that you must mark C partition Active and that it will not repair if you don't mark C partition Active. Did you see my post?

    All other HD's must be unplugged during any install or repair. Unplug all but C, mark it Active and run 3 Startup Repairs. If you didn't make it worse running the XP-era bootrec/sect commands it should start within 3 separate Startup Repairs.

    Don't forget to mark Win7 partition Active!
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I had to have the Windows Vista hard drive in during the installation of Window 7 Home Premium 64bit - update package.

    I was unable to set the partition active, see attachment.

    I did have the other hard drives unplugged when I ran Startup Repair.

    Attachment for Disk Management also provided. Note the Disk 3, which is unallocated, and will not verify.
    [IMG]f:\Capture1.jpg[/IMG]
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-capture.jpg   Windows 7 boot issue with master boot record-capture1.jpg  
    Last edited by gedinfo; 23 Jun 2013 at 21:01. Reason: add an attachment
      My Computer

  7.    #7

    The problem is that you installed Win7 from C which locked out that drive letter so Win7 couldn't use it as it always does when correctly installed by booting the installer.

    However you could not have written, and cannot write the System boot files to the SSD Win7 installation because it is inexplicably formatted a Logical data partition, which no OS can boot from. Primary partitions are for OS's, Logical are for data.

    I suggest you unplug all other HD's to correctly Clean Install Windows 7 by booting the installer, deleting all partitions using the Drive Options shown in Step 7, then creating and Formatting new which will automatically be Primary for the install.

    If you don't wish to do this and can tolerate having Win7 on E (which no one else wants) then you can boot free Partition Wizard CD to convert E to Primary as shown in How to set partition as Primary or Logical, followed by seting E Active as shown in How to Set Active/Inactive partition -Partition Wizard Video Help.

    Then unplug all other HD's and run 3 separate Startup Repairs until E starts up and holds the System Active flags. If you need to then boot Vista plug it back in and use the BIOS boot menu key at boot.
      My Computer


 

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