Installed new HDD, system SSD won't boot.

[Mariohead]

I have a 260 GB SSD with my Windows 7 system on it, and I connected an old laptop HDD. Afterwards, it booted from the laptop HDD, and I did some perusing to run my Windows 7 disk and boot from that to "activate" my OS on my SSD.

I tried this, but it doesn't display anything. I have disconnected all of the other HDDs (two laptop HDDs total) and now nothing is listed in terms of disks with Windows on it. It says, "If your operating system isn't listed, click Load Drivers and then install drivers for your hard disks." I can do this, and it brings up my SSD with all of the folders. Would this be a place to load a driver? I am not sure what I am looking for.

I have spent about an hour looking elsewhere online but it doesn't seem that any body else has had my problem (or I wasn't able to find it). It recognizes my SSD in the BIOS, but it simply won't load from it. As well, when it was loading from my laptop HDD's OS (Windows 7 Professional 64-bit), I was able to access my C: drive (the SSD) and all of its folders.

Any insight would be great. I figure I could probably just do a reinstall on this drive, but I would really prefer to not have to do that.

 

[Maguscreed]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html
I would run through that, it almost sounds like your bootmgr has gone mia.

 

[Mariohead]

Under step 5 in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html it does not list my operating system.

Regardless, I have ran the Startup Repair five separate times now, and it still does not boot or recognize the OS. When I check the diagnosis, it says:

Root cause found:
The partition table does not have a valid System Partition.

I'm about ready to just format the SSD and reinstall Windows 7.

On a related note, when I look at disks to install Windows 7, it does not recognize my 1TB HDD or the new HDD. The only two disks it shows is the SSD (which I will install on) and the other laptop HDD.

 

[Mariohead]

I've been following the steps in this thread: http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/36367-invalid-system-partition-2.html It seems like it was a very similar issue to mine.

I used the command lines:

Diskpart

lis vol

I found 2 partitions, and both were in healty status.

I then sel vol C

act

exi

It then tried booting saying:

BOOTMGR is missing
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

Finally, I went to return and run some more of the Startup Recovery and when I clicked "Repair your computer" it gives me an error "This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows." Which is a big bummer because it is the same disc I'm using for System Recovery Options as which I installed with.

I will continue playing and doing research. Thanks for the help so far, Maguscreed.

 

[Mariohead]

I decided to quit messing with it and just do a clean install... but now it's telling me that the disk doesn't have the right partition table. "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks."

I'm at a loss. I need to leave soon, but I will continue work tonight. I also plan to get some CD-Rs so I can make bootable disks with some partition utilities and hopefully I can get this resolved tonight.

 

[Maguscreed]

yeah this is a problem you get when your source disk is pre sp1 and your install is post sp1.
You get the stupid version notice.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you have a valid Windows 7 installation disc, boot from it, go to diskpart, and use the clean command to wipe the disk.

Disconnect all hard drives other than the one that will receive Windows before you start.

Then create a new primary partition while still in diskpart, mark it active, format it, exit diskpart and continue with the install. Select the partition you just created when you come to the "where do you want to install Windows" screen.

 

[Mariohead]

The disk includes SP1 (I just bought it a couple of months ago). I figured out it was a quirk with my BIOS, I switched the boot order so the non UEFI bluray drive was first. I was able to re-install and go from there. It is now working, and I am just looking forward to a night of reinstalling programs on the computer.