AndyMosh Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 So I had to reinstall Windows 7 due to human error on cloning a hard drive (it was 1am) and I installed Windows 7 on my new hard drive (Spinpoint F3 1TB) but the installer has set my drives up like this: I have done what this guy said here: http://www.hanselman.com/blog/SwitchingMyWindows7BootDiskFromDToCWithBCDBootRatherThanBCDEdit.aspx and it successfully copied the BOOT folder from drive J: to drive C:, so I have a BOOT folder on both C:\BOOT and J:\BOOT but BCDEDIT still shows that it is using J: to boot from: If Windows 7 had a Boot.ini it would be a simple case of changing J to C wouldn't it? But no Windows 7 has to be awkward. So this is where I am asking for help, i've Google'd around but my pea brain can't find the right thing, all I want is to have the "System" on drive C: as well so I can format drive J: for storage (plus if it dies I won't be able to boot at all). TL;DR: J: has the system boot files on it, when I need them on C: so I can format J:, I have copied the BOOT folder from J: to C: using bcdboot c:\windows /s c: . Thankyou to anyone who helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparda Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Notice how C is still the boot drive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMosh Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 I know it's the boot drive but it won't let me boot without the J: drive or else it will say BOOTMGR is missing, can you see what i'm trying to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-Protocol Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Just do a reinstall again, this time make sure you select the correct partitions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digip Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 If your system files are only on J:\, then you cant boot off C anyway by itself, since there are no system files to load from. Backup what is important, then remove all drives but one you don't need files from. Format this one, and install windows to it. This will put your bootmgr and system files on the correct drive. Then put the other drives back in, and image it back to the first drive. Shutdown, remove spare drives, the try to boot. You will probably get an error, which is ok. Boot off the windows 7 install disc into repair mode(not to install), then do a repair and let it fix the boot for you via the menu options. If it doesn't fix it for you, do it manually from a cmd prompt while booted into the recovery console using bootrec - http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/windows-7-bootmgr-is-missing-resolved-using-winre/8bb148bc-8035-4847-9696-888f7a0a9720 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMosh Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 Just do a reinstall again, this time make sure you select the correct partitions... You honestly didn't think I chose the right drive when installing windows? Wow, thanks for the confidence. What has happened was I forgot to make my new harddrive first priority in the BIOS, then when I installed windows on it, it put the bootmgr on the first drive (the old one). i've created a windows repair disc, going to remove my old harddrive and run the repairs so I can boot off the new drive alone and then reinsert the old hard drive to be used for storage. thanks for the help digip, and thanks for not just assuming i'm a retard like Sparda and Mr Protocol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-Protocol Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Probably isn't wise to speak harshly about people on the forums, specifically an admin/moderator... But it seems like you just clicked through your windows 7 setup without configuring it the way you should have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 If I were you, I would just remove all my hard drives and just leave one and re-install Windows all over again. I know this is not what you want but, your options are a bit slim at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digip Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) Thing to understand, is Windows 7 wants to put the boot and system files on the first drive ID detected as the lowest ID, even if trying to install to a specific drive when multiple HDD's are in place, it always puts the boot and system files on the first drive with the lowest ID. This is why I said remove all drives to do the install, because if the SATA ID shows up lower than the one you want to install on, windows will try to put the boot files on another drive than the one you want to actually install on. Windows 7 doesn't care about letter assignments for system files, but more about the detected ID of the devices, ie: 0 through whatever, not a b c - z. If you install in a manner where the boot files are on the lower ID drive, and remove it from the mix, then Windows 7 will no longer boot without a repair of the bootmgr or recreation of it on the other drive, something that can become an issue, since it reserves the first 20mb or so just for the bootmgr, and if there is already a file system installed, you could possibly lose data trying to repair or install the bootmgr to this drive, which would then need to be reinstalled all together. No longer are the days of fixboot or fixmbr with XP types of setup for windows. Its not a manner of picking a partition, its a manner of making sure its all installed to the lowest drive ID in the mix, which is why its best to do with a single drive in place for the install. Edited June 14, 2011 by digip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMosh Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 I've fixed it now thanks digip :) and Mr Protocol, I wouldn't have said those things if they weren't needed, as an administrator he should know only to post on topics if he has something to contribute, which in my opinion he didn't and neither did you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I've fixed it now thanks digip :) and Mr Protocol, I wouldn't have said those things if they weren't needed, as an administrator he should know only to post on topics if he has something to contribute, which in my opinion he didn't and neither did you. By the way how did you fix the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfitsman805 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 My rule of thumb is to always disconnect all other drives I'm not installing an OS to. Doesn't matter if I'm installing Windows or Linux or another OS, I still disconnect all other drives. May seem like a pain to do, but it's less of a pain to do that then to try and recover TB's worth of data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMosh Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yeah i'll do that from now on when i'm installing an OS, I fixed it by disconnecting my old drive, running a repair disc 3 times so it would write the bootmgr files to the drive C: and then reconnecting the old drive :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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