Wiped the Win7 boot config file? - help needed

PeeJay

Member
I ran Easy BCD 2.2 on a Windows 7 Asus netbook. From the BCD Deployment button I hit the Write MBR button without entering anything in the field 'Partition - install EBCD', it was blank.

Now after the POST screen I get the error message 'The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry'. Obviously, the machine won't boot into Windows either.

The ASUS netbook doesn't have an internal CD drive (only USB) and the Boot from USB option in the BIOS appears to have been disabled by Asus. My recovery files are on a USB stick (booting from USB was what I intended to fix with EBCD).

My guess is I need to rewrite the boot configuration file.

Is this correct or is there another way?

How do I do this?

Any help appreciated.
 
The two functions on the BCD deployment screen are not connected in any way.
Creating a Bootable USB Drive - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
Updating the MBR and Bootsector - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
One is strictly for creating "bootable external media" (my emphasis), the other for one-time use if your Vista/7/8 boot has been usurped by a later installation e.g. XP or Linux, (or the even unlikelier event that you wish to junk Vista/7/8 and return to an XP-only environment)
If you've now lost the ability to boot from the HDD, you must find out from ASUS support how to enable your ability to boot from USB, because the next option
Recovering the Windows Bootloader from the DVD - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
requires it.
 
Thanks for the links

Thanks, Terry60. I will work on the USB function first, but also found instructions on the web for taking the HDD out. Using a drive dock on my other computer I can at least copy and back up all files. Then I will try to rebuild the MBR using EBCD on the computer with the dock attached or will order the EBCD recovery CD. Asus didn't supply the Windows CD with the unit.

I ran Easy BCD 2.2 on a Windows 7 Asus netbook. From the BCD Deployment button I hit the Write MBR button without entering anything in the field 'Partition - install EBCD', it was blank.

Now after the POST screen I get the error message 'The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry'. Obviously, the machine won't boot into Windows either.

The ASUS netbook doesn't have an internal CD drive (only USB) and the Boot from USB option in the BIOS appears to have been disabled by Asus. My recovery files are on a USB stick (booting from USB was what I intended to fix with EBCD).

My guess is I need to rewrite the boot configuration file.

Is this correct or is there another way?

How do I do this?

Any help appreciated.
 
Update

I took the hard drive out and read deleted files with a program called 'Restoration'. It worked fine and showed me lots of files deleted from /boot directory at the same time and date, but restoring them didn't help.

I worked out that the external USB CD/DVD drive could boot and downloaded the Win7 recovery disk from SystemDiscs.com and burned it to DVD. This repaired the boot directory in no time.

Possibly the Asus will not boot from my USB drives because the ones I have tried are formatted as FAT32 - still exploring this.

All good for now.
 
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