UEFI and MBR storage disc: Windows is no longer bootable?

theog said:

Arc said:

So probably Storage drives are not faulty? It seems that the issue is somehow similar to "Boot failed" error when you start a UEFI-enabled computer from a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD (Package 1) and "Boot failed" error message when you start a UEFI-enabled computer from the installation DVD of a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 (Package 2) .

From Both Microsoft Hotfix.

Microsoft said:

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario:•You attach a storage device that has more than four partitions to a computer that has the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) mode enabled.
•You insert a Windows 7 or a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD into a drive of the device, and then you start the computer from the DVD.
•You receive the following message during the startup process, and then you press a key:

Press any key to boot from CD/DVD

In this scenario, you receive an error message that resembles the following:



Boot failed.

To have more than four Partition, you would need to have one or more Logical partitions or Linux partitions.

Do you have any Logical partitions or Linux partitions?

Arc said:

Ray, I have logical partitions. Is it the reason behind that issue?

The way I read Microsoft's statement, I would YES, as Windows 8 UEFI is NOT HAPPY booting with Logical Partitions.

My logic comes from eightforum, about 6 or so threads with problems with Logical partition, when installing, upgrading, & adding a Data drive with a logical partition in the scenario, remove the logical partition all is well.

"Boot failed" error when you start a UEFI-enabled computer from a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD (Package 1)

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario: •You attach a storage device that has more than four partitions to a computer that has the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) mode enabled.
•You insert a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD into a drive of the device, and then you start the computer from the DVD.
•You press a key after you receive the following message during the startup process:

Press any key to boot from CD/DVD

In this scenario, you receive an error message that resembles the following:



Boot failed.

To have more than four Partitions, you would need to have one or more Logical partitions or Linux partitions.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because the boot manager compares two device signatures incorrectly. These device signatures are the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) device signature that is in the extended boot record (EBR) and the device signature that is in the master boot record (MBR).

the boot manager compares two device signatures incorrectly.

Found this on sevenforums.

Windows stops booting in UEFI mode after adding another hard drive

shiin said:

I did some additional tests with an empty hard disk instead of HD#3:
As soon as there is an extended partition on the disk, Windows was no longer able to boot correctly. Two primary partitions works fine, but one primary partition and one extended partition containing one logical disk didn't.

If set the drive GPT, you can 128 primary.