Need help starting Windows 7 on boot up.

[wee]

wee: Please continue to monitor and help with this OP and other Linux issues as they are constant - 3 today!

Many of us avoid them because we are more Windows 7 focused, so your help will be greatly appreciated by all.

No problem but I am a pseudo geek, compared to the average user I am a full geek but to the ones that really know I am a poser. The problems people have with dual booting are one of the areas I work on, as at the Ubuntu Forums we have lots of people with identical problems. My first concern always is do no harm, so I try to be very careful when helping others.

 

[kittyhawk63]

Just for the record here I am able to switch from a ms bootloader or grub in the MBR easily. The grub corruption is probably not in the Linux partitions it is in the MBR. I also have never gotten a ms bootloader restored in the MBR with the 3 repair clicks, with grub in the MBR I have to use this to restore MS. How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows

Thanks for stepping in and helping Greg, a MS pro is what this needs to get things back in order. The only problem I am seeing here is that yes grub is the problem but it is the MBR not the Linux Partitions. These partitions can be deleted easily with a Ubuntu live cd using gparted, you just have to turn off swap with a right click on it to delete them. Also you can make them NTFS partitions with gparted. When I install W7 I use gparted to build the partition 1st.
It's been discussed before, but probably needs repeating. I cannot boot to the LiveCD. I've tried a number of times. Cold and hot boots always take me to the GRUB. I no longer have Linux installed. That is probably why GRUB freezes. It does not know what to do since there is no Linux installed. That is why I am trying to get rid of GRUB...without reinstalling Windows 7.
So Greg you can confirm this but the commands from a recovery disc that fixes the MBR for me are 1st Bootrec.exe then Bootrec.exe /FixMbr this should reload MS to the MBR, and wipe away grub. In the link are other commands that may be needed, we know grub is the problem but not to the extent of anything on the partitions but in the MBR.

I would get a oem install DVD so that in the end you have a way to reinstall in the future if needed, in a manner that is legitimate with the manufacturer and MS. And you will have all the tools on one DVD that will make recovery if needed easy.
I now have a legit oem install DVD. Can I use it to repair the MBR?
Hope this all gets fixed, it will, the manufacturer will provide or MS a DVD for little cost maybe even free to reload W7 if it comes to that. MS wants you to keep using MS and are easily dealt with if shown respect, when contacted.

Also if you do a system restore with the key prompt at boot, grub will not be back it is wiped away.
Can you elaborate on this? Where do I find system restore on bootup? Edit: I am off to see if I can find it. Edit: Grub will not let me get to it. I am going to use my oem. Looks like my only choice. I have not deleted the four partitions yet. That may help. I just deleted them. Waiting for an iso to burn and then I wil reboot and see what happens.
I think a little to much focus on grub here is causing some problems, it is quite easy to manipulate especially grub .97 which Ubuntu 7.10 came with. It is the barrier but not to the extent I think is believed here, this is I think from not understanding how it works.
I am sure you're right. I has been a long time since I used Linux.
I apologize, but I thought it was Ubuntu 7.10. I had installed an earlier version 6.06.1 LTS.

Thanks wee for your input.

 

[wee]

I would let Greg give you instructions on how to get to the repair, I forget the exact process. I use the Install DVD which is what the recovery does is run you to that repair point. Right now I am almost done with a long download that I don't want to interrupt. I will then pop my W7 DVD in and reinstall the W7 boot loader then grub again so I am up to speed. I like to live on the edge as far as my computers go.

 

[kittyhawk63]

Well, I deleted the four partitions that gregrocker told me to. I rebooted and GRUB is still there. I can still boot to Windows 7 using my Super GRUB CD disk. That suggests to me that GRUB must be in the MBR. I pressed F8 on bootup when suggested but it still went to GRUB, so I inserted the Windows OEM and booted to it. I got to the part about doing a system restore and it stopped with a warning. Have you recently attached a camera or some other device, detach and restart...or something to that effect? I had a joy stick that has been attached since last year. I pulled it from the USB and re-ran system restore. I got the same warning. There is nothing attached to the computer except my broadband modem. Could that be the culprit it wants me to detach? It looks like a fresh install is fast approaching. I hate doing that, but it may be the only alternative. Any other suggestions? Did I read somewhere that I can do an MBR recovery from inside Windows 7?

 

[wee]

Since you can at this point boot into W7 with super grub. Go to the Ubuntu Forums post the boot script and that your trying to get the MBR set to MS again.

I suspect that this can be fixed, but it needs somebody who is a multi OS user who understands the situation, here is the script link again.
SourceForge.net: Boot Info Script - Project Web Hosting - Open Source Software

We have people who install Ubuntu first and various forms of Windows and other not optimal installations as far as what is easiest as Gregrocker described as W7 then Linux. Most of the time we can get them back on the road.
SourceForge.net: Boot Info Script - Project Web Hosting - Open Source Software

I don't know how to PM on this site but if you post I am wilee-nilee there send me a message and I will direct the people who I know, this stuff to your thread when and if they are on line. Here is a link to my info page.
http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=906928

 

[kittyhawk63]

