Can't get passed "Boot from CD"

[Christopher]

Hi guys,

I recently sold a hard drive and wanted to use the Windows 7 installation CD to format it. I booted from the CD-ROM, it booted all the appropriate files and I proceeded to a custom install where I can add/remove partitions/format etc.

The drive I was formatting was a secondary, please remember that.

Anyways I did my business, took the CD out and booted from the main drive but now it keeps asking me for the boot CD to install Windows because it is referencing the files from the above task. My main drive has Windows 7 on it.

I can't get around it, I tried to go into the CD and run a repair ...

How the heck can I get past this and back to my Windows 7!!!!!

 

[sup3rsprt]

I recently sold a hard drive and wanted to use the Windows 7 installation CD to format it.

How did you format a drive you recently sold? Do you mean you sold it but you still have it?

I assume you didn't unplug your main drive before attempting to install Windows 7 on the secondary drive?

 

[Christopher]

I sold the drive and was ready to ship it but I wanted to format the drive first.

I didn't unplug my main drive and I am assuming that the Windows 7 install disc installed the installation files on my main drive which it then creates a separate drive (X: I believe) to put the installation files on.

I think it is taking those files now and not looking at C:\ where my current Windows 7 installation is.

What can I do now?

 

[sup3rsprt]

I'm not sure why you installed Windows 7 on a hard disk that you're going to ship to someone. It is not going to work on someone else's computer. Unless their computer is exactly like yours, they will need to reformat it.

Windows setup doesn't create another drive/partition on hard disk all by itself. It makes a RAM disk.

 

[Tews]

I sold the drive and was ready to ship it but I wanted to format the drive first.

I didn't unplug my main drive and I am assuming that the Windows 7 install disc installed the installation files on my main drive which it then creates a separate drive (X: I believe) to put the installation files on.

I think it is taking those files now and not looking at C:\ where my current Windows 7 installation is.

What can I do now?

Unplug the drive that you want to format, insert the windows 7 dvd and do a repair install....

Brinks Tutorial --==> HERE

 

[sup3rsprt]

and you don't need to boot from the DVD to format a disk. Just format it from within Windows. Right-click on the drive letter and go Format.

P.S. - formatting a drive doesn't erase any data. If you're trying to erase the disk you need to use a different method. Such as the cipher /w:<drive_letter>: command inside Windows. Or a third party tool like Eraser.

 

[Christopher]

Ok, I was afraid that this would happen. Confusion has set in. Let me try explaining again.

I have two hard drives.

Hard drive 1 : Has my current Windows 7 32-Bit running wonderfully, and it is the main drive

Hard drive 2 : Was empty but I wanted to format it to be sure, I was never installing Windows 7 on it, I was merely using the partitioning/format tool.

I put my Windows 7 DVD in the drive and booted from it. It went through the normal loading files screen. I then did a custom setup and did what I needed to do to drive 2. I then shutdown the computer unplugged drive 2 and removed it from the system.

I then booted up the machine and it thinks I still want to install Windows 7. I don't because it is already on the drive that it is in there. I used to be able to do this no problem. I just wanted to boot from C: that already has Windows 7 running fine on it.

 

[Christopher]

and you don't need to boot from the DVD to format a disk. Just format it from within Windows. Right-click on the drive letter and go Format.

P.S. - formatting a drive doesn't erase any data. If you're trying to erase the disk you need to use a different method. Such as the cipher /w:<drive_letter>: command inside Windows. Or a third party tool like Eraser.

Tried that. And I tried it through the "Manage" section of Computer as well, under Disk Management, but it would not format the drive and it was greyed out from the menu, for some reason.

 

[Tews]

Grab a copy of Ubuntu, run it in live mode and format the offending drive using gparted... then do the repair install ...problem solved ... this isnt a difficult problem to solve...

 

[sup3rsprt]

If the option was grayed out, it probably means you hadn't created a partition. You can't format unallocated space.

At this point I think you will need to go with Tews' solution. Because for some reason it seems your installation got hosed which should not have happened just by using the format utilities on the Windows 7 DVD.

 

[Christopher]

It was not unallocated, I had stuff on it just days ago. I found it odd that it was grayed out as well, because I have used Disk Management to format previous to now.

If I do a repair install will all of my settings and documents still there? I don't want the pain of having to pull everything off of my external, again.

Thanks for your replies btw.

 

[sup3rsprt]

Yes, repair should keep all of your stuff intact. Provided it's still actually on there and hasn't been formatted over already.

 

[Tews]

If a borked MBR is all were talking about, you should be ok, however keep in mind that this is problematic and you may end up reinstalling the OS...

 

[Christopher]

The only type of installing it will let me do is a Custom which will wipe out everything on the drive, which I can't do at this point. Doing an upgrade can only be done from within Windows, which right now WINDOWS won't let me do.

 

[Lee]

By attempting to use the Windows 7 installation DVD to format your second drive (Sold) you by default (without knowing) loaded the install files onto the original win 7 drive, thus when doing a restart your computer's CMOS/BIO's thought you were attempting to reinstall windows 7. Attempt to do a repair with your installation DVD, if that fails all that is left is to reinstall win 7.

If you need to save any files go to Ubuntu.com, and create a Linux OS DVD, then use that to save any files that need saving (Linux allows you to create start up disc without loading it on to your hard drive).

 

[Tews]

Did you read the tutorial??

 

[Christopher]

The C: drive is still there I can see it if I look at the "Load Drivers" locations ... All of my documents are intact as well.

How the F can I get passed this stupid ass RAM drive and just boot from my normal C: drive. This seems so farking tedious. When it should be so simple.

 

[sup3rsprt]

By attempting to use the Windows 7 installation DVD to format your second drive (Sold) you by default (without knowing) loaded the install files onto the original win 7 drive

It shouldn't have been the case if all he did was format the drive. He must have actually started the install for that to be the case.

 

[Lee]

Everyone is answering or asking at the same time.

Chris, first read what everyone has said, then take it from there.

 

[Tews]

Attempt to do a repair with your installation DVD, if that fails all that is left is to reinstall win 7.

If you need to save any files go to Ubuntu.com, and create a Linux OS DVD, then use that to save any files that need saving (Linux allows you to create start up disc without loading it on to your hard drive).

Grab a copy of Ubuntu, run it in live mode and format the offending drive using gparted... then do the repair install ...problem solved ... this isnt a difficult problem to solve...

Lee, we're covering old ground here... the OP should try what has been suggested and the problem will be taken care of....