computer help windows 7

[froggy]

So I've just upgraded to windows 7 and also a new harddrive to house it on. When I loaded it up I changed the boot sequence so that'll it start from the cd everythings good except for the fact that it loaded the boot information onto the drive that has my old copy of windows that I was planing on wiping after the windows 7 install and the transfer of all my old files. Want to know what I can do to get it to install/boot from the drive that windows is actually installed on?

Thanks

[XTOTHEL]

Is the copy of windows 7 upgrade? or a full installation?

If you have a full installation DVD, then you can just:

-unplug your old harddrive
-plug in new harddrive
-install fresh copy of windows 7 on new hard drive (should be the only one showing)
-shutdown
-when that's done, plug your old harddrive back
-boot to W7 and the stuff from your old harddrive should show up as a local disk that's not C:.
-Then go on and copy stuff over from old harddrive to new harddrive.

[froggy]

It's a full install, yeah i guess that's what I'll have to do :( I was hoping that there was a way I could just copy the boot record over without having to reinstall the whole thing again. If I did just re image my old drive could the repair function from W7 fix that?

[XTOTHEL]

hm...

Have you tried...

-Shutdown
-Unplug old harddrive
-Plug in new harddrive
-Boot from DVD
-Repair
-Reboot, see if it boots into windows 7 without your old harddrive?

[Fuyuzora]

I had the same problem when I first installed Win7.

It's possible to update the Master Boot Record (MBR), but I'm a bit foggy on how I did it myself. I'll see if I can dig up some instructions.

[froggy]

I'm going to try that now, but first I have to transfer back all of my files. (I only realized the problem after I transfered some files over and reset my bios boot order :(

[Fuyuzora]

Bingo: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

[froggy]

I had the same problem when I first installed Win7.

It's possible to update the Master Boot Record (MBR), but I'm a bit foggy on how I did it myself. I'll see if I can dig up some instructions.

That would be great, I'm thinking though that it's probably the same prosess the xtothel is suggesting

[Fuyuzora]

It's actually a lot easier. No disconnecting of equipment necessary (although it may be a good precaution to safeguard data, your call).

You just need to boot to the repair utility using the Win7 disc, then edit the master boot record so that Win7's entry gets read first, before any other records for Vista. Updating the MBR is pretty straightforward (as described in the microsoft KB), the /fixMBR option may well be all you need.

[froggy]

thanks everyone If I"m back on here in 30 mins or so things went well if not then welll....

[XTOTHEL]

It's actually a lot easier. No disconnecting of equipment necessary (although it may be a good precaution to safeguard data, your call).

You just need to boot to the repair utility using the Win7 disc, then edit the master boot record so that Win7's entry gets read first, before any other records for Vista. Updating the MBR is pretty straightforward (as described in the microsoft KB), the /fixMBR option may well be all you need.

I thought disconnecting the drive with the MBR would leave the drive with windows 7 on it without a MBR, then when you run repair it would detect something is wrong and fix it (aka write in a MBR on the drive). If he leave it in, it might not detect that there's something wrong. Then he would have to run the command prompt and type in a bunch of stuff (maybe a little complicated?)

[Fuyuzora]

I thought disconnecting the drive with the MBR would leave the drive with windows 7 on it without a MBR, then when you run repair it would detect something is wrong and fix it (aka write in a MBR on the drive). If he leave it in, it might not detect that there's something wrong. Then he would have to run the command prompt and type in a bunch of stuff (maybe a little complicated?)

I think short term that would probably work, although I'm a bit worried that once he reconnects the drive, the two conflicting boot records may cause issues.

If he runs from the command prompt just one command: bootrec /RebuildBcd

It'll completely ditch any existing boot records, scan for operating systems, and let him choose the appropriate OS he wants to boot to, which should do the trick nicely.

[froggy]

I thought disconnecting the drive with the MBR would leave the drive with windows 7 on it without a MBR, then when you run repair it would detect something is wrong and fix it (aka write in a MBR on the drive). If he leave it in, it might not detect that there's something wrong. Then he would have to run the command prompt and type in a bunch of stuff (maybe a little complicated?)


I think short term that would probably work, although I'm a bit worried that once he reconnects the drive, the two conflicting boot records may cause issues.

If he runs from the command prompt just one command: bootrec /RebuildBcd

It'll completely ditch any existing boot records, scan for operating systems, and let him choose the appropriate OS he wants to boot to, which should do the trick nicely.

Yeah I'm back I just decided to disconect my other drives and do a clean install on my new drive. This way now I can just change the boot sequence to my old windows and transfer all of my files under my old pwd. When I tried to boot up off the one hard drive without the boot record and try a repair I'd have to go in an do it manually. So I just started from scratch. Thanks for all the help anyway

[Fuyuzora]

As long as you get it working the way you like, that's what counts. :thumbsup

[PCLoadLetter]

Make sure your jumpers are set correctly for the drives. Win7 (primary), old drive (slave).

[htc***]

Make sure your jumpers are set correctly for the drives. Win7 (primary), old drive (slave).

Master/slave jumper does not require for sata drive.

I think you set the bootable drive in BIOS.

[froggy]

yeah all my drives are Sata drives, I had to do all that stuff through the bios program. Funny my bios program has it's own little OS built on to it, If I want I can access files from my computer from there