Hidden partitions. Am I in serious trouble?

Please forget about the error message (it was 17 not 15 btw). I cannot reproduce it since I am facing a different problem right now. Please help me with it.

When I use Negrub with a.m. settings (hd 0,0 ) the system boots automatically into XP (on D) from then on. I am not presented a boot menu anymore. Vista (on C) is hidden and a file called "Device" has been created on D. I have used Super Grub to unhide Vista, which worked. The boot menu worked again, but when I tried to start Vista the first time, I could only do it from the recovery screen using save mode or from 'previous known configuration'. From then on I can boot again ok.

But when I want to do a complete System BackUp revovery using my Vista Installation DVD, the dvd hangs after the startup screen with the small process bar. It used to work fine since I have made recovered my system several times, and the DVD is not damaged..

What can I do to make it possible to recover both partitions again using my BackUp?
 
My genuine advice: forget about hiding the Vista partition ATM and wait for the program. This really is a lot of trouble to go through.

Now as for your current issue: boot into Windows Vista. Use EasyBCD | Bootloader Management | Reinstall Vista Bootloader and see if that does the trick.
 
No it does not. Same issue: The routine looks fine. First there the big grey status bar showing Windows is loading files, then the small green status bar from Vista is shown and after a minute or so the DVD player stops spinning and the screen turns black.

Beacause of this I cannot recover my system anymore or perform a fresh installation
 
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OK, quick check: if you unplug or disable your hard drive from the BIOS, does this still happen?
 
After unplugging my HD's the problem does not occur anymore. So I reckon that means the dvd itself is fine and there is something wrong with my installation?
 
Only thing I can think to do is to use a XP CD to enter the "recovery console" where you can type this in:

Code: 
fixboot
fixmbr
exit

Then attempt to boot from the Vista DVD again.
 
Ok, I did what you told me to do.
fixboot command could not be carried out. It could not find the correct something...
fixmbr has been carried out.

The screen stays no longer black anymore. It now freezes on the greenish curtain like screen vista uses. There are no dialogue boxes but the pointer is visible..
 
Did you wait for it? I've never seen it get stuck on the curtains before because of an I/O eror....
 
When the curtain screen appeared the dvd drive stopped spinning at high speed after about 1 minute. I waited 1 more minute before turning of the computer. When I did it with the drives disconnected the dialogue boxes appear straight away.

Can I boot from dvd with the drives disconnected and connect them before I choose te restore my system back Up. It's sounds like an unwise idea but I am a bit desperate.
 
No, that wouldn't work.

I think this is getting stuck because fixboot failed. Can you get me the full error message for that?
 
The makes sence. I just wanted to ask you how to perform a fixboot without the recovery console.

I will send you the full error message tonight. Currently I do not have acces to my pc. I am at the office :brows:

The full error message is: Fixboot cannot find the systemdrive or the drive is invalid

This is translated by me. I am not sure if 'systemdrive' is the correct word in this context..
 
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Sounds like something to do with your RAID1 configuration where both Windows XP and Windows Vista just can't figure out how to identify your drives.

I'm not sure if they have the drivers (they must, I guess, else how were you able to boot from the Vista DVD in the past?!) or if there is a problem with your RAID config...

Can you double-check that nothing in your RAID settings has changed?
 
I have done a number of actions with no result. But I noticed a couple of things too

First I checked my raid config. Nothing strange there. I rebuilt the raidset and tried to reboot with the DVD. The same result as before.

In XP I saw the drive letters for 2 partitions were not the same as in Vista. I corrected it. Do not know if it matters. But it is a bit strange??
I rebooted with XP DVD. Commands:
  • Fixboot (Error, as described earlier)
  • BOOTCONFIG /SCAN (translated by me: cannot check drives for windows installations. This error might occur in case of a damaged file system, which prohibits bootcfg to check)
  • CHKDISK (it appears only 1 out 3 physical drives is being detected and it is not any of the disks I use in my raidset for both of my operating systems). So C now contains my BackUp partition (fomer G) and D is a partion with just some files.
After that I did a silly thing :
I played around with Super Grub Disk you advised earlier ( you should never give a child matches :scared:smile:. And I activated Partition (hd0,0)

Now I cannot start anymore at all message is:
BOOTMGR is missing
Press Ctrl + Alt + Dell to restart

How can I correct this?
 
Erm... To fix that you'll need to boot from the Vista DVD and enter the recovery console :/

Can you try booting from the DVD now? You never know, that ***might*** just have fixed it (unlikely, but worth a shot, I guess).
 
noop.. Is this the end of the road then??

I noticed something else using the Super Grub Disk. I am not sure if I should have paid attention to the following message after using super Grub Disk hiding/unhiding an activating Options: Boot Sector Write!! Virus: Continue (y/n)? I ignored the message assuming the software was safe.
 
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That sounds like SGD found a virus in your bootsector.. :|

I don't know what to tell you - my only advice would be to clear your MBR.... but you'd have to backup your data and stuff first.
 
Do you have any instructions how to clear the MBR given the situation my system in. Apart from using the SGD access to my bios and access to my Raid controler, i do not have many options.

The only thing I can think of is building a new raidset, which will remove all data in the raidset. Is this what you mean?
 
That might do the trick - I don't know, not having a RAID config myself.

Here's what you can do: give that a shot, and see if you can boot into the Vista DVD then. If not, post back, and we'll go through the slightly lengthier process of clearing the MBR.
 
I am pretty sure I will be possible to boot from DVD after clearing the Raidset.

But then I will need to do a fresh installation of Vista and XP. Probabably I will not be able to use the System BackUp I made earlier So I will need to go through all the Vista activating shit again :rage:and reinstall all software again....
 
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