Boot File for Windows 7 Corrupt, please help

[formation4]

Hi there guys I have Windows 7 RC and have been using it it for months without any problems.

I installed Microsofts new AV program and that was running fine, I guess. Today I installed a wireless keyboard and was playing around with it and the system crashed. I restarted it and when it came to the boot screen (mine is dual boot with Vista) it just restarted. Tried Vista it came up with boot load error. I tried the RC disc to repair and first it said it fixed it but tried again and nothing. So I was thinking about re installing OS again, went through the setup and windows said it could not install on disk 0 partition 1 as that had a boot system, it just would not show that HD at all even though it has other partitions. When to the motherboard setting and there it only shows 1 WD HD and the Pioneer DVD-ROM. My system consists of the following
1 X Samsung 1TB, several partitions inc OS for both Win 7 and Vista
1 X WD 2TB, 2 partitons
1 X WD 2TB, no partitions

The Samsung did not show up nor did the other WD

I have now opened the case and plugged the samsung via USB to my XP machine and all partitions show up, on Win 7 the boot file is messed up and the Vista partition has no boot file at all.

How do I fix this guys.

I dont mind re-installing Win 7 but there must be another way to do this, any help on this will be much appreciated thanks in advance guys

The WIN 7 OS partition, has a bootmsq file which is messed up, what does an original WIN 7 Boot msq file look like

 

[Perrybucsdad]

Can you use something like EasyBCD running from your XP box, but linked to the other HDD?

I don't have my W7 or Vista box with me now, so I can't remember how the bootloader works on them off hand.

I guess another thing would be to try and load W7 on a USB drive and see if you can gain access to those two partitions. If so, worst case, backup the data, fix the partitions, and then overlay the data to get it back.

Also, have you tried doing the following?? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us

 

[formation4]

Hi Perrybucsdad thanks for the reply, at the moment I am scanning the HD to see if there are viruses on it.
I have downloaded EasyBCD but it does not run it says it fails to initialize, do I need any other software to run this?

The information link from microsoft sounds promosing, I will give that a try, just can't belieived what happened :shock::shock:

How does easyBCD work, will it repair a broken boot sector file? I had it it dual boot with it repair both options?

Thanks again

 

[Perrybucsdad]

I have only used it once, and I apologize, I can't remember how it works. It's all GUI, so you shouldn't have too much problems with it. Check to see if it will run on XP, maybe that is why it won't initialize.

Will it fix the broken file... well, if the boot file is messed up, hopefully it will allow you to see what is there and fix it. Also, I'm wondering if the reason it can't initialize is because of the issue with the boot file.

I wish I had more to give you, but do the full HDD scan and maybe that will reveal something.

 

[zigzag3143]

F

you can also do the same with the built in bcdedit. just go to the search>type cmd>type bcdedit>

there is a tutorial on its use here http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2676-bcdedit-how-use.html?ltr=B

hope this helps and let us know if you need help with any of this

ken

 

[sup3rsprt]

I have downloaded EasyBCD but it does not run it says it fails to initialize, do I need any other software to run this?

If you are trying to run it in Windows XP you will need to install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 first.

 

[Perrybucsdad]

I have downloaded EasyBCD but it does not run it says it fails to initialize, do I need any other software to run this?

If you are trying to run it in Windows XP you will need to install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 first.

Good catch Sup! I totally forgot about the .NET files. Sorry about that F.

 

[formation4]

Hi guys, a big thank you to the seven forum members , I have managed to boot back into windows 7 and vista all seems well.
Vista is on D drive but shows not boot sqm file like windows, is that normal?

Now I went to backup and restore to create a system image and remembered why |I couldn't do it in the 1st place.

I have the following HD/partitions

1 X Samsung 1TB HD with C (win 7 OS), D (vista), E, F, G partitions
1 X WD 2TB with H, I Parttions
1 X WD 2B No partitions drive J

If you look at the image attached, windows shows C drive and J as system drives why does J drive come up with system? Easy BCD shows the two boot files, Windows 7 and Vista, there are no other systems on my computer.

How do I remove this from J drive system info so that I can create a system image of just Windows 7 OS, thanks guys

I have now checked HD 3 J drive and found a folder called TEMP and contains these files
bcdinfo.txt
bootfailure.txt
disklayput.txt
SrtTrail.log
SrtTrail.txt
uploadrecord.txt

What are these files for and why are they appearing on this drive, nothing boots of this drive???

