Solved Got tricked into deleting a valid System Reserved Partition

[jasjeet]

I just had it slaved, am i doomed?

I have not run the WIndows 7 DVD to repair yet, that will do when i get back to the PC the Drive belongs too.

ATM i just restored the partition with its files back to what it was.

I think after Repairing the Drive in the PC it belongs to at Uni should fix it, right?

 

[SIW2]

If the newly undeleted partition is showing as System - then it is fine.

The only thing you needed to do was undelete it .

 

[gregrocker]

Recovered 100mb isn't flagged System, Si. Why would that be?

Your options as I see it when you return the HD to its native computer, after unplugging all other HD's, is to run Startup Repair on active SysReserved until it starts,

or if it won't start move the Active flag to Win7 partition itself using PW CD, from Disk tab run Rebuild MBR,

then if it doesn't start run Startup Repair repeatedly until it does.

If this fails we can help you try to rebuild the SysReserved partition from scratch which sometimes works better than trying to salvage it and may only work on the original machine.

 

[jasjeet]

It isnt showing up as System, i thought i would have to repair the Drive in the PC at Uni for that to happen?

At Uni, i have virtually no access to another Desktop machine to slave the drive. Only thing i have is Windwos DVD =/

I could take one blank 160Gb Drive with me, install Win 7 to it, then i would have a bit more access to resources.

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, wait to repair on native machine. Let us know what happens.

We have several other tricks to rescue your install if SysReserved is corrupt including rebuilding it, moving System Active flag to Win7 itself, even installing a Win7 rescue partition to boot your old install.

Another HD is always good (especially for backup) but keep it unplugged during repairs.

 

[SIW2]

If all Jasjeet did was delete the 101mb - then undeleting it is all that is required.

If it worked properly before - then it will work properly now.

You will only have one partition showing as system. That is the one with the live bcd hive.

Jasjeet has two potential system partitions - the 100mb, and the newly undeleted 101mb ( assuming it is flagged Active).

Bios will attempt to boot whichever of those two HD's is first in boot order.

Of course, if he boots the HD with the 101mb - he may or may not have already added bcd entry for his original o/s installation - he didn't say.

If I understand what he is saying - the 100mb is still showing as system - that's fine.

Windows will only change a disk ID if you have two identical ones - not likely in this case.

 

[jasjeet]

The PC at Uni only has 2x1Tb drives, one of which we have been talking about in this thread and another full of data, which was not present at the time of install of Win 7 on this 1Tb Drive.

So this HDD should not be relying on anything to boot apart from itself, looking at the drive compared to my other 500Gb Drive in my current PC which also had 0 drives attatched during the Win 7 install apart from itself, it has the System property, so i am still concerned that my 1Tb does not have it, though what you say is plausible, its not consistent. In fact none of the paritions on the 1Tb drive have System property, so something clearly cant be right.

Could be that System property only appears when the Drive has been booted, hence why the current OS on the 500Gb has System property.

I guess we will find out soon enough =|

 

[SIW2]

A partition will only show as system if it is the partition that was used to boot your o/s - there can only be one system partition showing at any one time - irrespective of the number of HD's you have connected.

The o/s partition will be identified as "boot" and the active partition containing live bcd will be shown as "system".

They may be on diferent HD'S or on the same one.

It is entirely consistent.

You will only have one partition showing as system. That is the one with the live bcd hive.

 

[jasjeet]

Ahh right, got it, so itll probably be ok when i boot it.

 

[SIW2]

Yes - unless you have done something else to it.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[jasjeet]

Yeah i didnt do anything apart from, right click delete parition, restore partition with software you advised, then marked as active.
Ill post results in about 16hours.

 

[jasjeet]

It booted first time, no repair was required =D all is well!

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Good to see you got it running and thanks for the update.

 

[SIW2]

Hi Jasjeet,

Thanks for posting back.

Glad it's working for you