corrupt partition table

Hi RogueCypher,

·         May I know the complete error message you’re getting?

The 200 MB hidden partition on your hard disk is a small boot sector which contains system files and bootable files to load your operating system, and helps in event of corruption as it also contains Windows Recovery options. It gets created when you install operating system. It is not possible to delete this partition using Storage Disk Management from Computer Management. It is a partition table which is generally referred to as Master boot record. If usually gets corrupted or becomes invalid due to third party hard disk partition softwares.

If this is corrupted, we can fix this partition using Fixboot command, but before doing that please check your disk for errors and see if this resolves the issue.

Please follow the steps below to do this.

1.       Open Computer by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Computer.

2.       Right-click the drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.

3.       Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check now. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

·         To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors. Otherwise, the disk check will report problems but not fix them.

·         To perform a thorough check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the drive itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

·         To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

4.       Click Start.

For more information, please see the link below,

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Check-a-drive-for-errors Check a drive for errors

Hope this information helped you.

Regards

Yaaser - Microsoft Support Engineer

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Since no one replied I bit the bullet and backed up,  formatted my hard drive. Done a new install with a new terrabyte harddrive and Nvidia graphics card. this time the partitions were correct and have no problems until i went to activate my windows 7 pro x64 which told me that my product key was invalid so after getting the run around from support i had to purchase a new product key. now everything s fine. Microsoft should allow for upgrades!!! What if a hard drive fails?, what about if you wanted to buy and install the latest graphics card? and i hate to think if the worse case scenario something happens to my motherboard. Paying for a new product key isn't a problem for me but what gets me is that i I've only activated my old key once.

I tried what you suggested, still got a corrupt partition table. is it something to do with "mbr" and "mft" or "GPT" ???? or are they the same thing? i swear i read somewhere they are all different things correct me if I'm wrong ppls. 

anyway ok back to the problem Partition Magic Pro says corrupt partition doesn't even see any partitions, Paragon Partition Manager says corrupt partition table, Partition Table Doctor says corrupt. Acronis Disk Director says no problems at all.

When booting to the Windows 7 x64 Professional DVD and selecting repair, windows partition isn't on the list of windows installations. if windows itself cannot see its own partition how is any other app going to????. so i ask the question again does anyone know how to fix a corrupt partition table or has anyone got the same problem.