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Windows 7 boot configuration problem

Answered Windows 7 boot configuration problem

  • Monday, December 17, 2012 1:25 AM
     
     
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    I am SO close!

    After several days of trying to install Windows 7 on a new computer, I am very, very close. I believe the guru's here can supply the one piece I'm missing.

    The problem started after Windows 7 was installed using a USB flash drive and the "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" to a SSD that failed after just a day or so. After some reinstallation attempts, I installed a new SSD and tried to install Windows 7 to that instead using the same download of the iso file.

    Windows 7 IS installed on the new SSD. I'm using it now. But it won't boot. When I try to boot the computer, I get this message:

    Reboot and Select proper Boot device
    or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

    I can boot to THIS installation of Windows 7 by simply inserting the USB flash drive. Windows then boots and loads and runs just fine! So ... whatever is on the flash drive simply needs to be installed on the SSD and the problem will be fixed. So that's what I need to know how to do.

    ps ... The USB Flash drive is marked as "Active" and so is the MBR (100 MB partition on drive C:)

     

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  • Monday, December 17, 2012 2:43 AM
     
     
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    Update:

    When I restarted just now, it didn't boot to the SSD; the setup Windows on the USB flash started instead. I used Shift-F10 to start a console window and discovered that the SSD is now drive "D:" (it was "C:"). I started DiskPart and selected the MBR partition (the 100 MB "System Reserved" partition) and entered the command "Active", thinking that it might not be active. (I wasn't sure how to check from a console window.) I tried a reboot and the setup Windows on the USB flash started again. I selected "Repair" this time. There is a diagnostic there that checked the Windows install on drive D: ... No errors were found. But another reboot THIS time ... WITH the USB Flash drive inserted ... got me back into the SSD installed Windows 7 ... which I am now using again.

    It even completed some updates that were pending.

    So ... The boot on my install of Windows 7 on the SSD is still broken ...

     
  • Monday, December 17, 2012 6:45 AM
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    Hi,

    Have you checked the boot order in BIOS configuration? Ensure you select the SSD device as the first  priority in the boot sequence.

    If you have any feedback on our support, please click here

    Alex Zhao
    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Monday, December 17, 2012 3:43 PM
     
     
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    Have you checked the boot order in BIOS configuration? Ensure you select the SSD device as the first  priority in the boot sequence.

    Absolutely. I've become expert at selecting exactly which device to boot from and in what order the devices are used. When the SSD is the boot device, I get the error message quoted:

    Reboot and Select proper Boot device
    or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

    Clearly, the MBR on the SSD is not configured correctly. I just don't quite know what sequence of steps to use to fix the problem.

    ps ... I have learned quite a bit about the Discpart, Bootrec, and BCDBoot console commands. Bootrec /FixMbr and Bootrec /FixBoot succeed, but Bootrec /RebuildBCD says it can't find a device.

    -----------------------

    Maybe it would help if I was more specific about what I need to know. The Microsoft article about using Bootrec has this sequence of commands to rebuild the BCD file:

    bcdedit /export c:\BCD_Backup
    c:
    cd boot
    attrib bcd -s -h -r
    ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
    bootrec /Rebuildbcd

    These commands don't make sense to me because ...

    My C: drive (presumably the SSD?) doesn't have a "boot" subdirectory. That subdirectory exists on the USB flash drive, which is always F: in my installation. Should I rebuild the bcd on the flash drive (that is, substituting F: in the commands above). Then what do I do? The SSD MBR still isn't modified if I do that.

    • Edited by Seigfried Monday, December 17, 2012 3:55 PM
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  • Monday, December 17, 2012 11:27 PM
     
     
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    Update ....

    It works now. I'm not sure why.

    In the previous message, I point out that my new computer does not have a boot subdirectory in the root of C:. I checked one of my other computers and it does have one. So I'm confused. I still have the same questions and if someone had an answer, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

    In any case, I appear to no longer have a problem because it boots and runs fine now. I only wish I knew what I did to fix it.

     
  • Tuesday, December 18, 2012 8:57 AM
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    Hi,

    First, glad to hear that you have fixed it now.

    For your description, do you mean that you cannot find the boot subfolder in windows folder? This is weird, I suggest you run SFC command to see if you can find anything.

    If you have any feedback on our support, please click here

    Alex Zhao
    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Tuesday, December 18, 2012 3:48 PM
     
     
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    Alex ...

    Thanks for your help.

    Yes, there is a boot subdirectory in Windows. But there is not one in the root of C: If you notice in the commands I quoted above, the commands clearly indicate that the boot should be in the root of C: ... ie

    ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

    (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392#method1 for the full article)

    Actually, I never looked in Windows for it until you suggested it. And the boot subdirectory is in the root of C: on my old computer.

    Just a thought ... but my new computer has a UEFI BIOS. None of the others do. I haven't found anything to specifically state this, but maybe they moved the Boot subdirectory when you use UEFI  ... ???


    • Edited by Seigfried Tuesday, December 18, 2012 3:49 PM
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  • Wednesday, December 19, 2012 7:43 AM
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     Answered
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    Hi,

    I understand your concern now, you mean the C:\boot is in the WinRE process, all the volumes, including the system partition are assigned drive letters, the order of drive letter assignment may not be (or will not be) the same as how volume letters are assigned when Win7 is running.

    In this process, you may mean the system partition which contains the all boot files.

    For a reference:

    Error message when you start Windows 7: "The Windows Boot Configuration Data file is missing required information"

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2004518

    If you have any feedback on our support, please click here

     

    Alex Zhao
    TechNet Community Support

    • Marked As Answer by Seigfried Wednesday, December 19, 2012 6:21 PM
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