need to change my system volume to another disk

[darewinder]

I will try to make it simple. I installed windows 7 from an external hdd by making a partion active.

install went through fine. but the problem is. the external hdd that i installed from became the system partion under disk management, and now i cant boot to os without having my external hdd connected.

How can i move the system files. bcd files onto my os hdd.

I had the same problem earlier but forgot the fix. It was some commands from bcdedit or bcdsomething.

 

[gregrocker]

Boot Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, open a Command Line to mark Win7 partition Active using DISKPART Commands given here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

Next using the same steps as above, mark the external HD Inactive.

Now power down, unplug external HD, set Win7 as first HD to boot in BIOS setup if not already, then boot back into DVD/repair CD, accept any offered repair. When this fails to start Win7, boot back in again to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts. Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times - Windows 7 Forums.URL

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

 

[darewinder]

hmm thanks alot for the post but forgot to mention. no optical drive. SIW2 from these forums gave a post about how to do this in cmd

it had to do with moving the bcd files into another drive

 

[gregrocker]

I would write the System Repair disk ISO above to a 256mb+ flash stick as you need it for emergency repairs. Use UltraISO trial Bootable tab to Write image to stick, format first.

Otherwise try accessing Repair My Computer by tapping F8 at bootup as it is placed there if you have the 100mb System Reserved partition.

 

[Night Hawk]

No optical drive! That's precisely the same problem seen with netbooks! And the solution? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

The good old usb key concept used for the 7 betas and RCs too. Welcome to SF! darewinder

If you can boot from a flash drive you can easily run the repair tools and even the command prompt option for rebuiding the BCD store and boot sector information without the need to have the external drive plugged in to see the main drive made bootable on it's own.

Once you are booted from an install key and select the repair tools option you simply refer to the MS support page for this seen at How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd

You follow that set of commands with the Fixmbr and Fixboot comands as well to insure everything is all set and you'll be good to go. From there you can simply reformat the external drive and set it up for storage and backup.

 

[darewinder]

tried doing repair but it says that my version of windows installed is different

 

[gregrocker]

Which did you boot to try repair?

 

[Night Hawk]

You may end needing to use the factory restore option in that case. Without an optical drive you would now need to see a clean install perform using the usb flash drive method.

The repair method there was one last step to see if you could build a new BCD store since this has worked for drives here to make them stand alone once the host drive was unplugged with all the boot files, etc.. Since this was a custom install and hopefully fresh without much on the usb install key option would go fast however and insure the best working results having a bootable main drive.

 

[karlsnooks]

Darewinder,

Do you have the System Repair Disc as an ISO file?

Do you have the System Repair Disc on a bootable USB stick?

 

[darewinder]

nope nada.

Well i cant even boot anymore because bcd is not found on the external hdd as well....

So will have to make a repair cd.

Where can i get the iso for the repair cd and what do i do after i boot from the cd

edit never mind i saw ur post. I have alot of classes so bare with me dont have much time :/

 

[karlsnooks]

I only have a 32bit system so can't zip it up and send it to you.

You need a 64bit system repair disc for a 64 bit system. The 32bit and 64 bit discs are not interchangeable.

One solution that may be feasible for you:

If you have a friend with a 64 bit system, go to his computer and use following to put system repair disc on a usb stick.
========================================
WIN 7 SYSTEM REPAIR DISC ON A BOOTABLE USB

Putting a Win 7 System Repair Disc on a bootable USB consists of three steps:
1. Create a System Repair Disc
2. Prepare a USB stick
3. Copy the System Repair Disc to the USB

Step 1. Create a System Repair Disc
START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button

Step 2. Prepare a USB stick
The stick is prepared by running CMD.EXE as an administrator (also known as an elevated command prompt) and then using DiskPart to prepare the USB stick.

Elevated command prompt = Run CMD.EXE as administrator
• WIN key
• Type CMD.EXE (do not hit Enter key)
• In the Programs list, Right-Click on CMD.EXE
• Click on Run as administrator
• YES button

Use DiskPart to prepare the USB Stick
• type DiskPart, Enter key
• type List disk, Enter key
note the numeral of the disk you want to clean
for example purposes, I’ll be using the numeral 2
• type Select disk 2, Enter key
• type Detail disk, Enter key
this info will let you know if you selected correctly
• type Clean ALL, Enter key
your entire disk is being overwritten with zeros.
This can take a considerable amount of time
• type Create Partition Primary, Enter key
This will create a primary partition
• type Format fs=ntfs, Enter key
This formats the partition using the ntfs format.
• type Assign, Enter key
This assigns the next available volume letter to the volume.
• type Active, Enter key
This marks the current partition as active. Verifies that partition is capable of being a bootable partition.
• type EXIT, Enter key
This exits the DiskPart program.
• type EXIT, Enter key
This exits the command shell.

