Solved Two HDD's, Dual boot, Wrong Drive is SYSTEM

[McGrandpa]

The simplest way to put my problem is that in DOS, I could solve it with "sys C:\" then FDisk to make sure the drive I want is Boot, Active and System.

Some years ago, I set up a 1 TB SATA drive to dual boot XP Pro 32 bit and 64 bit. Lots of things changed since then but drives C:, D: and E: are still there. I bought Win7 Pro the day M$ made it available, installed it on a new 640 gig SATA drive and somehow set up dual boot with 'older OS' (XP Pro 64, no longer runs), Win 7 Pro RC and the full retail Win 7 Pro 64. Right, the only functioning OS in the boot menu is Win 7 Pro 64 retail. I discovered yesterday morning that the new 640 gig Win 7 drive is NOT the system drive. The old 1 TB drive did not spin up and the boot menu returned the error "ntldr not found, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to reboot." DUH.

Back in DOS days gaming, I had to know how to do all this stuff manually. You sure didn't get any help from Windows! But I haven't had to even install an OS often enough to remember much about the process in years.

So, is there a simple, easy way to make my Win 7 installation drive the System drive? Then can I do away with the multi boot menu and just boot straight into Win 7 Pro like I want to?

Thanks all!

 

[gregrocker]

We need to see a picture of your maximized Disk Mgmt drive map with listings - using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu - to give you the exact steps. Screen Shots

Tell us what is on each partition, which you want to keep and elminate, and whether you want to recover the disk space for those deleted and to where.

 

[theog]

Can you post a screen shot of Disk management?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html
Screenshot tools.
http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...ed-method-uploading-posting-screen-shots.html
How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista - Vista Forums
Snipping Tool - Windows 7 features - Microsoft Windows
Use Snipping Tool to capture screen shots
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9717-screenshot-paint.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/51160-screenshot-upload-using-mwsnap.html
fscapture free download

 

[boyans]

Disconnect 1 TB drive. Reconnect 640 GB drive to be first and only HDD.

Start Windows 7 DVD/CD and http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html.

Your Windows 7 should boot.

Later attach 1 TB drive as second HDD. See if you can access data there and backup important (personal) files !

 

[McGrandpa]

I guess I was too tired to remember to leave the rig running. That old 1 TB drive didn't start this morning. I don't have a printer here yet and didn't write out the instructions I'd found in a couple of places, so booted the Win 7 64 bit DVD. Took 3 manual reboots for it to fix the windows startup issues. But I have my desktop back now. Just missing the old drive and partitions C:, D: and E: !!

Disk Management just now:

 

[McGrandpa]

Disconnect 1 TB drive. Reconnect 640 GB drive to be first and only HDD.

Start Windows 7 DVD/CD and http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html.

Your Windows 7 should boot.

Later attach 1 TB drive as second HDD. See if you can access data there and backup important (personal) files !

BOYANS, after reading these posts and others, your instructions are what my plan still is. The Win 7 setup at boot gives you clear options. I read the Help files anyway. And picked the (R)epair computer option. No brainer there. The old 1TB drive was disconnected, I checked BIOS and saw the Win 7 drive is the only drive present, other than the optical drive, and was set to boot from CD/DVD.
I got the 'ntldr not found' error twice, booted into the same repair screen twice, on the third boot, Win 7 booted.
Now, if I can sweet talk that old drive into running again, I have 537 gigs of free space on my NAS 1TB drive to get stuff over to.

Thanks!

 

[McGrandpa]

Thanks Everyone! This solution worked. Although my old drive is a problem to deal with still, Win 7 Pro x64 boots from its own drive now. Thanks again for the help!

 

[gregrocker]

Run the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan on the problem HD to check its condition and see if it can be repaired. Follow this with full Disk Check to check the file system.

It would still be good to see the Disk Mgmt screenshot as there are other factors to consider.

 

[McGrandpa]

Drive was built March 2008, it's a WD "Green" 5400 rpm 1 TB drive. It started up this afternoon. I had turned it upside down and it spun right up. I also picked up a tiny 2.5" USB 1 TB drive from WalMart today. I'll copy everything I want over to it from that old drive before I turn the system OFF again. I got a screen shot of what was and what is now current.

DiskManagement 01 is what I had before the drive wouldn't start.
DiskManagement 02 is what Windows RE gave me without the 1TB drive hooked up.
DiskManagement 03 is what I have right now, thanks to the very easy repair option.

I COULD have fixed the problem two years ago, if I'd realized then that there was one.
Right now, the old drive with C:, D: and E: on it is simply a data drive. Win 7 boots from the Win 7 install drive whether the old is in the system or not.

 

[gregrocker]

Is it F alone you are wanting to keep? Because it is configured correctly as shown by the third screenshot - except that when booted Win7 should always show as C unless it is incorrectly installed from an OS instead of from booted installer.

If you want to boot C shown, I would unplug F and run the 3 Repairs on C so that it also hosts it's own System boot files and can boot on its own. Then set preferred OS HD first to boot in BIOS setup, choose the other one using the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key at boot.

 

[McGrandpa]

No, not now. C, D and E are all on the 1TB hd. Only F has a functional Windows. Win 7 Pro x64. And, the repair tool when it ran an automated command prompt window DID name its drive C:, which Windows calls F: which is what that drive was called when it was installed and Win 7 Pro x64 was installed on it.
I do not want to keep anything in the C: partition. I am now copying all the stuff I need off D: and E: to two other drives. The nice thing is, if/when it does die the death, it won't keep me from booting.

 

[gregrocker]

Nothing can change Win7 from remaining C once it's installed correctly from boot - or change the letter to C if it's not. To even try will ruin the OS.

I'd run the HD diagnostics given to see if your HD can be salvaged.

 

[McGrandpa]

Well I recall running the brand new Win 7 DVD from the XP Pro x64 desktop (Explorer). So I did. That meant C: was occupied, so W7 installer put it on F: and set up the dual boot.

I will find the WD diagnostic program and see what it has to say. SMART says it's just fine.

 

[gregrocker]

If you don't mind Win7 being on F then that is OK.

Let us know how the Data Lifeguard extended CD scan and Disk Check go.

 

[McGrandpa]

Win 7 has been on F: from day one. I note you mentioning that changing the drive letter would not be a good idea.
I'll post the disk scan results as I get them.

 

[McGrandpa]

So far the WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostics are clear, the drive passes. It also says SMART gives it a pass. I think if any diagnostic shows any problem at all it will be in the electrical/mechanical mechanisms of the drive. As in the motor, motor bearings and motor drive circuits. Simple enough system, I think that's where the problem is if it doesn't spin up properly. The DATA characteristics seem good.
I don't accept that the SMART data passes the drive.
Still running the diagnostics.

 

[gregrocker]

You may have boot sector corruption on the HD. Since you don't need the OS on C any longer, I'd move the data off and wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command.

Then repartition in Disk Management and check performance as a data drive: Partition or Volume - Create New

 

[McGrandpa]

Right, I deleted the two logical drives, then the C: partition, then had windows allocate the full drive space as a single simple partition and format it NTFS. Will see if it wants to keep starting now that I won't lose any data.

 

[gregrocker]

Did you even read the reason I said you need to wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean command? Boot code remains on the boot sector along with possible corruption until it is wiped with Diskpart.

The steps are in the blue links.

 

[McGrandpa]

I did read it and your instructions for partition - create volume. Why am I doing all that after it passed all tests?