Lost windows 7 mbr

[adman9000]

Hiya, I hope someone can help me with this as I've got quite a headache at this point...

Basically at the moment I have an installation of windows 7 which I cannot get into, I just get that lovely 'BOOTMGR is missing' message. I have tried all the tricks with the Windows 7 cd - automated repairs, repairs via the commandline with bootrec etc and nothing makes any difference. It claims to have worked but when I restart I get the same old message.

In the process of trying to fix this I have also buggered up my installation of Ubuntu on a separate drive so I cant even boot into that either.

The issue started after installing Ubuntu, I didn't want a dual boot machine where you select the OS from a list each time you start up, I wanted it to boot from one drive or the other based on the BIOS settings so I removed my Windows drive, installed ubuntu & tested that, then plugged the windows drive back in and tried to boot into it. Thats the point where things started going a bit poo..

Please please help before the final showdown between my forehead and the desk..

 

[bigmck]

Hiya, I hope someone can help me with this as I've got quite a headache at this point...

Basically at the moment I have an installation of windows 7 which I cannot get into, I just get that lovely 'BOOTMGR is missing' message. I have tried all the tricks with the Windows 7 cd - automated repairs, repairs via the commandline with bootrec etc and nothing makes any difference. It claims to have worked but when I restart I get the same old message.

In the process of trying to fix this I have also buggered up my installation of Ubuntu on a separate drive so I cant even boot into that either.

The issue started after installing Ubuntu, I didn't want a dual boot machine where you select the OS from a list each time you start up, I wanted it to boot from one drive or the other based on the BIOS settings so I removed my Windows drive, installed ubuntu & tested that, then plugged the windows drive back in and tried to boot into it. Thats the point where things started going a bit poo..

Please please help before the final showdown between my forehead and the desk..

Did you go into BIOS and change your boot sequence when you were working before? That could be your problem. == Go in BIOS and make sure that the first boot option is your DVD drive and that the second is the drive that your Win 7 is on. Do not list a third option.

 

[mjf]

I'd physically pull the sata cable from the Ubuntu drive and run startup Repair (up to 3 times) with only the windows 7 disk connected.

As you probably know this will rebuild your MBR, and system boot files on your Windows 7 disk. I'd stick with Windows repair at this stage.

 

[whs]

Did you have the MBR on the Win7 partition or in the 100MB active boot partition. You may have a chance to fix it (but in the right partition) with this program - look under the Disk tab.

Fixing the Ubuntu Grub is a different matter. There I cannot help you. Maybe this can help: Reinstall Ubuntu Grub Bootloader After Windows Wipes it Out - How-To Geek

 

[adman9000]

Hurrah! it just booted up. I had a look at partition manager and decided to basically wipe any partitions I didnt like the look of (was slightly fed up by this stage!) then unplugged all drives except the windows one and ran startup repair a few times. So I guess some combination of the above replies worked, thanks!

I think I'll leave Ubuntu til tomorrow...

 

[whs]

Glad you are making headway. Looks like you used the shotgun approach. You probably deleted the 100MB boot partition - and then you were able to add the MBR to C: which you must have made "active".

 

[mjf]

Don't argue with a shotgun - glad it worked.
I think it's safer to BIOS boot Ubuntu on it's own Disk.