Step 3. Copy the System Repair Disc to the USB stick
Insert the System Repair Disc in the CD/DVD drive.
Using Windows Explorer, copy the entire contents to the USB stick.


You now have a bootable System Repair Disc on a USB stick.

 

[gregrocker]

I linked the Repair CD in my first post.

 

[karlsnooks]

somehow I manage to miss that. Thanks. That way he's got one step out of the way.

 

[darewinder]

i appreciate the help guys here is my current status

I managed to get a hold of external optical drive and burned a 64 bit windows 7 repair disk from my laptop.

I booted into repair cd and it said it found problems, fixed and restarted but i still have the same issue. I believe what it did was to fix the bcd on my external drive..

so my question is how can i move the bcd files from that external drive into my os drives (2 of em in raid0).

I also have all nigh for this so feel free to reply as often

 

[darewinder]

sigh.. Im gonna burn win7 to a dvd with that external optical drive guys, im givin up.

I think the problem was when i made a partion on my external hdd to be bootable. I couldnt copy all the files from the iso. I forgot to show the hidin files from folder options.

Or. i used bootsec /nt60 f: command that probobly screwed it up. (f is my exernal drive)

any how. i got 2 ssd in raid 0 so win7 should install quicly back up

 

[Night Hawk]

When booted live with a 7 repair cd or usb key you wouldn't have the external drive plugged in. For ISO images of the repair in case the external usb burner isn't availble you can always go to Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files

You would want the OS array being the only present with a 7 install or know how to choose when first seeing the repair tools detect all installations present on the system. By simply unplugging any other drive that has seen any activiry you insure the rebuilding of a new BCD store is for the array only.

Without any other drives plugged in a good clean install should wrap things up quickly while the repair operation would simply save the need. Fortunately 7 goes on much faster then seen with all the previous versions.

 

[gregrocker]

Boot Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, open a Command Line to mark Win7 partition Active using DISKPART Commands given here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

Next using the same steps as above, mark the external HD Inactive.

Now power down, unplug external HD, set Win7 as first HD to boot in BIOS setup if not already, then boot back into DVD/repair CD, accept any offered repair. When this fails to start Win7, boot back in again to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts. Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times - Windows 7 Forums.URL

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

Did you follow these steps exactly? It seems like you missed the step to unplug external HD during repair, just as you missed the link for System Repair Disk.

I do not believe the external USB install was your problem other than it was incorrectly marked active during install which is fixed by following all of the above steps. If you extracted the ISO then no files needed to be unhidden.

If you wil post back a screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map with the external HD connected we can confirm the problem and its solution. Use Snipping Tool in Start Menu, attach file using paper clip in reply box.

 

[Night Hawk]

ImgBurn won't run on the 64bit Windows. Why people continue to point at that particular program is beyond me! 7 has native support included for buring iso images to disk seeing the Iso Recorder 3.1 burning screen appear. You simply right click on the iso image itself to see the option for burning it to disk.

Another free version of one program that will work well in the 64bit as well as 32bit Windows is called StarBurn found at :: RocketDivision :: CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/HD-DVD recording and mastering (see image below)

I've been using that one for all types of disk images even before Vista's release and it's generally reliable for each burn. As far as burn speeds I typically burn cds and dvds alike at 16x and still see working results. It depnads more on the media used in most cases when running into any repeat bad burns if the image is good.

 

[karlsnooks]

Darewinder,
Raid 0 is rather useless. It just an invitation for more problems.

Next and more important:

Please follow GregRocker's advice precisely, to the letter, dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

don't worry about whether the procedure makes sense or not. This is a tried, tested, and true procedure. If MS software was perfect, then the procedure would be shorter. But the procedure, as written, is marvelous.

 

[Night Hawk]

The first part was on the money for sure knowing that Raid 0 is an open invitation for headacbes in the long run. But that's also user preference there.

As for ImgBurn that has proven to fail after several attempts on different 64bit 7 installs since the 7 betas. It would run on the 32bit while you are running the 64bit and why the warning about running into immediate problems was given for that one.

As for the MS option to burn iso images to disk 7 is the first to see this type of support and as always will tend to have it's Pros and Cons. This is why the other burning program was advised having been run on everything from XP to present if you still need a program to burn iso images and free!
(Note full version always see all features available as usual)