Solved Can't get into windows after Linux - need a last resort

[Dark Rider]

I normally dual boot win 7 and a version of Linux. Last time i installed a Linux distro I installed Grub to sda 1, my windows system partition. Windows itself is on sda 2, the linux swap was on 3 and the root installed on 4. It caused my BCD or MBR to get fudged ( I dont know which) and I would just either get Grub or if i tried to load windows from Grub pointing to the partition its installed on sda 2, I get no error messages but just a blinking cursor in the upper left hand of the screen. A copy of a win 7 dvd does show it can find windows 7 when it starts its repair tool, but it is unable to fix issues.

I have done this before and was able to fix things. This time, no fix is working.

I have tried tutorials on using: bootrec /fixmbr, bootsect /nt60/ C: and rebuilding the bcd.

Nothing is working. I can install another linux distro and grub I have tried different combinations of these steps and it's possible I broke something worse doing these steps out of order.. don't know.. but i hold out for there being some fix that will fix my system because I know the main part of the OS has to be intact.

Any ideas on what i can try that i have missed, or better instructions on how to fix this?

 

[SIW2]

I would use pauly's app.

View attachment 217852

You need to be able to run it from either 32 bit winre, or from another machine- if you have one you can attach.

 

[Dark Rider]

My machine is 64 bit.

If I get a win 7 32 bit dvd to load the recovery environment, how would i load this from there? Would that even work in my 64 bit machine?

I know my pc has the ability yo boot from a network but i have never tried it or set it up. Which is the better option. The other pc on the network is a 32 bit win XP.

 

[SIW2]

boot up the 32 bit dvd , go to command prompt , type notepad, when it pops up click File, then Save - select all files ( instead of .txt ) in notepad dropdown.

You can navigate around with that.

You would need to be able to get at bootice- so you have to navigate to it either on a hd or it could be on cd/usb - you can run it from there.

Yes ,you can use it on 64 bit windows installation.

(However 32 bit programs will not run in pure 64 bit winre because it has no 32 bit support - that is why you need to use 32 bit winre - or the 32 bit dvd)

 

[Dark Rider]

I'll try making a 32 bit winre cd for the boot RE and put bootice on a bootable usb stick.

Thanks.. this has been a two day nightmare. I hope this works. I'll post my results in a couple of hours.. ( need to dl a copy of a win 32 bit RE disk)

I see there are no instructions for bootice.. do you know of a site or thread with documentation? The closest I have found is this AddictiveTips » Blog ArchiveBOOTICE - Modify, Backup, Restore Master Boot Record & Partition Boot Record and the main site for Pauly is in Chinese. ( I'm sure i could figure it out but i'm trying to play it safe just in case as this is critical I get it right.)

 

[Dark Rider]

Rats thats no good. winre 32 bit wont even let me get to a command prompt because my OS is 64 bit.

Any other ideas?

 

[Dark Rider]

I have an idea. I have 18 gigs of space i used for a linux partition. I'd like to do a repair install or an In Place install BUT that can Only be done from within windows - which i cant access..

Can I, install another copy of win 7 into that 18 gig partition Then ( assuming I can boot into it) use that to do a repair install ( with the win 7 disk) on sda 1 ( system) and sda 2 ( c drive) ?

After which I'd need to wipe the 18 gig windows partition to reuse for Linux again - I just want windows to work like before.

 

[SIW2]

You can get to the command prompt by pressing shift+f10.

Can I, install another copy of win 7 into that 18 gig partition

Yes

Then ( assuming I can boot into it) use that to do a repair install

No - the repair install will only try and repair your currently booted os.


However, a fresh install onto the 18 gb might fix your issue anyway.


BTW - Bootice is probably the most useful tool for anyone multibooting.

No instructions needed - GUI will adjust to English if you are running English os

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[Dark Rider]

Shift plus F10 doesn't work.

As soon as the WinRE disk loads I'm locked out while it checks for installed windows installations. Then it only says it cannot fix the computer because the version is different from my pc. If I click o.k. to get rid of the error message, I am still locked out. The version I downloaded is indeed a Home Premium 32 bit WinRE disk and my PC is Home Premium 64 bit.

I only have a recovery / factory install disk from HP that I cannot install on another partition.. it wants to wipe the whole drive, so I will have to download a regular win 7 home premium dvd to try the install on the 18 gig. I wonder if a student copy from Digital Rivers will work for this.

If I had any hair left, I'd be pulling it out. LOL Thanks.. i aint giving up on this fix.. only other option I have is to either get Linux or windows on the 18 gig and set up a network so i can copy my entire C drive to a backup location then install windows from scratch. I will have to manually look through 250 gigs of files to try to determine what i need to keep and reinstall. Thats a job I am not looking forward to.

 

[SIW2]

Oh yes, sorry - you would need to use boot.wim from the install dvd for shift+f10 - you can do that when you see the "Install now" screen.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

 

[Dark Rider]

YAY !! The Nightmare is Over !!!

I was able to use Bootice to reinstall my Windows 6.x MBR which fixed my booting issues instantly.

Strange that Bootice would do this when I had done the same thing using the built in Microsoft tools from the system recovery disk and it would not work. Bootice 1, Microsoft 0. All hail Bootice!

SIW2 Thank you so much for your help !!

 

[SIW2]

You're welcome - Pauly has done a great job.

How did you manage to run it?

 

[Dark Rider]

I obtained the 32 bit version of Home Premium from Digital River and shift + F10 worked fine as soon as it started. I navigated to my F drive with cd F and loaded Bootice from the flash drive.

 

[SIW2]

That makes sense - thanks for letting us know.