Can't find Windows 7 install to fix mbr

[wmorri]

I installed Linux today on a seperate hdd and installed their bootloader grub. When I did this I appear to have deleted the mbr for windows so I can't find it anymore. I tried to to a repair but my windows dvd isn't able to find any sign of windows being installed on either disk. So I am not sure what to do at this point. As I am not amazing with windows I thought that I would post here and get some help with this.

 

[Laxer]

I had similar issues a few months ago where the boot disk wouldn't find my install...

Ended up having to drive the dos prompt to the correct folder (C:/windows or where ever you installed it to)

and run the following:

Bootrec.exe /FixMbr 
Bootrec.exe /FixBoot

The dos prompt can be found in the windows recovery console on the boot disk, it's also worth noting you can use a file browser here too I just cant remember exactly where it's at(it's a browse button for restore or something) to find the correct file path.

 

[wmorri]

I tried what you gave me laxer and the fixmbr part worked. I then tried to run /fixboot and it said that there wasn't anything to correct or that there was nothing on the disk. Next I tried to check and see if there was any versions of windows on the disk and it didn't show anything. Then I thought that I would just reinstall windows it doesn't take that long, so I got to the partitioning process and it said that it was "unabel to creat or find any partitoins. See setup logs." So I am now at a loss for what to do.

 

[Laxer]

If you are doing a clean install try formatting the drive through a linux shell then re installing windows... Remnants of the old system may be causing issues?

Perhaps a windows guru will be of more help :lolg:

---

Might although be worth checking the health of the drive if you have time: Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure

 

[AceInfinity]

Bootsect works good as well. Actually /FixBoot just runs a series of common commands anyways which does some of the following commands and a few extras as well anyways as far as I know. Common technical, but not technically advanced computer user's savior that one :)

Next I tried to check and see if there was any versions of windows on the disk and it didn't show anything.

Perhaps you have a failing hard drive. If you run the install disk a few times (usually about 3), you can usually get lucky and see your windows installation from the boot disk. It could even be that your hard drive is showing signs of failure... But before we get that far there's a few other things to test.

Do you have a linux boot CD? Try loading from that to check your hard disk for corrupt sectors. How did you manage to remove the record of Windows from the MBR? :confused2: lol

There is a rebuildbcd command as well that I would run.

BOOTREC /RebuildBcd

This is probably more important than the previous commands that you've ran.

Whatever, you do though... Don't try to re-install Windows. I don't know why you would want to go through with that anyways, because chances are your Windows actually still exists. But because it's not recognized, you can't actually load Windows. This is fixable.

Things on the boot sector are probably just messed up. I had a similar, issue: Can't boot Windows - Del Linux Vol (Grub Error - Partition not found on boot)

(My solution in written format is in that post)

 

[wmorri]

So I went and looked at my partitioning because I was sure it had to be something there, and realized that I had partitioned my linux drive wrong. So long story short I deleted all the partitions on my linux drive and then I was all set to go. I can't beleive how stupid I feel for doing this. I know that you didn't want me to re install windows but I looked and there wasn't anything on the partition where the windows was.

As for how I deleted the mbr I used a program called boot-repair and in the advanced options there is an option to delete all boot records and start clean. I don't think that I will be using that again anytime soon.

Ace, thanks for all your help in leading me in the right direction.

 

[Digerati]

I can't beleive how stupid I feel for doing this.

That's silly. It's not like the various operating systems (and their installers) are coded to anticipate and adjust their installation routines to accommodate multiple operating systems.

Even setting up multi-boot with different Microsoft operating systems is rarely a smooth, hassle free process.

 

[LilBambi]

I can't beleive how stupid I feel for doing this.

That's silly. It's not like the various operating systems (and their installers) are coded to anticipate and adjust their installation routines to accommodate multiple operating systems.

Even setting up multi-boot with different Microsoft operating systems is rarely a smooth, hassle free process.

You are absolutely right!

No reason at all to feel stupid. Working with multiboot with any operating systems, whether all different Windows versions, or Windows and Linux or freeBSD, it takes time and often it's easier to disconnect the Windows hard drive if you don't want the other hard drive with the Linux to do anything to it, or you are are not familiar with how the drives are denoted in Linux.

You can always add Windows 7 in to Grub with Chainloader. I would check this Scot's Newsletter Forum topic where Eric, amenditman and securitybreach discuss his experience with GRUB Chainloading Win 7

Sata drives are quite odd in the way they decide to align themselves. Recently that happened with two different Linux installations on a drive my hubby had. He found that on installation of the second Linux installation, one of the two internal SATA drives swapped places with the IDE drive's position in that computer's world. Linux didn't do that, but it was how the BIOS/EUFI was identifying itself to the Linux installer.

I personally have not done dualboot with Windows 7 as yet. I had a monitor issue that may well be resolved now, and I may try again. Right now it is still Vista and Debian dual boot with chainloader.

This Ubuntu topic may also be of assistance: Ask Ubuntu - grub 2: Add Windows 7 to boot menu

Ubuntu Forums had this: [SOLVED] GRUB doesn't recognize/load Windows 7

For Debian based installs: Grub and Windows 7 Ultimate

And Linux Questions had this solved item: [SOLVED] Grub and Windows 7

Sometimes it's just that we haven't experienced the situation. I have had no problems with Windows XP and Linux installs, but Windows 7 drove me bonkers. I gave up on it for now and will likely try again when I stop being frustrated by it.

So what I did was; I installed Linux on that computer instead of Windows 7, and dual boot with Vista as noted earlier on my AMD 64 system. I don't care for Vista and rarely go there but it is there and does boot. I really wanted Windows 7 on there but it kept doing weird things I couldn't figure out at the time. BUT what I did find out was that my old monitor was likely the problem. Even with Linux I had to do some special codes during boot that I added to my grub so it would show up. Previously the screen and monitor would go blank like it shut down like it did with Windows 7. Always something LOL!

If I had seen the posts noted above, I might have been able to get past that.

Glad you found out what your problem was. This posting is just something for future for others using Windows 7 and wanting to dual boot with Linux.

Hope some of this helps others.

 

[LilBambi]

I updated my posting a bit. With a few more links including my own ordeal with my monitor and the codes I had to pass during boot.

 

[writhziden]

I started a tutorial a while back for dual booting Windows (7 or 8) and Ubuntu. Should I resurrect the tutorial and post it?

I've pretty much perfected the process for my own system. I can set up both with either the GRUB bootloader or the EasyBCD method depending on which boot menu a user wants to load from. I also have methods in Ubuntu to make the GRUB bootloader clutter free and only show the most recent Ubuntu installation with Windows in the list. Here is what I use for the GRUB:

Grub Customizer- Customize grub/Burg from a GUI interface | Unixmen​

 

[AceInfinity]

You formatted your Windows partition or did something to it in the process then, otherwise all of your files and data could have still been there; in existence. :)