Windows 7 Recovery - (Bootrec.exe 0 Windows Installations found)

[RalphJoy22]

Please if someone knows the answer to this question or if anyone has any experience in this problem. Can someone guide me - I am not much of an windows expert.

The problem started, with a never ending loop of restarts - after I put the computer to sleep mode. I regret doing that but it was no use since the problem started. So to do a quick fix I plugged in my Windows XP recovery disk and did the following - chkdsk /r, chkdsk, fixboot, fixmbr. And doing this - I made a temporary fix as I was able to boot into Windows XP but while booting I got this msg. Invalid boot.ini (Booting from C:/Windows)

So Next I tried using my Windows 7 recovery disk to do /fixboot, /fixmbr and when I was typing in /rebuildbcd this came out - No Windows Installation found (0 Windows Installation Found). So what must I do.?

 

[RalphJoy22]

I have Windows XP and Windows 7. My main OS that I use for my daily use is Windows 7 so it's recovery is vital to me.

So let me be more clear and precise to get more accurate help. I have 2 hard disks - one is of 250 Gb which has 4 partitions - C: D: E: F: (XP is in C:/ partition) and my second hard disk is of 1 TB and it has 3 Partitions - J: K: L: (Windows 7 is in J: ) it was set in dual boot setup. I was able to boot into XP because I used my Windows XP recovery disk to stop my computer from eternal rebooting loop. I used the fixboot command and others as mentioned above from the XP recovery console and temporarily fixed it as now I can boot into XP for the time being but I really need to use my Windows 7 because that is what I use for my daily work. Additional NOTES - Everytime I boot into Windows XP I get this message (Invalid boot.ini booting from C:/Windows) I know I can fix that by using bootcfg /rebuild but like I said, Windows 7 is what I need not Windows XP.

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these steps for http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html which try everything possible to start the OS leading up to if necessary rescuiing your files to run Factory Recovery or do the vastly superior Clean Reinstall.

 

[RalphJoy22]

I will go and do the steps you have mentioned if there is no other way but for now I want to know -

"When I plugged in my Windows 7 Recovery USB and I used the command prompt from the Recovery options- Upon opening Command Prompt and doing the following /fixmbr - Completed /fixboot - Completed but when I did /rebuildBCD - It said 0 Windows Installations found, What must I do - My Windows 7 is installed in J:/ Partition on my Second Hard Disk of 1TB

I know there is a way to backup the old bcd and rename it to bcd.old or something and than creating a new one but how should I do those steps. On all the tutorials - they explain using the C: partition but my Windows 7 is in J: partition and my XP is in C: partition so all those tutorials are confusing me I am not an expert in these things - So how should I fix that.

 

[gregrocker]

Since XP will start let's try to repair Win7 and at the same time reconfigure the Dual Boot by running Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times.

First confirm the Active partition using Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two).
If Xp was installed first then it probably holds the System Boot files along with the Active flag. Run the repairs with the Active flag there first.

If it refuses to start to a working Dual Boot menu, or Win7 won't start on its own, then move the Active flag to Win7 partition and run the repairs again, up to 3 times no matter what it reports.

If this fails, use Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console to browse into the XP partition and copy the WIn7 boot files boot, bootmgr and bootsect.bak to Win7 partition to run the Repairs again making sure the Active flag remains on Win7 partition.

If Win7 starts you may need to install EasyBCD to add XP back to the Dual Boot menu, even have to delete it first to recreate it if it's not working.

If it won't start then you can either work through the other steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start or skip to the reinstall on the Win7 partition, which should reconfigure the Dual Boot with XP. Rescue your files first, then during Steps 7 and 8 in Clean Install Windows 7 delete the WIn7 partition to create and format a new one for install.

It shows in the tutorial how to see a graphic picture of your Disk Mgmt using Partition Wizard bootable CD which can also mark partitions Active for you. If you do this, or can access Disk Mgmt in XP, it would help us a lot to help you if you can post back a camera snap or a screenshot of the full Disk Mgmt drive map and listings. Screenshot with Paint in XP
Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums - Windows 7 Forums

 

[RalphJoy22]

Sorry for the delayed reply also I forgot to mention - I am very grateful to you for helping me out with this problem. This thing has been killing me and somehow I must get access to my Windows 7. It would be great if we can fix this without the need to format and reinstall but should the situation be already worser than what it is now - I am willing to do a Fresh Clean Install under your guidance.