Since you can at this point boot into W7 with super grub. Go to the Ubuntu Forums post the boot script and that your trying to get the MBR set to MS again.
I have been there several times but I can't figure out how to post.
I suspect that this can be fixed, but it needs somebody who is a multi OS user who understands the situation, here is the script link again.
SourceForge.net: Boot Info Script - Project Web Hosting - Open Source Software

We have people who install Ubuntu first and various forms of Windows and other not optimal installations as far as what is easiest as Gregrocker described as W7 then Linux. Most of the time we can get them back on the road.
SourceForge.net: Boot Info Script - Project Web Hosting - Open Source Software

I don't know how to PM on this site but if you post I am wilee-nilee there send me a message and I will direct the people who I know, this stuff to your thread when and if they are on line. Here is a link to my info page.
You PM by clicking on the person's username and a popup will give you some choices to make. Choose send the person a message.
Ubuntu Forums - View Profile: wilee-nilee

Thanks wee

 

[wee]

You just have to make a account with a password. Hit register in the window from the link and you will be in. Ubuntu Forums

 

[kittyhawk63]

You just have to make a account with a password. Hit register in the window from the link and you will be in. Ubuntu Forums

I've already signed up. But I can't find where to post.

 

[wee]

You can post in absolute beginner or general I think it doesn't matter all posts are put in the main area to look at. Absolute Beginner Talk - Ubuntu Forums This is the absolute beginners part not that you actually are. Go to the bottom of the page click on start a new thread and give it a title like reloading the MBR, then on the thread your starting page what you do is, you can add tags like Window, MBR.....etc. Just give a brief description that you removed Ubuntu and need to reload the MBR and post the script. The script is run from a live cd even the 6.10 will work I believe it will put the text from the script on the desktop. The best way to do the script download is to get the script on the desktop then use the command given on the bootscript page to run it and save the script readout to a thumb or just go to the forums on the CD to post it. Make sure you have that recovery disc burned and you should be set.

I have learned a lot from this site, but I am partial to the people on The UF site for definitive answers. This doesn't mean that they will get any closer to fixing this but I think it is quite possible. And if it does get fixed you can post how it was done and we all benefit

Grub has changed to a new version in the last 2 releases so I can see why it is so difficult to fix. That is why this script is so helpful, it says what grub version is being used and pretty much everything a person needs to fix a problem if they know how to read it and what to do. At this point we are just trying to get rid of the little party bummer.

 

[kittyhawk63]

Stupid me. lol I see the New Thread now. I was looking for the words New Post. Thanks wee.

I am closing this thread here. I will resume my search in fixing this problem on UbuntuForums.com. Thanks to those who have given their best effort in getting this problem resolved. I really appreciate your kind assistance. If you have anything to add, I will check back here every few hours until I resolve this issue one way or another.
kittyhawk63

 

[gregrocker]

Did you boot the Win7 DVD, select Repair My Computer on second screen, then see if it finds an installation to repair, or offers up a repair?

If that repair doesn't work, then boot back in to Repair and click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair repeatedly with reboots to attempt to repair or rewrite the MBR to Win7 System Reserved boot partition which holds the active MBR.

If this will not start Win7, then I have one more suggestion:. Since the MBR appears to be corrupted by GRUB, and is isolated on the 100mb System Reserved partition, then you can boot the PW CD, right click 100mb partition, select Wipe Partition for deepest possible clean., OK.

You can also then rightclick>Resize Win7 into that 100mb space, sliding the left Win7 border all the way to the left, OK.

Next rightclick Win7 to Modify>Mark Active, OK, Apply all steps.

Now rewrite the MBR into Win7 without any GRUB corruption. Boot Win7 DVD, select Repair, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots to write MBR to Win7.

 

[wee]

Just sent you an answer to your PM. Thanks Gregrocker for the help, this forum is a great one I direct people here as well, if the geeks are not on line at the UF. I hope that isn't where all the people are coming from that are having problems in this area. For me this is a community effort to help each other if possible.

 

[hubris]

Hi, i just had the same hassle. Finally d'ld >

Parted Magic 4.10

Make backup of c: only, not mbr.

boot from cd/dvd and don't mount any partitons and simply delete c:, format and then delete again.

Restore backup.

 

[kittyhawk63]

I have been able to get this resolved over at UbuntuForum.com. Thanks to all that gave me any suggestions. I really appreciate all the assistance I received here.

thread closed

 

[wee]

So that you all know this was fixed with the instructions I tried to give here. The auto-repair I think gets thrown off with another bootloader like grub being there but if you run these commands it will reload the MS boot-loader. So you all might want to consider that the auto-repair works okay as long as everything is MS, but when another bootloader has been added to the MBR you have to use the command line to fix it. No deep cleaning needed.

Repairing the MBR. as described by kittyhawk63

Here are the steps that I took:
1) Boot with your Vista/Windows 7 installation disk. Hit <Enter> at the language selection prompt then hit <R> for Repair to get to the Repair section.
2) Select the command prompt (console) and type in the following commands:
BootRec.exe /fixmbr (#updates MBR master boot record...do not run if you still want grub)
chkdsk /r
BootRec.exe /FixBoot (#updates PBR partition boot)
BootRec.exe /ScanOs
BootRec.exe /RebuildBcd

To give everybody credit this forum thread was a great help to understand how to get to the command terminal, this was a group effort by both forums.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20864-mbr-restore-windows-7-master-boot-record.html

peace