"frying pan to fire" jumper

[wguru]

Advanced novice here, eg; Win98, XPH & Vista Ho Prem, ie; experienced in installs and repairs. Trying to install a Windows 7 Pro OEM Builder Pack, but couldn't get it to run (NTDLR is missing, BOOTMGR 'was' missing').

Supposing what needed done was to format and wipe the partitions on the problem hard drive, so I did. Then tried simply turning on the laptop with the Windows 7 cd in the cd-dvd drive (assuring that the BIOS was set to boot from the cd drive).

That failed with a black screen indicating a failed automated attempt to boot from a network. So having on hand the only cd that loads drivers and displays a "Vista" recovery manager, I used that cd to get the 'install windows' window up on the screen, then removed that cd and inserted the Windows 7 cd (I don't find any other online downloadable iso for a windows 7 boot cd, assumedly one also having basic files and that also brings up a 'recovery manager', so I'm using the one that brings up the 'install vista' recovery manager).

After some 10 mins or so, a new window appeared ("install windows" denoting 'Select the driver to be installed.'), but that window's pane listed nothing, ie; no drivers to select.

A top that window, another one ("Load Driver" denoted "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or flash drive, please insert it now. Note: If the Windows installation media is in the CD/DVD drive, you can safely remove it for this step.").

Maybe the driver isn't being detected because the supposedly new W7 CD is so awfully stained, also has a very odd ring midway thru the disk, plus even has tiny scratches might be the cause, but if not and after I get a replacement W7 CD, if the same thing is prompted, assumedly I'll be needing the optical drive's driver which I'd then use the initial window's "browse" button to point to my flash drive where I'll have filed the driver, maybe even needing to change the SATA configuration in BIOS setup from "Enhanced" to "Compatible", save and exit, then Windows setup will be able to detect and install OS off of the oprtical drive? Well see.

Okay, back from 'the store' (they as expected, refused to replace it ('call MS'). So as last resort (to MS-oblivion), I decided to try using my external read-writer (one that's rarely ever failed me at reading poor quality disks). Voloua! Despite the condition of the disk, it seems I'm finally on my way. Of note I needed not the use of the 'Windows Vista Recovery Disc'(neosmart's posted one) when I simply plugged in my reader's USB into the problem Vista machine (and just turned it on), kinda surprising as I've repeatedly re-set the BIOS to boot from the CD/DVD drive (and yet the W7 "disc" seems to have smart technology built in.

Soo, now I'm going thru various webpages trying to figure out (for sure if I need to use the 'custom' install, likely so in any respect, but moreover because I'm uncertain if I need/want a second partition (or even a first one, I'm that much still a novice).

History -

Currently jumped from frying pan to fire, ie; after suspecting I likely had an undetected virus-malware-trojan (severely sluggish system), against my better judgment (ref. past experience), I installed SpyBot S&D, ran it, was oddly prompted of an issue regarding "543 GB" temp folder (supposedly) on the 160 GB system, so I allowed SpyBot to 'fix' it.

As soon as I tried re-booting, it wouldn't (black screen, 'BOOTMGR is missing'). The I used the system's recovery manager to access the onboard recovery drive partition and successfully used it's "repair my computer" feature.

Anyway, after looking up the SpyBot restore point, believe I ran that .reg file I believe thereby having un-done the one SpyBot scan changes. Then I successfully used system restore (to go back to before I installed SpyBot).

Then at the req'd re-boot, I once again found the black screen and 'BOOTMGR is missing'.

Spent every day now for 2 weeks trying to get HP to tell me if they have and will sell me a recovery disk (unbelievably they can't answer me that, but that's another story).

Still able to at least look at drive properties, I noticed that the contents of C and D appeared swapped (D being 140 GB and C being some 9GB), so I followed advice and used partitionwizard.com's 'free bootable cd now' (disk partition wizard) and at least confirmed that 'D' was active, but oddly that utility seemed to correctly indicate C as being the larger and D the smaller (that differed from what the drive properties were telling me).

So I tried using that wizard's 'fix MBR' feature. It reported it had, but on re-boots, still the black screen and 'BOOTMGR missing'.

