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restoring a missing MBR and track 0 of drive c:???

Anonymous
2011-01-02T21:37:21+00:00

for unknown reasons my C: drive has lost its master boot record.  I have to boot using the record from a backup I have on an USB external drive.  How can I restore the master boot record on the hard disk; I have tried using bootrec and had no luck -- try using the partition manager of Ease US and although it says that it has recovered it when I tried to boot it doesn't find it.  Do you know of a good utility that can either A.) copy the MBR from the USB over to the C drive or simply create a new one.  The partition record seems to be in good shape...

thank you.

Ross

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-01-05T00:43:19+00:00

    problem solved!  The fix was in getting to the command prompt in the recovery environment and then typing "bootsect ALL C: /mbr" and watching as it said it was resetting all of the discs -- it was lousy documentation to begin with and the error messages/advisory messages leave a lot to be desired.  The other people came running into my room when I had a successful boot and was rather, err, loud and raucous and celebratory!

    Thanks for your help and I'm about to go out, find a bar with a suitable number of attractive blondes and buy them all some fine single malt scotch!

    Yahoo!

    Ross

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-01-03T14:01:05+00:00

    the "select operating system" box is entirely empty. the only way I can successfully boot would be to use the boot device menu (part of the bios) and boot from the second USB external drive.  If I tried to boot from the hard disk I get an error 1, or error 2, or error 3, all followed by a "missing MBR"

    my theory is that taking the boot record/MBR from the USB and to stick it onto my C.: system drive would work.  I have tried using "bootsect" and have had no luck.  I have also used EaseUS   partition master and it claims to have worked but it does not appear to -- I have the same problem as before I ran it at all.

    What is this "FIXMBR" I keep hearing about?  So either I need to move the USB's MBR or create a new one.  And so I'm stuck with third-party software that does not appear to work.

    Sigh.

    Ross

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-01-03T06:54:36+00:00

    You're again looking too far:

    1. Set your BIOS to use the DVD drive as the primary boot device.
    2. Boot with a Windows Repair CD.
    3. Press a key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …" appears.
    4. Select a language, a time and currency, and a keyboard or input method, and then click Next.
    5. Select an Operating System, then click Next. You are now in Repair Mode.
    6. Click Repair your computer.
    7. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, choose the drive of your Windows installation and click Next.
    8. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Startup Repair .
    9. When finished, remove the CD before rebooting the system.

    Instead using a Windows Repair CD in Step 2, you can use your Windows 7 Installation DVD. The steps are similar to the ones above.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-01-02T23:54:17+00:00

    I rebooted onto the upgrade disk entered repair mode and tried everything I could think of including bootsect /nt?? C: but it did not work.  From the repair mode command prompt what is the sequence of commands that should work?  My DVD drive is the F.: drive and my boot disk is the c: drive... a buddy of mine suggests that I should boot onto a Linux emergency disk...

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-01-02T22:24:55+00:00

    No need to use third-party tools - just boot the machine into Repair Mode with your Windows Repair CD or installation DVD, then select the option to repair the boot environment.

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