Bootable partition confusion

[RogerR]

Windows says C:/ is the boot partition, but partition Wizard says D:/ is.

D: is formatted, but "system volume" info remains. How can I get rid of that?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Delete the D partition?

Or do you have something on it?

 

[Night Hawk]

Too bad you missed the giveaway on Paragon Partition Manager 10 ealier this week. While I don't have any drives split up here that looks like a software glitch with the PW program there.

 

[Saltgrass]

Your attachment seems to be having problems, please redo it.

The drive priority is set in the bios. If a partition says "System", that is your primary hard drive.

You can boot into a partition that is not the system partition, which is probably your current situation.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I notice that D is slightly gray in the pic and also has a slight blue border inside the pink.

The other partitions don't.

Why? Is that only because you had highlighted D?

 

[RogerR]

I guess I'm wondering which one to believe. The Bios setup doesn't distinguish between partitions, only physical drives.

Windows disk management Disk 0 = Disk 1 in PW
Disk 1 = Disk 2

 

[RogerR]

I notice that D is slightly gray in the pic and also has a slight blue border inside the pink.

The other partitions don't.

Why? Is that only because you had highlighted D?

Correct.

 

[Saltgrass]

It appears your boot files are on the second partition of the primary (disk 0) drive.

Maybe it would be easier if I said you booted into whatever OS in on the first partition, but the second partition contains all your boot files.

It would be less confusing had you put a volume title on the partitions, but do your want to delete the D: partition and whatever OS is on it?

If so, since the boot files are on D:, you will have to make C: active and then run a startup repair several times (2 or 3) to make C: your system partition. You can use a third party software like gparted or boot to the Win 7 install DVD and run diskpart to make C: active.

There is also one gregrocker recommends called Partition Wizard and use the bootable download.

 

[RogerR]

It appears your boot files are on the second partition of the primary (disk 0) drive.

Maybe it would be easier if I said you booted into whatever OS in on the first partition, but the second partition contains all your boot files.

It would be less confusing had you put a volume title on the partitions, but do your want to delete the D: partition and whatever OS is on it?

If so, since the boot files are on D:, you will have to make C: active and then run a startup repair several times (2 or 3) to make C: your system partition. You can use a third party software like gparted or boot to the Win 7 install DVD and run diskpart to make C: active.

There is also one gregrocker recommends called Partition Wizard and use the bootable download.

The lower window in my snip IS Partition Wizard.

If I delete D:\ (rendering the drive unbootable) when the system restarts my only choice will be a repair install and reinstall the system that I am trying to delete, before PW can make the changes. BTDT.

 

[Saltgrass]

You do not have to install the system, the files are already there. What you have to do is make the C: partition active, so it is bootable, then run a startup repair from the Install DVD to fix the boot.

If you don't know how to do a startup repair, boot to the Win 7 Install DVD and select language, then on the next page, select repair from the lower left of the window.

Unless of course, I am misunderstanding your original question.

Any questions about procedures or command line options, post back. We are here to help.

 

[RogerR]

You do not have to install the system, the files are already there. What you have to do is make the C: partition active, so it is bootable, then run a startup repair from the Install DVD to fix the boot.

If you don't know how to do a startup repair, boot to the Win 7 Install DVD and select language, then on the next page, select repair from the lower left of the window.

Perhaps I'm not being clear. According to Disk Manager, C:\ is already active. But it still won't allow me to delete D:/ or change it to inactive.

 

[Saltgrass]

Well. maybe I am confused because I believe you can only have one active partition per hard disk.

Have you applied all your pending operations?

But still, the System partition is where the boot files are. If you want to check, look for the hidden, system file bootmgr and the folder Boot.

If you feel both partitions are active, then delete D: and run startup repair. If you do not get some type of message within 30 seconds, then it may take as much as 7 hours to fix.

 

[RogerR]

Well. maybe I am confused because I believe you can only have one active partition per hard disk.

Have you applied all your pending operations?

You and me both!

Its very circular - when I applied the pending operations in PW the repair installation only referenced the old 7 installation, not the new one on C:\, so I ended up fixing what I was trying to get rid of!

 

[Night Hawk]

I wouldn't be planning to delete any partition. Reinstalling the program may clear up the misreading by that.

C not D contains the boot files. Those are always placed on the root of the first primary even when Windows is installed to any other partition or drive.

The Disk Management shows the actual partition theme and is what to go by there.

 

[RogerR]

I wouldn't be planning to delete any partition. Reinstalling the program may clear up the misreading by that.

C not D contains the boot files. Those are always placed on the root of the first primary even when Windows is installed to any other partition or drive.

The Disk Management shows the actual partition theme and is what to go by there.

So I should disregard this?

 

[Saltgrass]

You can make the D: partition inactive and it will not be bootable.

 

[RogerR]

You can make the D: partition inactive and it will not be bootable.

How? Neither Disk manager nor PW will permit this option.

 

[Saltgrass]

C not D contains the boot files. Those are always placed on the root of the first primary even when Windows is installed to any other partition or drive..

Not exactly correct. If the partition is not active, it will have no boot files on it.

Also, the System partition is where the boot files are. Check your own system.

It seems the third party partitioning software has caused some confusion.

 

[surfasb]

forget using Disk Management when trying to figure out which partition is active. Fire up DISKPART

 

[Saltgrass]

forget using Disk Management when trying to figure out which partition is active. Fire up DISKPART

That might be true, but third party software may be able to do things not normally done by other software. In some cases those actions may be detrimental.

In this case, it might be interesting to see what diskpart said.