Win 7 boot problem

[Droopy]

Hi,

I have a Fujitsu-Siemens AMILO Xi 2528 running Win 7.
It was working very well and suddenly, it doesn't boot any more.
I tried a Startup Repair but it didn't work.
It cannot find the existing Win 7 installation, the list is empty.
I also tried bootrec in the command prompt but it didn't work.
Using an old copy of ubcd, I can mount and see the harddisk content though.
Is it possible to recreate a boot sector or any boot informations needed to recover this Win 7 installation ?
Thank you in advance for any help.

Droopy.

 

[seavixen32]

Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

You may need to run a startup repair three times with a reboot between each occurrence.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

This tutorial explains how to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR).

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20864-mbr-restore-windows-7-master-boot-record.html

 

[Droopy]

Thank you for the answer.
It seems to do nothing as it find no Win 7 installation but I will try it tonight.
I already tried 3 times I think but not 3 times in a row.

 

[boyans]

Boot Windows CD/DVD.
From System Recovery options -> Command Prompt:​

bootsect /nt60 all /force /mbr
bcdboot c:\windows​

assuming your Windows 7 is on c: - change drive letter if on other drive (check using dir command).

 

[Droopy]

Thank you for your answer.
I was late yesterday so I hadn't time to look for my Win 7 CDs.
Besides, I am not sure I can find it as I moved home.
Though, I wanted to try the suggested commands but I couldn't.
Until yesterday, I could reach the Repair menu screen via the F8 key.
Now, the PC display "Missing operating system".
Can I try the commands you suggested in booting with other Win 7 CDs ?

 

[edwar]

Hate to tell you but the hard drive is TOAST.
You need to buy a new one and reinstall Win 7.

 

[Golden]

Hate to tell you but the hard drive is TOAST.
You need to buy a new one and reinstall Win 7.

OP can already see HDD contents using UBCD, so HDD is still working.

Droopy : try Boyans suggestion with another Windows 7 installation disk.
Regards,
Golden

 

[wanchoo]

I think the best course would be to start from the very beginning. 1. Reformat the Hard Disk with a single partition. 2. Reinstall Windows 7 with your Installation DVD. 3. After the installation is over, partition the hard disk as you would like to. 4. Take a back-up image of the C Drive and preferably store it on another Hard Disk for future use. 5. Install other programs like MS Office, A-V, Firewall etc. 6. Take a second image as in 4.

I think you shall waste many more hours if you try to repair the existing mess.

 

[Duzzy]

Boot Windows CD/DVD.
From System Recovery options -> Command Prompt:
bootsect /nt60 all /force /mbr
bcdboot c:\windows

assuming your Windows 7 is on c: - change drive letter if on other drive (check using dir command).

You can use any Windows 7 DVD but I think it has to be the same architecture as the installed Windows x32 or x64.

I'm not sure this will be all you need to do because "bcdboot /?" gives this info

/m If an OS loader GUID is provided, this option merges the
given loader object with the system template to produce a
bootable entry. Otherwise, only global objects are merged.

You could probably do this and then use "bootrec /RebuildBcd"

Maybe someone else can correct me if I'm wrong.

EDIT: Just re-read it and it says only "global objects are merged", so maybe the orignal Win 7 entry will still be there but that could be missing or have errors and thats why you can't boot.

 

[gregrocker]

Try all the suggestions made using System Recovery Options
from one of the methods in the blue link.

If these fail try these added steps: Windows 7 fails to boot

What is the licensed version on the COA sticker? Running 32 or 64 bit?

 

[centz01]

Worked for me...

Boot Windows CD/DVD.
From System Recovery options -> Command Prompt:​

bootsect /nt60 all /force /mbr
bcdboot c:\windows​

Boyans' solution worked for the problem I had. I vainly deleted my system partition (D:/) which was separate from the windows installation (C:/). When Windows wouldn't start, I ran startup repair from my installation CD. The CD at first detected problems (and possibly fixed them?) but Windows still wouldn't start. From then on, I ran startup repair a couple more times and it did not detect any issues and still Windows would not boot. Then I followed the two commands, restarted, and everything has worked fine.

