Windows 7 / XP MBR problem

Hi guys,

I've got a dual boot setup on 2 500GB drives. The XP install was the original install on drive no1, then later on I installed Win7 onto drive 2.

Just yesterday I started getting notices on win7 saying that my no1 drive is having problems, and the BIOS is also telling me that the drive is defective or faulty.

I would just get it replaced, except the MBR is on drive no1, and if I take drive no2 out, I can't boot windows 7. Even using the win7 recovery disk, it cannot see a installation of windows7 on the second drive, when the first one is disconnected.

So - HELP! How can I move / re-make the MBR onto the second drive? I don't care about the xp install any more, I just want to be able to boot my windows 7 install.

Anyone got any tips?

Thanks,

Scott

Theodred said:

Hi guys,

I've got a dual boot setup on 2 500GB drives. The XP install was the original install on drive no1, then later on I installed Win7 onto drive 2.

Just yesterday I started getting notices on win7 saying that my no1 drive is having problems, and the BIOS is also telling me that the drive is defective or faulty.

I would just get it replaced, except the MBR is on drive no1, and if I take drive no2 out, I can't boot windows 7. Even using the win7 recovery disk, it cannot see a installation of windows7 on the second drive, when the first one is disconnected.

So - HELP! How can I move / re-make the MBR onto the second drive? I don't care about the xp install any more, I just want to be able to boot my windows 7 install.

Anyone got any tips?

Thanks,

Scott

Hello Theodred, and welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

Try Mark the Windows 7 partition (drive 2) as "Active", then unplug the XP drive and run the "Startup Repair" two or three times until 7 will boot again. Don't worry if you cannot see 7, continue to the startup repair and let us know how it goes.

Startup Repair

MBR - Restore Windows 7 Master Boot Record

Cheers!
Robert

It is quicker and easier just to dble click ( or rt click and run as admin in Vista/7) on sispar.cmd

sispar.zip

Si, what does sispar do exactly?

Batch command to mark active and recover MBR to Win7 part?

Thanks guys!

iseeuu - tried your solution and it worked a charm. MBR is fully setup on the second drive, works fine now without the other drive plugged in. Thanks guys, problem fully solved.

Theodred said:

Thanks guys!

iseeuu - tried your solution and it worked a charm. MBR is fully setup on the second drive, works fine now without the other drive plugged in. Thanks guys, problem fully solved.

That is good news Theodred! We are glad you got it sorted out. Thanks for posting back to let us know. Any time!

Happy surfing!
Robert