 

[sup3rsprt]

typically when a drive is labeled as "system" by Windows, it means either A) the computer has booted Windows from that partition or B) it has some boot files on it

Look at the J: drive for a hidden folder called boot and/or a hidden file called bootmgr (you have to enable show hidden files, or do a dir /a from command prompt)

Is it there?

 

[sup3rsprt]

Also, please attach a screenshot of your Disk Management.

 

[formation4]

hi there I ran bcdedit from cmd and this is what it showed, there is something on j: drive how come?

Attached disk management screen dump.

How can I remove boot information from j: drive
OS are installed on C: and d:

hanks guys

 

[formation4]

I searched for hidden file boot and a list came up where have these originated from? ::shock::sarc::shock:

 

[sup3rsprt]

the screenshots help

the boot manager is on drive J:

The easiest way to fix this is:

1) make C: partition "active" using disk management
2) shut down your computer and disconnect ALL other hard disks (except the one C: is on)
3) power on the computer and go into the BIOS
4) make the DVD ROM first boot device and your hard drive second, save and exit from the BIOS
5) pop in your Windows DVD, boot from it and run startup repair until the system is able to boot into Windows

Once you've done all that you can shut down Windows, plug in your drives, go into the BIOS and make sure the boot order is still correct. Now the C: partition should be your only "system" partition.

 

[formation4]

Hi sup3rsprt appreciate your time and effort with this. If I do that will both boot options remain as I have Vista as well?

Will try this and post back thanks again well tomorrow its 2AM,
Will that remove the TEMP folder on J: drive or will I have delete that after?

 

[sup3rsprt]

If I do that will both boot options remain as I have Vista as well?

I can't say for certain. Maybe, maybe not. If not we can always add them back using EasyBCD.

 

[Perrybucsdad]

F, do we have an update on your woes?

 

[formation4]

We do indeed have an update, it is not good. Booting back into either Win 7 Or Vista is fine, albeit not the way I wanted as I cannot make an image of the OS to back up as the boot manager is on J: drive , (it takes into account c: 75GB and j: 1.8TB )

I tried what sup3rsprt told me to do disconnect HDs apart from c: and when it came up to system repair it showed no OS I assume it will only show when the other HDs are connected. Tried the start up recovery did that for about an hour, yielded no results. I have now connected everything back up and will transfer files off j: drive and format. Windows 7 is released around next week so I will do a fresh install that should cure all ailments.

Need to do a clean install anyway, I will disconnect all drive apart from main and go from there, I believe that will bring the boot manager back to c: and not anywhere else

Thanks for helping me guys

 

[sup3rsprt]

Need to do a clean install anyway, I will disconnect all drive apart from main and go from there, I believe that will bring the boot manager back to c: and not anywhere else

yeah, that's a good idea.

The repair wizards on the DVD can not always fix every problem. Believe me I have run into the same situations before, where the startup repair doesn't work. This is the major reason I know the commands so well. In fact personally I don't even use the startup repair wizard anymore. I just use the command-line. but the commands are not so easy to teach others so that is why I recommended the simple way first.

 

[Perrybucsdad]

I'm really sorry we couldn't help you out there F. I'm glad you are able to back up the data that was on the drive though. It's a pain in the you know what to get everything back the way you had it, but it certainly beats loosing all your data.

Let us know when it all get's settled down and fixed.

 

[formation4]

Hi sup3rsprt. I managed to get one system boot for Windows 7, I can now select that and create an image, thanks Option to boot Vista is there as well.

However when I go to Vista on d: and try to create a system image it selects c: drive (windows 7) and d: (vista)

Is there a way to sort that out I would like to create a system image of both OS.

Lastly will formating the j: drive get rid of the boot manager on there? Attached screen dump shows j:/boot and shows all the hidden files, tried to delete it would not let me, checked files access on them and all boxes were un ticked.

Surely if I transfer media off the drive, format it, the boot mngr will go as well leaving me with boot mngr on c:? Can I do that now rather than waiting for retail OS to turn up?

Appreciate yor time and help on this matter, I aint no techie, and registered to get hellp and I am very grateful