Troubleshooting startup help needed

[jetteichert]

Okay I have had Win7 Prof 64bit running fine for a while. I needed to backup my mbp and all my other HDDs are dead (thanks to a MBP that killed them all, screw you apple). I decided since my desktop HDD is 500gb and I am using 100gb, I could use it.

I shrunk the partition in Win7, reformatted the new 200gb partition to fat32, leaving my original @ 300gb (with 100gb in use, so I know I partitioned the right one). I had no probalem using the 200gb as a time machine backup in a new MBP apple gave me.

Now that I put the drive back into my desktop it will not boot!!!!. At first it said MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM, then I realized I plugged it into 2SATA6 instead of 2SATA0. Once I changed where it was plugged in, I got an error "DISK BOOT FAILURE". I then inserted the Win7 disc I have, went to repair it and the HDD did not show up in the repair option.

I decided to see if the HDD showed up in the install option and it did (with 100gb still in use).

Anyone have any ideas what is wrong?

I think the master boot record got messed up.

 

[seekermeister]

Check your boot priority in the BIOS. Often when moving HDs around, it will change the priority on it's own, and be going to the wrong HD.

EDIT: After reading closer, it would seem that if the W7 disc didn't see the HD, then there is something else wrong. Recheck your cables and connections to ensure that they are proper and secure.

I would strongly recommend that when multi-booting, that each OS be on a separate drive, and when installing, all other drives be disconnected. Obviously, this will not give you a regular boot menu, but you can then choose the OS to boot by selecting it's HD either in the F8 BBS Popup Menu, or by changing boot priority in the BIOS.

Why did you choose to format in FAT32?

 

[jetteichert]

Check your boot priority in the BIOS. Often when moving HDs around, it will change the priority on it's own, and be going to the wrong HD.

EDIT: After reading closer, it would seem that if the W7 disc didn't see the HD, then there is something else wrong. Recheck your cables and connections to ensure that they are proper and secure.

I would strongly recommend that when multi-booting, that each OS be on a separate drive, and when installing, all other drives be disconnected. Obviously, this will not give you a regular boot menu, but you can then choose the OS to boot by selecting it's HD either in the F8 BBS Popup Menu, or by changing boot priority in the BIOS.

Why did you choose to format in FAT32?

Win 7 saw the HDD went I hit install, all partitions and everything. It did not see it when I clicked repair.

OSX does not like free space, it does not like NTFS, it likes FAT32.

 

[Saltgrass]

You drives are not dead unless they have had a mechanical failure. There are utilities that can, or should, be able to recover them.

In case you did not notice, during the install there is a disk options button you can use to remove and add or reformat partitions.

 

[jetteichert]

You drives are not dead unless they have had a mechanical failure. There are utilities that can, or should, be able to recover them.

Hi, no one said anything about them being dead. In fact I have said the opposite, twice so far I have said they can be seen and viewed.

In case you did not notice, during the install there is a disk options button you can use to remove and add or reformat partitions.

HI, did you even read my 2 previous posts? Mainly the parts about when you hit install on Win7 it shows the drives. This would be the exact spot you are talking, so what is the point of reformatting a drive with useful information on it?

 

[Saltgrass]

all my other HDDs are dead (thanks to a MBP that killed them all, screw you apple).

Maybe I misread this... :sarc:

I shrunk the partition in Win7, reformatted the new 200gb partition to fat32, leaving my original @ 300gb (with 100gb in use, so I know I partitioned the right one). I had no probalem using the 200gb as a time machine backup in a new MBP apple gave me.

How would anyone determine where or how you formatted the drive using this statement. You do not even explain why you formatted using FAT32.

I did read you posts, but it is a little hard to follow with you jumping back and forth between computers and drives.

Make sure you are not confusing a 100mb partition with a 100 GB partition. Win 7 will sometimes put in a small partition for its own use.

Now that I put the drive back into my desktop it will not boot!!!!. At first it said MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM, then I realized I plugged it into 2SATA6 instead of 2SATA0. Once I changed where it was plugged in, I got an error "DISK BOOT FAILURE". I then inserted the Win7 disc I have, went to repair it and the HDD did not show up in the repair option.

After you changed the connections, did you go through the bios to make sure drive was set up correctly there as far as drive priority and boot priority?