Help !! problems with recovery cd Vista after installing Windows 7 beta,

borgert · #1 November 20th, 2009, 12:25 PM

HELP! Problems with recovery cd Vista after having installed Windows 7 beta.Get this message - Bootmgr is missing. Sorry for my bad english. I want to reinstall Vista again but there is some problems!
The vista backup old file is gone from C: but Windows 7 beta backup is located on D: i think I've overwrite the vista partition after innstalled Windows 7 beta. I've got the factory recover Vista cd but get this message (Bootmgr is missing "after running recovery cd 1 of 2. How can I use EASYBCD to run a clean installation of Vista. Can someone PLEASE give me the correct solution :-)

Coolname007 · #2 November 20th, 2009, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by borgert

How can I use EASYBCD to run a clean installation of Vista.

Hi Borgert, welcome to NST.
You don't need EasyBCD for that. Reinstalling Vista will recreate the boot files, and add a correct entry to the BCD for Vista, by itself. However, you should probably format the former Vista partition first, and install the clean Vista into it, so your system will be like it was before.

borgert · #3 November 21st, 2009, 12:51 AM

Hi Coolname007.

Thanks for help and answer, but the problem is that when I start the recovery cd's with vista it starts the job to overwrite C: where windows 7 is today but after a while I get Bootmgr is missing- You write "you should probably format the Vista partition forms first "I'm not quite sure how I do this - can you please explain this to me in a easy way

Terry60 · #4 November 21st, 2009, 01:12 AM

Have you got the BIOS set to boot CD/DVD before HDD ?
If you reinstall by using a Function Key to temporarily override the boot from HDD to DVD, the install will fail at the first reboot, because it tries to go to the unfinished HDD instead of back to the DVD.
Make sure the BIOS will always try the optical drive 1st.

Coolname007 · #5 November 21st, 2009, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by borgert

Hi Coolname007.

Thanks for help and answer, but the problem is that when I start the recovery cd's with vista it starts the job to overwrite C: where windows 7 is today but after a while I get Bootmgr is missing- You write "you should probably format the Vista partition forms first "I'm not quite sure how I do this - can you please explain this to me in a easy way

You should be able to format the Vista partition with the installation program on the Vista cd, unless your particular recovery cd doesn't have that option. If you can't do it that way, there are various 3rd party utilities to accomplish this, such as the free Gparted.

borgert · #6 November 23rd, 2009, 10:07 AM

Hi and thanks for your reply. I believe that the recovery cd then maybe dont have this option. Windows 7 on C: is NTFS partitioned, so then i will try to download the free Gparted software so i can formatting Vista to FAT32. Is that the correct solution before trying to run the Vista recovery cd's again ?

Terry60 · #7 November 23rd, 2009, 12:20 PM

Vista should be NTFS too.
Did you check your BIOS boot sequence ?

borgert · #8 November 23rd, 2009, 01:01 PM

Hello Terry, Sorry but i dont now so much about boot settings . Where can i find what you ask for - in the setup (F2) ??

Terry60 · #9 November 23rd, 2009, 02:34 PM

When you power up the system, the 1st screen you see is the BIOS splash screen.
Somewhere on it will be instructions on how to enter the BIOS setup utility
(press "del" or some other key depending on the chipset firmware.)
Once you're in there, you'll find yourself in a very simple 1980's-style environment. Navigate around with keyboard arrow keys to the Boot section.
It will probably be a tree structure on a newer PC. The top level sets the boot order of device types, and within each type will be a lower level menu where you can set the order of those devices.
In the top level, you want to ensure that CD/DVD comes before HDD.
In a normal boot there will be nothing in the CD tray, and the BIOS senses that, and boots from the HDD, but when there is a bootable CD/DVD present, it goes to that first.
That's the situation you need when installing Windows.
If you've got the BIOS set to boot HDD first, and you override it with F8 to start an install, the install will begin normally, but at the 1st automatic reboot, the setup program doesn't continue from the CD/DVD but tries to boot the incomplete OS on the HDD.

borgert · #10 December 8th, 2009, 11:37 AM

Hello, I've found the solution with the program Gparted. What I did was to format the drive C again: then i found PQSERVICE file (hidden partition). maked it to boot from here and then reboot the laptop - pressing Alt + F10 when Acer logo came up and got into the Recovery option / enterprise. Then running installation back to vista with no problem. Thanks to all the great support and help :-)

Terry60 · #11 December 8th, 2009, 12:59 PM

Glad you're happy again.
Perhaps you'd consider adding Norwegian to our translation thread if you have a few spare minutes.