Recover boot partition

[jrc3]

INFO
I installed Vmware ESXi onto a usb key and I am pretty sure it it blew away my boot partition.

I booted with the win7 dvd and can get to a dos prompt and see the 2nd partition with my files. But when I try and assigning a letter with diskpart to the 1st partition it say it does not contain a recognizable file system. So I cant recover my boot information.

I have windows 7 installed in a VHD inside the 2nd partition. The 2nd partition is assigned the letter D: and when I boot a VHD it gets assigned the letter C:

QUESTION
Is there a way to recreate the boot partition and files in it so I can set the bcdedit information to point to my VHDs.

I am going to try and run a boot cd with a partition recovery program to try and see if the data was lost or if the boot block was just destroyed.
Maybe I can just do something like fixdisk /mbr and get the first partition back? I was thinking about installing to a usb key and then pointing to the vhd from there. Not sure what to do yet.

 

[Snufffed]

I have windows 7 installed in a VHD inside the 2nd partition. The 2nd partition is assigned the letter D: and when I boot a VHD it gets assigned the letter C:

That seems normal.
you might try. cmd prompt -> bcdedit -> scrowl to see where your {bootmgr} is located.
That might help. since this seems WRONG:

I am pretty sure it it blew away my boot partition.

if you did not have then you simply would loose all ability to boot.
I'd try "diskmgnt" to assign the drive letter. then set active

 

[jrc3]

well I did lose all ability to boot.

disk 0 shows
volume 2, ltr, c, fs, raw, healthy
volume 3, ltr, d, fs ntfs, healthy

attaching my vhd shows
volume 8, ltr k, fs, ntfs healthy

should I use imagex and use the boot wim out of the recovery folder?
then use bootrec and /rebuildbcd?

not sure how when I boot the vhd takes over drive c instead of having the os seeing K as the root drive

 

[Snufffed]

The VHD is actually a boot to OS so you never lost all ABILITY to Boot to OS.

disk 0 shows
volume 2, ltr, c, fs, raw, healthy

Also my understand is HDD=raw is data on it is corrupt.
I'd set volume 2 active, primary, then reboot an see if the raw status is changed.
if not then I'd FORMAT c: /fs:ntfs
then work on transferring the VHD image to C: where you can then move the {bootmgr} to C: where as it then would be you Boot drive.

 

[jrc3]

The VHD is actually a boot to OS so you never lost all ABILITY to Boot to OS.

disk 0 shows
volume 2, ltr, c, fs, raw, healthy

Also my understand is HDD=raw is data on it is corrupt.
I'd set volume 2 active, primary, then reboot an see if the raw status is changed.
if not then I'd FORMAT c: /fs:ntfs
then work on transferring the VHD image to C: where you can then move the {bootmgr} to C: where as it then would be you Boot drive.

Your theory might be correct but in practice it doesnt work. since there is no boot information on the vhd or the 3rd volume