Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows Vista and 7 => Topic started by: devil0150 on April 06, 2016, 11:27:17 AM

Title: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: devil0150 on April 06, 2016, 11:27:17 AM

I had a windows 7 system on a 250gb partition and I wanted to dual boot with Debian. I removed another partition and got about 50 gb unallocated space that I was going to use for debian.

I restarted and tried to boot into windows again (hadnt installed debian yet), and I go a message like "BOOTMGR missing". I tried to reinstall windows but the dvd can't detect the hard drive. The message is "No drives were found"

Some posts said to go into diskpart, select the windows partition and make it active, but I get an error message doing that, saying "disk may be invalid because it is offline".

I was able to boot with a linux mint live CD and it shows 4 partitions with 2 of them listed as windows 7 loader. http://i.imgur.com/raojwo3.png (http://i.imgur.com/raojwo3.png)

Any idea how to fix this?

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: Rustys on April 06, 2016, 12:11:47 PM

Try following these instructions.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/104341-bootmgr-missing-fix.htm

Prior to doing this I will suggest that since you can boot to Live Linux back up you pictures, documents, spreed sheets, and so on just in case a destructive reinstall need to be preformed.

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: devil0150 on April 06, 2016, 12:15:26 PM

The link doesn't work :/, it just sends me to the forums index, not to a post.

Yes, I backed up the important things already

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: Rustys on April 06, 2016, 12:19:01 PM

Sorry about that for some reason it did not copy and paste correctly.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/104341-bootmgr-missing-fix.html

Here is one that you can copy and paste in a browser.

Code: [Select]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/104341-bootmgr-missing-fix.html

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: devil0150 on April 06, 2016, 12:31:47 PM

It didn't work. Startup repair didnt change anything, still says drivers missing. using the command prompt I couldnt switch to C: because the "system cannot find the drive specified"

Edit: Should I try running the commands without switching to C:? I'm on X:/Sources

Edit 2: If I delete one of the windows loader partitions and install linux for now, will I be able to reinstall windows in the future?

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: Rustys on April 06, 2016, 01:50:56 PM

Quote

Should I try running the commands without switching to C:? I'm on X:/Sources

No you should be under the C:boot>

Quote

If I delete one of the windows loader partitions and install linux for now, will I be able to reinstall windows in the future?

You could do it that way but it is rough to it.  Does not always work correctly.

Best to install windows first then Linux.

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: devil0150 on April 06, 2016, 02:54:46 PM

I fixed it. Searching for fixing an invalid disk I found this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html (http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html)

After doing option one the drivers appeared when booting from dvd. I didn't reinstall windows but went back to system repair and did startup repair. It took longer this time but when it restarted it booted directly into my previous windows system.

Title: Re: Windows 7 installation can't detect hard drive
Post by: Rustys on April 07, 2016, 02:11:35 AM

Glad to hear it.

Now you should be able if you still want to install and dual boot with Debian.