Figuring I'd exhausted all efforts at obtaining HP or even forum help, I decided that the virus-trojan-malware must be on the larger 'C' drive, so I used the disk partition wizard's feature for formatting the C drive (hoping that then I could access the recovery drive. No soap as then it prompted (still does) that NTDLR is missing.

Figuring it was time to relent and 'take it to the shop', I went into a well known electronics outlet, showed them that, at this point, all I could get the laptop to do was indicate that I had four recovery-reinstall options.

Those being (as indicated by the CD boot disk's recovery manager), one, running commands, two, re-installing 'Vista', three, "load drivers" (at the prompt where the 'system recovery options' window shows no operating system in the now blank pane), and four, windows complete pc restore.

Then I sort of let the shop's repair center supervisor talk me into buying a Windows 7 Pro OEM System Builder Pack, ref. her stating that that since the C drive was formatted, the partitions(s) corrupted and/or the MBR as well, that my running the Windows 7 CD would allow me to boot back to Windows.

Apparently that's wrong as I'm still getting the black screen with 'NTDLR is missing', plus my use of my mentioned freeware boot CD (the one that allows me to load it's files and see 'recovery manager's set of prompting windows) isn't accepting the Windows 7 key (nor even the Vista's key).

I'm guessing now that whatever started the issue with 'BOOTMGR is missing', probably was something that corrupted one or more partitions (I think I have three. ref. C, D and once seen 3+GB "X: drive").

Nevertheless, I'm pretty certain the combinations of my running commands for bootrec /fixboot, bootrec /fixmbr and bootrec /RebuildBcd, that and my latest uses of disk partition wizard's features for 'fix MBR' and 'format C drive', essentially have me from the pan, into the fire.

I've been trying to get the Windows 7 CD to run but so far no soap with respect to all the recovery mgr's three options (that leaves me the command function yet to try, but I'm no DOS guy).

Is there anyone who knows what might be done to simply get Windows 7 to install? At this point I'm not even concerned about trying to save the recovery drive, might be handy but I'm guessing not, what with my going to Windows 7, it seems anything on the recovery drive is likely all Vista related, less the HP drivers.

Note: Some months ago, I did make an effort at creating a recovery disk(s), but failed (maybe something to do with the DVD-R's I had in use), then tried using CD's, but after something like 14 of them, I gave up on that idea, big mistake nmbr 1).

Apologies for so much info here, but if anyone can help, the story needs be told.

Best regards and happ-e-trails to all,

wguru

 

[FZ21Z]

Hi.

If you've got all your personal files backed up, wipe the whole drive clean using Diskpart with command prompt at boot, and try from there, or have a read of this for - Windows 7 Recovery Disks.

 

[wguru]

update - see edited post, para 5 or 6

Thank you for your confirmation. May have missed it at some point. Have done this and now am trying to figure out if I want/need a second partition made during the 'custom' install that I believe is in order (given my circumstances).

Now trying to determine if the custom W7 Pro install will afford setting up a recovery drive, or if it's so complicated that it's simply not worth it (what with my now having an OEM disc).

Thanks again.

 

[wguru]

Install didn't prompt for my input on partitioning (phew).

Apparently default installs add partitioning, ref. C's status lists (148 Gb/84 free) "boot, page file, crash dump & primary partition".

But (to me sort of) odd, I see what might be another partition, ref. System Reserved (100 Mb/38 free) status "system, active, primary partition" (assumably the BIOS)?

 

[theog]

This is the Win7 repair partition.

 

[wguru]

Yes I realized my misnomering 'BIOS' vs.' recovery' partition. Slip of the typed tongue, but was too late to edit it. Thanks though.

 

[Barman58]

In preparation for any future partitioning/Install issues I would suggest you take a look at Partition magic - they provide a bootable partition manager disc that I have found invaluable. It has even allowed me to boot into a recovery partition on a hosed system where the normal boot keys fail.

Partition Wizard is a Magic Server Partition Manager Software for Windows Server 2000/2003/2008 and Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7.

When dealing with a system drive never boot from that system.

and the price for this peace of mind - $0.00