How to recreate Vista boot loader?

[Milloflex]

I'm only having a single Windows Vista installed.

I don't have any c:\boot\ or d:\boot\ folder. All boot data is missing. (However I happen to have a bcdbakup done with bcdedit /export, dont know if it's usefull due to don't have any advanced setup involving dual-boot etc.)

How do I recreate the boot loader?

I tried the following steps from the 'recovering vista bootloader' acticle here on neosmart. (Recovering the Vista Bootloader from the DVD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki)

"del C:\boot\bcd
bcdedit /createstore c:\boot\bcd.temp
bcdedit.exe /store c:\boot\bcd.temp /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager"
bcdedit.exe /import c:\boot\bcd.temp
bcdedit.exe /set {bootmgr} device partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /timeout 10
del c:\boot\bcd.temp"

Vista gets mounted to D: in the recovery console so I'd preform:

bcdedit /createstore D:\boot\bcd.temp
bcdedit.exe /store D:\boot\bcd.temp /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager"
bcdedit.exe /import D:\boot\bcd.temp <-- getting error here.

"The store import operation has failed.
The requested system device cannot be found."


Found this post to the similiar problem: BCD Error Single OS Vista Ultimate (BCD Error Single OS Vista Ultimate - The NeoSmart Forums)

But my problem can not have todo with the registry. Cause the only thing I've done was to format and remove another hdd that was in my computer... which appearently had the boot loader.


Suggestions?

 

[JustinW]

Hi Milloflex, welcome to NST

Use diskpart to set your vista partition as active. Replace x and y with the disk/partition numbers as listed:

diskpart
list disk
select disk x
list part
select part y
make active
exit

Run startup repair from a recovery disc two or three times. Its a lot easier than dealing with the command line and may work. Sometimes it requires a few attempts though (doesn't seem to fix everything at once).

 

[Milloflex]

The partion is already set to active. (Also confirmed by other programs.)

I've tried to run the auto repair. But i'll try it a couple more times.

But I would be glad to here the "command line solution" anyway.

 

[JustinW]

Your sure D:'s your Vista partition now? Typically, when you do repair operations from a Vista disc, the installation you're trying to repair usually gets C:.

 

[Milloflex]

I'm totaly sure.

I usualy click 'browse' when the repair env loads, and there i can see all mounted disks and their names.

on C: i have an old vista partition (it's on another physical disk), but it's not set as 'active', and it does not have a c:\boot\ either.

Addendum:

Err... I usual choose browse in the windows where you can choose drivers for your hdds... there I can see all the drivers mounted in the grafical interface.

 

[JustinW]

So you have two instances of Vista? From my understanding you just had one instance on there that got messed up when you removed the drive the boot files were on.

If your old drive is still accesible, get the boot files off of there (the boot folder and bootmgr) and put them onto the drive the broken Vistas are on. You should be able to boot Vista than, or at least be able to attempt startup repair...

 

[Milloflex]

Sorry for the confusion.

First I had only one disk (lets call it #1), I installed XP.

Then I got another (#2) installed Vista on it.

Then I got a thrid (#3) which I as using untill recently.


When I removed disk #1 from the computer none of the remaining Vista installations was able to run (disk #2 and #3).

The reason why I said I only got one Vista is becuase i dont care about the Vista on disk #2. I only want a simple boot loader that loads what's on disk #3.

I could remove disk #2 from the computer, that maybe helps?

 

[JustinW]

Ok, get the files from XP's disk as directed before, copy them over to the second hard drive or whichever one is first to boot in the BIOS, and than see if you can get into either of the Vistas.

 

[Milloflex]

UPDATE:

i've ran the auto repair a couple of times now. when i boot i see the text "1234F:" on the screen and then a blinking coursor beside it so it looks like "1234F:_" where _ is the input coursor.

when i try to write something only a new instance of "1234F:" appears on a new row with the coursor besides it.

 

[JustinW]

You've probably just corrupted your drive

Lets try this from a different approach since repair hasn't worked...

Boot from your Vista dvd, make sure the contents of your partitions are still visible, and than try (replace C: with the correct partition):

chkdsk c: /r
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows

The first will scan the partition for errors and try to fix them.
The second will scan for corrupted system files.

 

[Milloflex]

Ok, get the files from XP's disk as directed before, copy them over to the second hard drive or whichever one is first to boot in the BIOS, and than see if you can get into either of the Vistas.

The XP disk (#1) is formatted and gone. I don't have the boot files.

But like I said in my first post I did however do a "BCDedit.exe /export bcdstore.bak".

Tried to import them them even now but I get the same error message as mention in my first post, when I was following the guide.

You've probably just corrupted your drive

Lets try this from a different approach since repair hasn't worked...

Boot from your Vista dvd, make sure the contents of your partitions are still visible, and than try (replace C: with the correct partition):

chkdsk c: /r
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows

The first will scan the partition for errors and try to fix them.
The second will scan for corrupted system files.

I'm 100% sure my files and system files are intact, because when my vista was working I tried removing the XP disk (#1) from the computer and I had the same problem I'm having now.

Then I tought I moved the boot loader to my newest disk, so I formated #1 which was a big mistake. (But I had to return it, it was a friends who needed it in a hurry...)

But I'll try that last approch you posted anyway.

Addendum:

You've probably just corrupted your drive

Lets try this from a different approach since repair hasn't worked...

Boot from your Vista dvd, make sure the contents of your partitions are still visible, and than try (replace C: with the correct partition):

chkdsk c: /r
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows

The first will scan the partition for errors and try to fix them.
The second will scan for corrupted system files.

UPDATE: did everything above.

• chksk didn't found any problems.
  
• sfc did however but some of then could not be fixed it said. got the log, gonna look through it tomorrow.

after both actions i did try to auto repair the boot again, but still not working. getting a black screen with the text "1234F:" in the upper left corner.

suggestions on how to proceed?

 

[JustinW]

Might be time to consider re-installing than. Not pleasant but as long as you got backups of your files you should be back up in a couple of hours...

You say your Vista partition is considered D: (or least the install you're trying to repair anyway). Try bcdedit from the command prompt to see what details it provdies and post here.

 

[Milloflex]

SOLVED!

Ahh... at last I solved the problem erlier today.

The problem wasn't damaged partition nor corrupted system files.

The problem was another drive that had an old vista installation on it. Although the drive wasn't active nor bootable, it confused Vistas repair tools.


The thing I did was to remove the other drive from the computer, then booted the Vista DVD repair.

This time the Vista partition got the drive letter C: (it were given D: before) and it now appeared in the window that lets you choose which installation you wish to repair.

I choosed the one and only Vista installation in the list.

Then I did a

• bootrec /fixmbr
• bootrec /fixboot

Then I ran the automatic Vista boot repair. It rebooted itself, and voila, it worked!

But there was one more problem to solve. When booted the other drive letter got messed up (because of the drive I removed from the computer) so Vista couldnt find my moved Documents, Desktop files etc.

To solved that I had to swap the SATA connectors of my both HDDs. And then everything worked as a charm.

(You may think that only reassigning the drive letter from whitin windows would help... but if it doesn't then try putting the Windows HDD in SATA port 1 and then the rest of the drives after.)


Hope this helps anybody!


Thanks for a great forum!

And thank you very much kairozamorro for all the help, suggestions and quick replys! :-]

 

[JustinW]

Nice to hear everything worked out ok