I just tried loading xp on a partition that has my Main OS on it (win7RC). It seemed to install fine, but when it rebooted after completion, i get stuck at the last BIOS screen (pci verify). I have win7 on a bootable flash drive but that won't load either! Is there any way to fix this mess? I currently have no OS and have no idea where to go from here!!!
HELP!!...Just lost my OS, won't boot...HELP!!
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Gamingphreek
Lifer
- Mar 31, 2003
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You have royally messed things up. You can NEVER install an OS on the same partition as another.
I honestly don't see a way that you can fix this. Even if you are able to get it to boot, you have conflicting system and config file names since both are present on the same partition.
You will need to reformat and reinstall.
-Kevin
Shoot, I didn't say that clearly. I had a hard drive with Windows 7 on it. I added a partition with the intention of installing XP on this partition. So there is One drive with Two partitions.
So if I use the win7 dvd, will I be able to repair at least the Windows7 OS I had before, or will I need to format and reinstall?
So if I use the win7 dvd, will I be able to repair at least the Windows7 OS I had before, or will I need to format and reinstall?
Gamingphreek
Lifer
- Mar 31, 2003
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Well what happens when you try to boot and it gets "stuck"? Does it just stay there, or does it give you an error message regarding unreadable volumes?
I suppose you could try to run a 'fixmbr' from the Win7 repair console, but I can't guarantee that your boot sector is the problem here.
-Kevin
Edit: Also with that command, there is a very high probability that 1 of the partitions will be lost. Would be best to boot with a Linux LiveCD and grab all the data off before you try it.
No error message. Just gets stuck after my BIOS stuff.
1. Power on
2. Bios Title screen
3. Verifying PCI screen..................
Usually it goes from that screen to the wavey windows boot-up screen, but now it just stops before it verifies.
I tried Booting from my XP disk (after it has already installed), and I deleted the partition that I had created before. So now I should just have one partition with Win7 on it.
Im not too concerned with data, as most of my data is on a different hard disk. I wont be too upset if I have to just wipe my OS drive and start fresh, that would be fine, but not preferable.
So how do I run this 'fixmbr', and is there anything special I need to do when I run it?
1. Power on
2. Bios Title screen
3. Verifying PCI screen..................
Usually it goes from that screen to the wavey windows boot-up screen, but now it just stops before it verifies.
I tried Booting from my XP disk (after it has already installed), and I deleted the partition that I had created before. So now I should just have one partition with Win7 on it.
Im not too concerned with data, as most of my data is on a different hard disk. I wont be too upset if I have to just wipe my OS drive and start fresh, that would be fine, but not preferable.
So how do I run this 'fixmbr', and is there anything special I need to do when I run it?
Gamingphreek
Lifer
- Mar 31, 2003
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Nope nothing special. Any DOS based boot disk should have the command, but when you boot from the Windows install disk, if you press, IIRC, F2 to go to the recovery console, it will give you a blank DOS window.
Just type in 'fixmbr' and it will ask you if you are sure and what not. After it says it is done rewriting the master boot record, restart. To me it sounds like your MBR is corrupted, so this would fix it in that case.
-Kevin
Awesome thanks I will try this (in about 3hrs, at work now). One quick clarification, what is this IIRC? Is it an option button I will see, or is this something I need to type in? Also, I will be booting from Win7 loaded on a flash drive, that doesn't change anything right?
Use the Win7 DVD if you want to have that OS bootable. I already said this above. You may not have access to the XP install after that and it can be a complicated process to fix dual boot issues. Although, you just installed XP, so no big loss really. Use the DVD...
Gamingphreek
Lifer
- Mar 31, 2003
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I would imagine that you just specify that drive (E: or whatever) before you type the fixmbr command. At the same time, I am not sure the recovery console loads USB Hub drivers. You will have to see if you can command line your way to your removable media.
-Kevin
hmm, not sure if I can handle this. Can you give me a step by step?
1. boot Win7 setup from DVD (ill just make one)
2. press f2 (or whatever gets you to the recovery console)
3. select the drive I want to repair - whats the command for this?
4. type in the cmd: fixmbr
5. restart - booting from hard drive
This look right?
Gamingphreek
Lifer
- Mar 31, 2003
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I honestly don't remember whether fixmbr attempts to fix the master boot record of the drive you are on, or whether you select.
Have you ever worked with command line commands?
You just need to see if you can access the USB drive. So its either "D:" "E:" "F:" etc... Only you know which one is your USB drive.
If none of those work, then if you type fixmbr read the prompts. See if it asks you which drive you would like to fix the master boot record on. If it immediately prompts you to type "Y" to continue, then just know it is probably referring to your main hard drive.
Then I think the command is exit and the computer will restart. See if your USB disk boots or not.
-Kevin
mc866
Golden Member
- Dec 15, 2005
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Not sure if it will fix it but I know Win7 gives you an one click option to check and see if it can repair it automatically, if that doesn't work you'll need to do some more research to try and get the command line to work, sorry I couldn't be more help.
Ok, some new symptoms
I created a Windows7 DVD and set my bios to boot from it. I cant seem to even boot it up at all. My bios screen is stuck on the same screen as before but now with the line 'Boot from CD/DVD :' Craaaap
What now? Im not sure if this is the problem, but i did use windows explorer to burn the disk. that should be fine though right?
any help is really appreciated!
I created a Windows7 DVD and set my bios to boot from it. I cant seem to even boot it up at all. My bios screen is stuck on the same screen as before but now with the line 'Boot from CD/DVD :' Craaaap
What now? Im not sure if this is the problem, but i did use windows explorer to burn the disk. that should be fine though right?
any help is really appreciated!
Gamingphreek
Lifer
- Mar 31, 2003
- 11,679
- 0
- 81
You say you used Windows Explorer to burn the disc - did you just copy the ISO over to the disc, or was the ISO extracted and burned onto the disk?
You need to make sure to burn the ISO, not just copy the image over. Windows 7 can do this, but for any other Windows install you need to look at 3rd party. I recommend ImgBurn
-Kevin
back up and running, thanks guys. Win7dvd was able to repair it once I got an actual .iso burned dvd copy. Imgburn is awesome. I guess you cant boot up from a thumb drive when you need to repair a disk? I'm pretty positive my thumb drive was loaded with win7n properly, I just installed win7 on a netbook from it just last week.
whatever, thanks again for your time and effort, you guys should be paid!
whatever, thanks again for your time and effort, you guys should be paid!
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