Error 0xc0000225 after resizing partition, can't boot

[Jane333]

Hi,
I tried to resize the second partition on a friend's notebook from 252 GB to 75 GB – the partition where Windows 7 is installed (it's a Lenovo IdeaPad U550). I did this with KDE Partition Manager from a Linux Mint 9 KDE LiveUSB after I couldn't find the partitioning utility in Windows 7 in Control Panel, where I read it was supposed to be...


Something went terribly wrong, and now I can't boot into Windows 7 anymore. I'm not sure why though, because KDE Partition Manager didn't report any errors, I went through the log as I always do.


What I did was to shrink that partition from 252 GB to 75 GB, and accidentally, I also moved it to the left by 2,5MB (towards the first 200 MB partition, the boot partition.), which might have caused the problem, I don't know...


I'm posting here because I have almost no experience with Windows 7 (the last Windows I was using was XP) and the boot stuff is a lot different, so I don't want to screw things up (more than they already are).


This is the error I'm getting before Windows starts (more or less; I found this error googling and it seems to correspond to the one I'm getting in Czech):


"Windows did not start correctly. A recent hardware or software change might
be the cause. To fix the problem:
1. insert your windows installation cd and restart your computer
2.choose your language settings and click next
3.click repair your computer


If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer
manufacturer for assistance.




Status: 0xc0000225”





What options do I have now?

• There is no install disk for Windows 7, it came pre-installed.
• I couldn't fix this with the Linux utilities – neither GPartEd nor KDE Partition Manager detect any errors, and fsck.ntfs doesn't exist yet, apparently.
• Linux-based LiveCD I've been booting from trying to fix this (Clonezilla, GPartEd LiveCD) report “dirty” /dev/sda2, which is the second partition, and suggest using chkdsk, which I can't do, besause I can't boot into Windows.

• I've been considering to install GRUB 2 which would only boot into Windows, however I first have to figure out how to do that, exactly. And then there's the fact that I don't know anything about the Windows 7 bootloader. Could somebody explain to me how that boot partition works (those first 200MB on the hard disk), if there is a backup of it somewhere, and how I can restore it, if windows won't boot? Here's how the partition table on that notebook looks like:

1. partition: ntfs, 200 MB, flag "boot"
2. partition, ntfs, 75 GB, (Windows 7 is installed here). Clonezilla reports “dirty” (damaged?) filesystem, however I can mount it in Linux (LiveCD) with no problems. Maybe these warnings come from the fact that Windows 7 ntfs partitions needs to be checked by chkdsk after every resize, and the partition is fine apart from that...
unallocated space, 177 GB – where part of the second partition was before shrinking.
3. partition, extended, 30,33GB
5. partition, logical, ntfs, 30,33GB, Windows D Drive
4. partition, ntfs, 14 GB – this one might be some sort of a backup partition. It contains directories like “boot” (in there, there is a file called bcd, seems important), and there's also a “bootmgr”... and a pagefile.sys (wonder what it's doing there, another and bigger pagefile.sys is on the second partition, the one with the Windows install...)




Right now, I'm downloading a Windows 7 Recovery Disc from here:
Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files


I hope I'll be able to run chkdsk from there or some sort of Install Repair...




But I really don't know what to do without causing even more damage.

1. Install GRUB? (doesn't it damage this 200MB boot partition? How does that partition work anyway?)
2. Wait for the Windows 7 Recovery Disc to download (this will take a while, I'm on GPRS right now) and run chkdsk/repair install?
3. Try to build some live environment with Bart PE and Windows XP and run chkdsk from there? (probably a bad idea, XP NTFS and Windows 7 NTFS is not exactly the same, plus the bootloader problem doesn't go away, I guess)
4. Find out if the 4. partition is really some backup and figure out how to restore it?

At this point I'm not even sure what the problem is. Corrupt filesystem of the second partition or a broken bootloader, or both?




Please help, I'd be really grateful, my friend is probably going to kill me, and I don't even know where to start...

 

[LiquidSnak]

In my experiences, system recovery disks are usually tied to a computer manufacturer. (unless this has changed in windows 7)

Can you try to get ahold of a full install disk for the original OS version?

 

[Jane333]

From what I've read, I thought that this Recovery Disk for Windows 7 is universal to manufacturers like Dell, Acer, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo... Or so it says at Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files.
It's only for accessing the Recovery Center, not for installing Windows.

As for getting a full install disk - how does this work? Should I direct this question to Lenovo?

 

[LiquidSnak]

Yes. Tell lenovo about your issue, and ask if they will send you a windows disk.

That might work, if it is indeed universal recovery. Give it a try, I think that might be a good starting point.

 

[karlsnooks]

Jane,
Yes. It would be wise to ask the Lenova folks.

2nd. Do NOT install GRUB, LINUX, or the likes thereof unless you want even more problems.

3rd. The recovery disk you will be getting is universal. You will be okay there.

4th. Is this a 32bit or 64 bit sytem?

5th: Here is what I would do:
a) go to a friends Win 7 computer which is also 32 bit if yours is 32 bit.
go to a friend with a Win computer which is also 64 bit if yours is 64bit.

b) Make a "System Repair Disc".
c) use that disc to repair your computer. Now GregRocker has an excellent sequence on what you need to do but I believe there is also a tutorial on this. VERY IMPORTANT: run the system repair part of that 3 times even if you and your laptop don't think you need to run it 3 times.

For god's sake, stay away from all that Mint, knoppix, PuppyLinux, grub, etc software. If we end up needed to try to correct by still other means your problems then we will have recommendations.

​

​

[FONT=&quot]DISC - CREATE A SYSTEM REPAIR DISC[/FONT]​

START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button

​

​

Now that is so easy, one can hardly believe it.