Before I get on with the steps you have listed - You requested to see my Disk Management so you could help me out even better. Here it is - I did the print screen method since I am able to use XP without any problem.

 

[gregrocker]

If XP is running here is what I would try:

In XP Disk Management Mark XP Partition Active , then boot the Win7 installer or System Repair Disk to run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times to see if it will repair the Dual Boot which now has the System boot files on the XP partition.

If this fails then in XP Disk Management mark Win7 partition Active: Partition - Mark as Active . If necessary you can also do this from the boot disk as shown in Option Two. The Active partitions should now be XP and Win7, as you can have one on each HD.

Power down to unplug all except the Win7 HD, then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times to write the System Boot files to Win7 so it boots itself. Once it starts it should be labeled System, too.

Now set preferred HD first to boot in BIOS setup, boot the other HD using the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key. If this is not satisfactory, install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to Win7 to add XP to a Windows Dual Boot Menu.

 

[RalphJoy22]

Thanks for the consistent and continued help. Well I will look into the first thing you asked me to do, that is mark my XP partition as active and do the startup repair 3 times and more to see if that fixes the problem and I will let you know how it goes.

If that doesn't work out however I want to know, is it necessary to unplug my (Disk 0 which has the XP partition) for the second step you asked me to do - that is mark (Windows 7 partition) as active than, unplug my (Hard Disk 0) and boot with only (Hard Disk 1) which has my Windows 7 partition and than do the startup repair upto 3 times and more.? And if automated repair doesn't fix it, can I manually add the System boot files.?

And what to do if I get the following message while doing the Startup repair - "Windows can't detect any problem." If it's not important as to what I get should I proceed to do the Startup Repair 3 times and more no matter what messages I receive. And is it mandatory to do restart after each Startup Repair.?

 

[gregrocker]

When you mark the WIn7 partition Active it signals the repair function to attempt to repair, rewrite or (if missing) write the SYstem boot files to that partition. If XP is still plugged in it will confuse the repair utility.

Just ignore any messages to run Startup Repair 3 separate times with reboots to have it attempt and then finally write the boot files. It explains more about what happens in the tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

If this fails copying them into the WIn7 partition manually will sometimes work if you run Repairs again.

 

[RalphJoy22]

I tried doing the first step of running Startup Repair up to 3 times with the XP Partition active. It seems the only thing that it fixed was the 'Invalid Boot.ini' message that I get when booting into XP.

 

[gregrocker]

You ran it 3 separate times with reboots in between each?

If so then move the Active flag to Win7, run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times to try the next step.

 

[RalphJoy22]

I noticed another peculiar thing - before moving the Active flag to Windows 7. When on the fourth time I restarted after doing the Startup Repair and loaded the Windows 7 Recovery Console - where you have to select your Windows installations. At first I was able to view only one Windows Installations i.e is Windows 7 but this time I saw - Windows 7 Recovered. And for some strange reason I put in my Windows XP Repair CD and when I booted from there - I was shown the Windows Boot Manager and from there - I was able to load Windows 7. So is there any way I could make the windows boot manager permanent.? Instead of putting in the Windows XP CD every time to get the Windows 7 Boot manager - The main thing is at least I was able to boot into Windows 7.

And Yes I ran Startup Repair 3 times with Restarts in between.

 

[gregrocker]

Were you given a Boot Menu that included XP since you had the Active flag on XP partition? Would it start?

When you moved the Active flag to Win7 to run 3x Repairs with reboots, did you unplug all other HD's making sure Win7 HD was set first to boot in BIOS setup? If not try that now.

If this fails, use Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console to browse into the XP partition and copy the Windows 7 boot files boot, bootmgr and bootsect.bak to Windows 7 partition to run the Repairs again making sure the Active flag remains on Windows 7 partition.

If Win7 won't start after moving the Active flag to its partition and running 3x repairs with reboots, then plug back in the XP HD, move the Active flag back to XP and pick up after Step 6 in in Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP - Windows 7 Help Forums to see if you can start Win7 to add XP to the Dual Boot.