Solved “Bootmgr is missing” Using Zip drive

[Gene1000]

“Bootmgr is missing” Using Zip drive

Hello all,
I am having a “Bootmgr is missing”issue.

I have an older Windows 7 PC that I just installed an Iomega 100 Zip drive on. The BIOS recognizes the Zip drive, but when I turn on the computer, I get the “bootmgr is missing” message and the machine will not start.

However, when I remove the Zip drive, the computer boots up fine. I have tried three different Zip drives and none allow the computer to start. Bootmgr is missing consistently on all three Zip drives.

The BIOS is set up properly. The CD rom is first to boot and then the hard drive. Again, the BIOS recognizes the Zip drive.

I searched the computer for the Bootmgr file but could not locate it. However, it is in the system because the computer does indeed start when the Zip drive is not connected.

The Zip drive is set to “Master” because there is no other device on its cable. The cable is new.

I looked for a BIOS update but could not locate one. It is an Award BIOS version 6.00. The desktop machine is an older Gigabyte K8NS main board with an Athlon 64 processor. 32 bit system.

I’ve gone thru the command prompt with various instructions to make repairs, but no luck. I have loaded the Windows 7 CD and done a “Repair the Computer”, but no luck either.

I tried a “Repair Computer” using the Windows install CD but no luck.

Then I did a complete reinstall of Windows and still have the same issue. Bootmgr is missing whenever the Zip is connected.

Does anyone have any ideas on what the problem might be and how to fix it?

Thanks all.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Gene,

I take it you have installed W7 on the Zip..... not just data
AS your making the Zip primary then ....No OS no boot manager
set your other drive to primary and you should be able to access it


not sure if this will aso apply

Enable Plug and Play for parallel port devices - Windows Server | Microsoft Learn

 

[Gene1000]

Thank you, Torch.
I installed Windows 7 from the Microsoft CD, not from the Zip drive. It’s capacity is very small, not sufficient for a Windows install.
This is puzzling. The empty Zip drive should have no impact on the computer’s startup. It is properly configured to run purely as a storage device. But for some reason, it has an impact on the computer’s start up process.

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I’ll try your link and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[file3456]

Yeah, set your first boot device in BIOS to your hard drive, not the Zip drive. That's your issue. BIOS is complaining there's no bootmgr because its trying to boot from your Zip drive. Don't want that.

 

[Gene1000]

Hi Torch, thanks for your input.
The computer is always set to boot from the CD first and then the hard drive. The Zip boot up is disabled. So that’s not the cause.
Confusing.

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Torch, I tried your link and enabled plug & play and unfortunately it did not work. But thanks for your suggestion.

 

[torchwood]

Bummer,


do have other questions
HOW is the ZIP drive "attached" to the comp, i have read that it can also be linked via a USB port
DID you say the ZIP drive was formatted first

my PREFERRED Bios setup, (bearing in mind im pretty tech savvy and will adjust Bios tobe what i NEED.)

HDD / USB / CD

and i HAVE changed it to suit my needs ESPECIALLY when i performed clean installs
then its USB first... where my install media is

 

[Gene1000]

Bummer,
Finally got it to boot up. The issue was that the Zip drive has two “master” settings. A regular one and a separate one. I had been using the normal setting. So I switched to the other one and the “bootmgr” error disappeared!
My two other Zip drives don’t have a second master alternative. If I had used one of them, all could have been avoided.
Thanks for all of your help. Very much appreciated!