 

[gregrocker]

You must mark the target partition Active before running Startup Repair to automatically repair Win7 boot.

Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two)
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

 

[Droopy]

I made a recovery USB key bootable.
I then tried the 2 suggested commands:
1) bootsect /nt60 all /force /mbr
it succeeded (successfully updated FAT 32 filesystem bootcode and successfully updated disk bootcode)
2) bcdboot c:\windows
"échec lors de la tentative de copie de fichiers de démarrage" in french, so the message in english should be something like "fail in copying boot files"

Then, I was not able to boot with the USB key anymore !
There was a "Windows Boot Manager" screen, showing "Windows failed to start" ... "\Boot\BCD" ... "status 0xc000000f"
Thank you for your help, I would really appreciate not to reinstall Win 7 if possible.

P.S. I am running Win 7 32 bits

 

[gregrocker]

Write the Win7 installer ISO to flash stick using Universal USB Installer with Win7 in dropdown menu. Boot to try repairs, or copy out data to clean reinstall.

Follow these steps: Windows 7 fails to boot

Others have had success writing Repair ISO to flash stick using Win2Flash.

I ask you again: What is the licensed version on your COA sticker.

 

[Droopy]

I got a Win 7 DVD here at work so I will try it at home later this weekend.
I will also check with UCB the C: drive because I have a doubt now, it could be a Win 7 64 bits (I don't use this computer very often).
The COA sticker is not really helping as this computer was originally installed with Windows Vista.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[gregrocker]

Then how are you activating Win7?

 

[boyans]

Delete bootmgr and BCD

2) bcdboot c:\windows
"échec lors de la tentative de copie de fichiers de démarrage" in french, so the message in english should be something like "fail in copying boot files"

The command can fail for several reasons:
1. The files in \boot directory and bootmgr are newer than the source (protected Windows 7 system files).
2. Wrong source specified. (source root should be \Windows directory of installed system !)

Solution: on command line in recovery, root of system drive is selected by drive_letter e.g "c:" or "d:" or.....(=drive_letter of active partition)

attrib -r -s -h bootmgr
del bootmgr
attrib -s -h \boot\BCD
del \boot\BCD

Commands delete bootmgr and BCD store (this will permanently delete any dual or multi boot settings in BCD !).
Later bcdboot command will recreate bootmgr and BCD (assuming Windows system file sources are intact).

It is important that the Windows 7 version installed and the
Recovery CD/DVD used have the same bit size 32-bit or 64-bit !!

After a major update of Windows 7 e.g. SP1 it is good to create a new version of Recovery CD/DVD:
in Windows 7 -> Start -> Run -> type "Create System Repair Disk" and run,
a form pops up with destionation DVD/CD drive, insert blank disk and burn.

 

[Duzzy]

First I have the 100mb System Reserved partition and after reading this thread I decided to format it (after creating a image) to see what I could do.

After formatting I booted from the Win 7 DVD and ran two commands and I was able to boot Windows again. The commands were

bootsect /nt60 C: /mbr
bcdboot I:\windows /s C:

First I checked what drive letter my 100mb partition had, which was C:, then I checked what the drive letter Windows was installed to which was I:. ( I used notepad ran from the cmd prompt and went ctrl+O or File -> Open for a quick way to view my drives.)

/s Specifies an optional volume letter parameter to designate
the target system partition where boot environment files are
copied. The default is the system partition identified by
the firmware.

Hope this helps.

 

[Droopy]

To Boyans:
I think the problem is that I have no access to "C:" drive.
In recovery mode, the command prompt is showing "X:"

 

[Droopy]

To gregrocker:

Are you working for Microsoft ?
The key is written on the CD but I still didn't find it.