Ok now let me try to find the tutorials you will need.

Startup Repair

Now you run that at least three times!

 

[Jane333]

Ok, I'll do that and post here how it went, thanks.

 

[Jane333]

My above post was an answer to LiquidSnak, I should have written that.

Now, to karlsnooks:

Thanks for your response, I'll try that as fast as I can.
Just one question:
The universal recovery disc you're refering to in point 3 - is that the one I'll be trying to get from Lenovo, or is it the one I'm downloading from Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files

My friend's system (the one I screwed up) is 32 bit, and about the GRUB thing - I was just trying to enumerate everything I could think of, but I trust you know more about this than me, so I won't be getting into that.

 

[karlsnooks]

What neo-smart is calling recovery disc is the System Repair Disc.

A system repair disk is independent of the manufacturer.

Simply you must have a 32bit one if you have a 32 bit system and a 64 bit one if you have a 64 bit system.

If you can't find a friend with a compatible system, then:
DO NOT MAKE A TORRENT DOWNLOAD! Use the Direct Linkk option that NeoSmart lists.

Torrent is an open invitation to viruses. We don't need complications.

 

[LiquidSnak]

Ah, that clears it up for me too. I also cannot stress enough to say no to torrent Windows.

 

[Jane333]

karlsnooks, you just saved me! Thank you so much!

I borrowed a Windows 7 notebook from a friend, created the Repair disc following your instructions, and ran System Repair three times.
Now I can get all the way to the login screen, seems like everything is back.

Although my friend wrote her password down for me, I can't login with it, I'll have to wait till she comes back from university...
When she does, I'll still have to fix that unallocated space on her hard drive. But this time definitely with a Windows tool.
I was looking for this Windows 7 partitioning utility I've heard of in Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions. However I couldn't find it - either wrong location or the translation of this into Czech is something completely different and absolutely non-descriptive. Anyway, as soon as she gets here I'll give it another try, this time a thorough one.
Is it possible that on some Windows 7 installs it's simply not there and I need to download it? Seems unprobable, but still I need to ask... It's a Windows 7 Home Premium.

 

[mikedl]

Type "compmgmt.msc" into the Start Menu search bar (note: I have a modified "Start" icon) and hit [ENTER]:
View attachment 106688

Then select "Disk Management":
View attachment 106689

Right click on the disk and pick your poison:
View attachment 106690

Personally, I prefer MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition.

If, when she gets back, and you discover she has forgoten her password, try here:

How to Reset a User Account Password in Vista or Windows 7

 

[Jane333]

Thanks, I'll try that as soon as I get through the login screen

 

[karlsnooks]

Jane,
Do Not follow that advice.

First I need you to post a snapshot of the output of disk management, then and only then can one give you correct advice.





HOW TO POST A SNAPSHOT OF DISK MANAGEMENT DISPLAY

Run disk management:
WIN | type DISKMGMT.MSC | ENTER
WIN is the key with the wavy flag.

Maximize the output of Disk Management:
ALT Spacebar key combo | X key
Drag the field separators (such as between Status and Capacity) to show entire field.

Make a snapshot:
WIN | type SNIPPING | ENTER
Click the New button.
Drag the cursor around the area you want to snip.
File | Save as | select save location and name | Save button

Post the snapshot:
Screenshot - How to post

 

[mikedl]

What was wrong with my advice, Karl?

Goodbye...

 

[karlsnooks]

We must wait and see what disk management shows.

 

[Jane333]

Ok, I'll do the snapshot first - makes sense, after all, it would be good to see what's broken and how to proceed.
But I'm afraid I won't get the chance to do that in the next couple of hours, still waiting...

 

[Jane333]

Ok, so I finally have the correct password, screenshots of the Disk Management utility are attached. The first one is the original, in Czech; the second one is my translation effort, as only Ultimate lets you change the display language, afaik.

The thing I need to do is to extend the LENOVO (D) partition (30.33GB), so that it would take up the now unallocated space - this would be what I intended all along. However when I right-click it, the option "Extend" is greyed out. This must be because it's a logical partition, and I need to extend the extended one (also 30.33GB), in that this logical partition resides, first. But Disk Management won't let me do this - there's nowhere I can click on the extended partition, it doesn't even show up, but I know it's there.
Am I overlooking something? Or should I maybe use another utility for this purpose?

 

[karlsnooks]

Jane,
That's excellent.

Now the easiest way is going to be for you to move everything out of D to C.

After moving everything from D to C, then delete D.

You want to end up with one long unallocated area.

In that unallocated area, you want to create a normal PRIMARY partition.

Give that new partition the letter D

Move everything that you moved to C back to D.

Is my explanation clear?

There are other approaches but I feel that this is the safest way for you to perform this operation.

 

[karlsnooks]

Noticing something else on your snapshot has prompted me to ask you what version your friend has.

WIN | type MSINFO32 | ENTER key

WIN is the key with wavy flag


This will run a program that supplies all kinds of info about your system.

What I am interest in is the version and build shown. I've included a snapshot of mine to explain what is needed.

You don't need to make a snapshot, but rather simply let me know what version and build is shown.
View attachment 106747

 

[Jane333]

So I transfered the data from D to C and deleted D (and the underlying extended partition), and now I have this big continuous unallocated space.
Creating a new primary partition there seems really easy, however, if you don't mind, could you help me to create an extended one there, and make D logical again? This would give my friend more flexibility in the future if she ever decides to create new partitions on her hard drive. I couldn't find any obvious way to create an extended partition in Disk Management, Google sais this is only possible if there are already three primary ones on the drive. Looks like people are using diskpart for this... I'd appreciate any hints on what's best here.

To your question - the system version is 6.1.7600, build 7600.