Where did my BOOT program go

[erndog105]

Yesterday I decided to upgrade my memory. After upping to 4gb, my computer booted up but no programs would execute. I restarted and got the msg. " re-boot and select proper boot device or insert boot media...... ". My configuration is Drive c for op systems and programs, Drive D for all data and a recently installed Drive E for storage of photo backups. After playing around, I was able to boot up but not from drive C, from Drive E. This drive only holds back up of my C drive and photos in a second partition. Any idea as to why it stopped booting from C & why is it now booting from E.
To use the computer, I have to do the F8 routine where I have to select Drive E to boot from. The bios looks ok to me but I am certainly an expert on the bios.
If I can not get a fix I will probably re-load W7 and refresh the system all over again but that is a lot of work if I can solve the problem.
Thanks.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello.


Before we make any specific recommendations will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire disk management drive map with a full description as to which drive/partition is which, so we can see what you have going on as there may be a fairly simple way to resolve the situation.

In the Windows start menu right click computer and click manage, in the left pane of the "Computer Management" window that opens click disk management and post a maximized snip of that.


How to Upload and Post a Screenshot and File in Seven Forums

 

[Shootist]

Yesterday I decided to upgrade my memory. After upping to 4gb, my computer booted up but no programs would execute. I restarted and got the msg. " re-boot and select proper boot device or insert boot media...... ". My configuration is Drive c for op systems and programs, Drive D for all data and a recently installed Drive E for storage of photo backups. After playing around, I was able to boot up but not from drive C, from Drive E. This drive only holds back up of my C drive and photos in a second partition. Any idea as to why it stopped booting from C & why is it now booting from E.
To use the computer, I have to do the F8 routine where I have to select Drive E to boot from. The bios looks ok to me but I am certainly an expert on the bios.
If I can not get a fix I will probably re-load W7 and refresh the system all over again but that is a lot of work if I can solve the problem.
Thanks.

You need to go into the BIOS and set the drives as they were before you installed the new RAM.
Make the drive that is being reported as the E drive the First BOOT device and is the first drive in the Drive Configuration, two totally different settings.
Then make what you thing is the D drive the second drive in Drive Configuration and then what is being reported as the C drive the last drive in the system.

Your BIOS might call these two different settings something different then what I am calling them.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

It would be better if the "System" boot files are on another partition than the Windows partition that that be corrected now to end any further, future issues, that's why I asked to see a snip of disk management to start with.

 

[gregrocker]

Type Disk Management in Start Search box, maximize window, use Snipping TOol in Start Menu to draw a rectangular box around drive listings and map, save file, attach using paper clip in reply box. We will quickly get you sorted.

 

[Shootist]

Type Disk Management in Start Search box, maximize window, use Snipping TOol in Start Menu to draw a rectangular box around drive listings and map, save file, attach using paper clip in reply box. We will quickly get you sorted.

This is all well and good but.
I just built a new system. Place the 3 physical drives on the respective cables/socket where I want the drive to be and to show in the OS. After booting the system for the first time the drive I have on the second SATA port showed as the 3rd drive in the OS and the drive I have on the 3rd port as the second drive. BIOS had them listed on the first page as correct, 250 1st, 1TB second, 750 3rd. Drive order in the BOOT section of the BIOS had them correct. OS didn't see them that way. Switched 2 & 3 around on the cables, re-set the BOOT section, Drive Configuration, to the correct order and then the OS, Win 7, saw the drive the way I wanted them.
So it could be that when the new RAM was installed the BIOS switched the drive order around. That is what needs to be checked first.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Windows 7 sometime has issues with disk management detecting the HDDs in the 'correct' order.

That's why we suggest disconnecting (if possible) all but the one needing repaired.

 

[erndog105]

Regarding my original post, seems like my C drive is so corrupted, it does not show W7 even being there. Guess Ill do the do and re-install.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

If you're going to do a clean install of Windows 7, below is some information you may find useful and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.




After you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media, use Step One of this tutorial at the first link below to do a wipe (secure erase) to the entire Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive.

• Then if you do not want to create the new Windows 7 "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #2 to create, format and mark Active a single 100GB partition to do the installation to.
• If you do want to create the "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #3 to create, format and mark Active the System Reserved partition and then create and format the 100GB partition to do the installation to.

Either way, running the "clean all" then creating and formatting the partition(s) using diskpart will get you the best possible space to do a clean install of Windows 7 to; you can always extend the Windows partition to include the remaining unallocated space on the HDD / SSD or create additional Primary partitions or an Extended partition after the installation completes if you choose.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

DISKPART : At PC Startup

Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

If you don't want to wipe the entire HDD, you can do a partition-specific wipe of the Windows partition using the Partition Wizard Bootable Disk (PWBD) have a look at Option Three in the tutorial at this link below.

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

 

[erndog105]

Thanks so much. Will do my best to follow above. Fortunately, all my data is on a separate drive so wiping clean the C drive is no problem.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

If you have any questions about any of it be sure to ask, we'll be here.

 

[gregrocker]

It's possible having your boot files on a different HD is corrupting Disk Mgmt output. Can you post up a camera snap of the drive map with listings of free Partition Wizard bootable CD? This will almost always give a correct reading when Disk Mgmt sometimes doesn't.

 

[erndog105]

Bare foot, I am getting the msg clean is not allowed on disk containing the current boot. system etc. My drive 0 is the one I am trying to clean because it was drive C that I could not boot from. I am booting from my recently installed third HD which only has some backups from drive C. Any suggestions?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

To run a clean all or clean on a "System" partition you have to boot the Windows installation media to diskpart, it can't be run on a "System" partition from within Windows; have a look at this tutorial at the link below.


DISKPART : At PC Startup

 

[Shootist]

Bare foot, I am getting the msg clean is not allowed on disk containing the current boot. system etc. My drive 0 is the one I am trying to clean because it was drive C that I could not boot from. I am booting from my recently installed third HD which only has some backups from drive C. Any suggestions?

Something that everyone should know about all versions of Windows.

No matter what drive you install the OS to, The first drive in the system usually label with a C:\ the Second Third Forth whatever and that goes for partitions not just physical disks, Windows WILL ALWAYS COPY FILES TO THE FIRST DRIVE/PARTITION IN THE SYSTEM.
So even though you installed the OS on the new drive you just put in the system there are files that Windows need to boot to the OS stored on the First Drive/Partition.

That is why when you run the Clean/CleanAll command it comes back with it can't because if it did the system would not boot.

Now if youk do boot the system from the DVD, open a Command Prompt and run the Clean/Clean All command you will be left with reinstalling the OS all over again.
Which if you what to fix all of this that is what you need to do.

What you should of done was REMOVE ALL OTHER physical drives from the system at the same time you installed that new drive and then installed the OS. Then put those other drives back in the system in whatever order you wanted to or needed to.

To late now. Good luck.

 

[erndog105]

I did remove the two other drives.
I completed the clean but I could not get the command wondow from the language screen. Just would not move there. So I went to the rapair route and did the clean from there. Then exited and re-loaded the Window 7 CD and all went well.
I still have one issue. I like my drives labled in sequence. C, D, E (and F for a partitioned third drive). I got C, E, F and G. How does this happen and how can I get my second drive to be D. Rename just does not get what I want.
Thanks Bare Foot and all others for your help. Now all I have to do is load all the other programs.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Is the CD/DVD drive lettered as D:?


You're welcome, glad I could help.

 

[erndog105]

Yes, DVD is "D"

 

[SIW2]

Rt click drives in disk management and select Change drive letters and paths.