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3 Sequential Boot Crashes, now have Windows installed on 3 HDDs
I had a perfect-running CyberpowerPC-built PC, with a Gigabyte Z77 mobo, one 1TB HDD and 1 60GB SSD using Intel Smart Response to cache, plus an MSI GTX 570. It was fast and perfect.
After 2 years, my PC suddenly began displaying intermittent graphics glitches while gaming. I checked my Nvidia drivers and found that they were 2 versions out of date, despite having Windows Update set on automatic. I d/l the latest driver package, but got an unrecoverable crash in mid-install: the machine refused to boot, and neither the W7 OEM disc nor the Recovery Disk that I had made could repair it.
Checking CMOS, I discovered that the BIOS was not detecting my GTX 570 OR my SSD! I removed the GTX 570 since it had apparently failed and tried to boot using on-board graphics, but that also failed. I now began to suspect the motherboard, since memory tests ruled out any problem with my RAM DIMMs. After fruitless and pointless online discussions with CyberpowerPC and Gigabyte, I gave up and ordered a new HDD, this time opting for a giant 2TB drive. After installing it and installing Windows on it, I was able to finally boot the machine. My old 1TB WD HDD was now installed as a backup drive, and I was able to copy all of my old programs, data, games, etc. from it to my new 2TB drive. I reinstalled the GTX 570, but with it installed, neither it nor the internal graphics would work despite my setting BIOS options appropriately for each. So I removed the GTX 570 and was able to use internal graphics.
Now convinced I had a GFX card failure, I got a new GTX 970 and installed it, but had the same issue: no display from either the card nor the internal graphics with the card installed. So I removed it and went back to internal graphics.
Since basically the only common denominators still left in the machine were the motherboard and the SSD, I decided, in desperation, to replace them too. Since the Gigabyte mobo is no longer in stock anywhere, I got an ASRock Z77 board and installed it, along with a 64GB SSD which I hoped to put back as cache for my HDDs. After several BSOD-on-boot crashes, which rescue disks and the Windows disk were unable to repair, I was eventually able to install a NEW Windows-64 onto the SSD! So now, although I can boot from the SSD, I now have 3 installations of Windows, and the only one that actually works is on my SSD, thus preventing me from using it as a cache for my main HDD. I haven't bothered installing the GTX 970 yet. One issue at a time, please...
In addition to all this, I have a 100MB drive D: named "System Reserved" which does not correspond to any physical drive AFAIK. I never had that before tonight when the only way to boot was to install Windows on my SSD.
So now, none of my programs, games, etc. work because they are all on drive E: (my 2TB former boot drive c) and they are supposed to be on drive C:. I need to find some way to straighten this mess out without losing all my data. Also, as info, I have never overclocked anything on this machine- everything is bone-stock.
Does anyone have any advice as to how I can fix this so I have ONE bootable installation of Windows, on my 2TB HDD, and use my SSD as intended, i.e. as a cache to speed up my normal HDDs, instead of as my new system drive with no room for anything else?
Thanks in advance!
Disk Management Screenie:
Last edited by Hoggy Dog; 11 Nov 2014 at 02:38. Reason: clarification