VISTA Operating System Not Found

Hi,

I have a Vista Laptop with 'operating System Not Found' without any recovery media.

If I put a Windows 7 disk in the tray I will boot Vista from the hardrive.

I have tried to fix the MBR by getting the Windows 7 disk to boot to recovery and entering

bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootrec.exe /fixboot

But this hasnt fixed it.

What else could I try?

Thanks, Koops

 

so you are able to get into vista desktop using the win 7 disk? is this right? if it is then you should be able to download and install a boot manager...I use easybcd... http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/ ...here is a wiki on how to use it... https://neosmart.net/wiki/ ...or you can download it from here... http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/easybcd.html ...

 

The OP cannot get to the desktop, just to the Repair functions on the Win 7 installation disk, and these haven't worked it seems.

@ koops - what's the background here? Was it working and suddenly stopped, or what?

 

Hi

I have tried the EasyBCD but this hasnt worked

When I put the W7 disk in the tray it will boot to the full Vista desktop

Without the W7 disk in the tray it will give the error.

Its a friend laptop so not reaaly sure when/how it happened,

Looks like the harddrive is ok though.

Koops

 

Would help if you could post a screenshot of Disk Management. Type diskmgmt.msc in the Start > Search box.

 

Thanks for your help Earthling

Here you go.

http://postimg.org/image/62qgyzt8f/

Koops

 

After you do what Earthling has asked...go to start...run...type in msconfig and hit enter and let us know what it says under the boot tab?

 

Under the boot tab:

Microsoft Windows Vista (C;\Windows):current OS;default OS

 

Your disk management looks ok, apart from that UDF partition. UDF is used for CDs/DVDs, not for hard disk partitions. However I doubt that is actually the cause of the boot error. Can you enable viewing of Protected Operating System Files and check whether the root of C contains a file named bootmgr?

 

Forget what I said about the UDF - I just didn't look closely enough. Seems wife may be right - I can't multitask

 

I have scanned C for bootmgr but no file found.

 

If you had Protected Operating System Files on show - that's essential - then that is the cause of the problem. Utter mystery what may have happened to it though. As Vista boots with the Win 7 disk in the drive it's using the Win 7 bootmgr file, so copying that file from the Win 7 disk to the root of C ought to fix it. That might be easier said than done though and may require a boot disk of some sort. How are you with the Windows command line? If you feel confident about it have a go. If no good we'll have to try something else. I'm only available intermittently today but if you have questions hopefully someone else can assist.

 

Thanks Earthling,

I have show hidden files and folder on.

Happy to use windows command line.

Koops

 

Showing Hidden Files and Folders isn't what I asked for. Further down is Hide Protected Operating System Files. That's what we need unhidden.

If still no file then let's try the Command line copy and paste when booted to your Win 7 disk. I expect Windows will block it though.

 

Sorry, I read Hide Protected Operating System Files and my head siad Hidden Files.

Just scanned again and the bootmgr file is there.

 

Have to go out now but will think about it. atm though I'm clean out of ideas.

 

Silly question. Have you tried a CMOS reset?

Simply go into the BIOS and reset defaults.

 

Just reset the BIOS and still the same

and still booting with W7 disk in the drive

 

sorry to keep butting in...but have you tried using the recovery partition on the drive...it's the eisa partition or first partition on the drive...what make and model is your laptop? These partitions are used for diagnostics or to reinstall the OS to factory settings and it may wipe out all the files on your drive so backing up any important files first before accessing it would be a good idea...although I suspect your laptop might be trying to access this partition...here is some more info on the eisa partition... http://www.mydigitallife.info/delete-and-remove-to-unlock-eisa-hidden-recovery-or-diagnostic-partition-in-vista/

 

Vista should have a "Startup Repair" option if one boots to the Recovery Partition. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but ordinarily fixes MBR issues.

As kench stated, make/model of the PC please...

 

That was my first guess too, but the pic of disk management shows C as the Active partition. So it isn't that.

 

Its a Sony VIAO Model PCG-8X2L

Will have a read up on the EISA Partition

Thanks for your help so far......

 

I have already tried to see if I could boot to a EISA partition (Didnt know it was called a EISA partition) but havnt managed to do it.

 

If you study the pic you posted of disk management it shows the EISA partition at 6.62 GB and free space of 6.62 GB. Someone or something has deleted its entire contents so the recovery aids that were once there are not there any longer and previous suggestions to try it are fruitless I'm afraid.

I'm wondering if this isn't an infection. What security does the system have and what scans have you run?