So I had a Win-7 64-bit machine that I built come back 2 years later, won't boot. "bootmgr missing"
So I do all the usual, run fixmbr, fixboot, fix<whatever>/rebuild and nothing works. Get the original Installation Disk and try to run an in-place Upgrade. Wouldn't do it unless it was initiated from within Windows.
So I figure I need to post a "please help me" thread here, because I don't know what to next. The data is all recoverable, but there's a bunch of software installed over 2 years and I don't want to have to do that, and the client hasn't got the time so it would be me.
When I built the computer, I made a small 50 Gbyte partition on the 1000 Gbyte HD, and cloned the old computer's data to it, so it would always be available if an unforeseen situation arose. After I built the computer, I migrated all the data (photos, documents, etc...) from the 50 Gbyte partition to the 950 Gbyte System Drive, and for 2 years she never needed the data. So it was disposable.
Since THAT, I decided to do a NEW INSTALL on the 50 Gbyte partition, and then try to trick Win7 from that partition into thinking that the Upgrade Install was coming from the 950 Gbyte HD.
And, Holy Mother of All the Saints in Heaven, the skies opened up and warm & loving sunshine shone down upon my unworthiness, and at next reboot, Win7 wants to know which install I'm messing with, "Win7" or "Win7 (Recovered)". I chose "B".
I never actually SAW an "inplace upgrade" happen. The "recovered" install gave me the "Repair Computer" option and so I went off to fritter the rest of my evening away, and when I came back, Win7 was waiting for the PW to go to the Recovered Installation's desktop.
NOTE: This ain't my first rodeo. I used every tool imaginable. The data was there, but as far as Windows was concerned the installation data was INVISIBLE. Not sure how it happened (part of why I'm posting), but it worked and might help someone else (the other reason why I'm posting).
I get so much from this forum that I am very pleased to hopefully give something back. I've never seen the "parallel installation" method described. Maybe everyone knows about it but me, IDK. But, on the chance they don't, here it is.
Also, I'm interested in hearing people's opinions & theories on why/how this happened, and maybe if there was something else I could have done, faster, because the machine has been sitting on the dining room table for over a week, which is 5 days too long, IMO.
So I do all the usual, run fixmbr, fixboot, fix<whatever>/rebuild and nothing works. Get the original Installation Disk and try to run an in-place Upgrade. Wouldn't do it unless it was initiated from within Windows.
So I figure I need to post a "please help me" thread here, because I don't know what to next. The data is all recoverable, but there's a bunch of software installed over 2 years and I don't want to have to do that, and the client hasn't got the time so it would be me.
When I built the computer, I made a small 50 Gbyte partition on the 1000 Gbyte HD, and cloned the old computer's data to it, so it would always be available if an unforeseen situation arose. After I built the computer, I migrated all the data (photos, documents, etc...) from the 50 Gbyte partition to the 950 Gbyte System Drive, and for 2 years she never needed the data. So it was disposable.
Since THAT, I decided to do a NEW INSTALL on the 50 Gbyte partition, and then try to trick Win7 from that partition into thinking that the Upgrade Install was coming from the 950 Gbyte HD.
And, Holy Mother of All the Saints in Heaven, the skies opened up and warm & loving sunshine shone down upon my unworthiness, and at next reboot, Win7 wants to know which install I'm messing with, "Win7" or "Win7 (Recovered)". I chose "B".
I never actually SAW an "inplace upgrade" happen. The "recovered" install gave me the "Repair Computer" option and so I went off to fritter the rest of my evening away, and when I came back, Win7 was waiting for the PW to go to the Recovered Installation's desktop.
NOTE: This ain't my first rodeo. I used every tool imaginable. The data was there, but as far as Windows was concerned the installation data was INVISIBLE. Not sure how it happened (part of why I'm posting), but it worked and might help someone else (the other reason why I'm posting).
I get so much from this forum that I am very pleased to hopefully give something back. I've never seen the "parallel installation" method described. Maybe everyone knows about it but me, IDK. But, on the chance they don't, here it is.
Also, I'm interested in hearing people's opinions & theories on why/how this happened, and maybe if there was something else I could have done, faster, because the machine has been sitting on the dining room table for over a week, which is 5 days too long, IMO.
