Can't Get Win 7 To Repair Startup

Really hate having to leave this unresolved so been mulling over what we haven't yet considered. Could it be possible that the hard disk does not even appear in the BIOS boot order? I've never actually seen this, and maybe it wouldn't even be possible to exclude it, but worth a check.

 

My Dell BIOS boot sequence allows me to disable the internal drive by selecting it and hitting the space bar — HOWEVER, I've tried that more than once and the computer still booted from the internal "C" drive. :confused

 

I understand ... I am going to look over the links rusty gave and see what I can come up with ... the one link you gave me on doing the reinstall claims no info will be lost, but I don't know. If worst comes to worst he can always use the install disk to get into windows. Both XP and 7 run fine with the exception of the screensaver in 7.:wave

 

Well sir ... working with the BCD in rusty's link didn't work ... now I am trying the software Lazsoft Recovery ... the free edition didn't work ... I'm going to try the other version that can fix the window files and see if that works.:wave

 

I'm sorry to hear that my suggestions didn't help you. I was hoping that the rescue CD would solve your problem since it does address most failure to boot issues. The one thing that the free version does not do, which the paid version does, is fix certain boot problems related to "ntldr is missing" and "bootmgr is missing" errors messages. Although you've apparently not received such error messages to date, it may well be that this is the root of your problem. Unfortunately, I don't believe that Lazesoft has a trial version of their paid product.

 

Well sir ... I got a full copy of the Lazesoft software and to my chagrin I need a couple of other program in order to be able to make a ISO disk ... I get this error "Lazesoft Media Builder: An error occurred while creating the WINPE ISO image." I have to use ... after doing a google search on the error ... these two software. It doesn't make any sense to have to have other software in order for the full version to work.rolleyes

 

Actually, you don't need the Acronis software. But you do need to have WAIK installed so the Lazesoft disk creation can get the files it needs to create the WinPE boot disk ISO.

It's an ISO file of 1.7 GB that needs to be burned to DVD. Then you'd run the setup. Once it's installed, Lazesoft will be able to create the CD's ISO.

 

Thanks for the link ... in the process of downloading it now ... hopefully I will be able to burn the cd. I will post and let you guys know.:wave

 

Well sir ... after downloading burning and installing the AIK I was able to burn the boot cd from Lazesoft and run the repair missing boot files, but unfortunately it didn't work.:cry I still get the error recovery screen at start up and it will not go into windows without the win 7 install disk.

My only option now is to try a repair reinstall and hope I don't lose the data. I'll go and check out that site were a link was provided in an earlier post and make a decision. :wave

 

Okay I checked it out and if I do a reinstall I will lose data ... I don't want that. I would much rather leave the install disk in. So this will be my solution to the problem in order not to have to do a reinstall.rolleyes

 

If you do a repair install from the link I gave earlier, HERE, data should not be affected.

 

@Earthling,

The word HERE in this post isn't a hyperlink. Which reply in this thread has the hyperlink?

 

Ah, sorry 'bout that :-o Try THIS.

 

I confused the one link with this one ... Okay ...Since I am doing this within windows 7 I guess it will not take out the data. I'm doing the re install as I type ... it states it will take a while so I will get back to you when it is done.:wave

 

Well sir ...did the re-install with the win7 install disk ... didn't lose my data ... also didn't solve the problem ... still will go into window error recovery screen if the disk isn't in the drive. Oh well ... don't want to do a clean install so I will settle for two working OS with the help of the install disk. Thanks to all those that took the time to comment and post links. :wave

 

I'm still wondering whether the fact that your Win 7 partition is Logical rather than Primary is the reason. Earthling said that Win 7 is "perfectly happy" on a Logical partition as long as it's boot files are on a Primary partition but, maybe, your particular computer isn't "happy" with that. I don't know. :confused

 

The OP's Win 7 is already running in a logical partition providing he makes the boot files available by inserting the DVD.

 

@spirittoo - as your repair install hasn't fixed it there is very little left that could be causing this, but one possibility, as I suggested in #51, is that the BIOS boot order does not include the hard disk. You did not pass any comment on that - would you like to? It would be 100% consistent with the behaviour we are seeing, however unlikely.

 

Sorry ... thought I answered that ... yes the hard drive is in the boot order ... I have it as the second in the boot order ... I need the dvd to boot first so it will get the files it needs to boot into windows.:wave