Windows 7 Harddrives Apparently Corrupted after attempted to install a second harddrive

mcmonkey

New Member
Everything I did recently that might contribute to the problem-
I was hoping to make a dualboot comp by adding windows XP to a new partition. I created the new partition with 20gb. (From the 500 of my actual harddrive)
But before I actually installed on that, I got distracted with a second harddrive that my dad got(for no reason). It had a full copy of Windows XP backed up on it from another computer, so I figured I would just use that for the dualboot. I plugged it in (wired the same way as my old harddrive, but different data slot), restarted, checked the harddrive in explorer - all the data was there / reading correctly / etc, and I used 'easyBCD' to add the new harddrive to the boot list.(Which, of course, crashes if I try to start it. I just wanted to see what it would do). For a reason I can't remember, I unplugged the second harddrive for a bit, started the computer on accident (I don't know if anything loaded before I shut it off), and then when I plugged it back in.. Windows 7 would not launch. It goes to a DOS-like window, except it's just a flashing _ and it never does anything even after a few minutes. XP didn't work still.. so I decided to reinstall XP (as I couldn't tell which harddrive was which on the list, I unplugged the main harddrive while installing onto the new).. and when I did this.. it formatted and installed fully... then restarted.. then restarted.. and restarted.. and just kept restarting, never showing any thing past the manufacturer logo/BIOS load-button-message-thing. So, I then try to use my 3-disk Windows7Recovery disk(burned myself with a program apparently included by the manufacturer.) It installed fully, appearing to work.. but when I launched it, it said "Invalid Partition Table" and wouldn't boot past that. When I insert my driver installer disk, it gives me a basic DOS window thing. dir A:\ shows the files in the disk. dir B:\ for some reason shows the same. C:\ says "Error reading from drive C: DOS area: general failure". All other letter:\'s just say "invalid drive". (I'm doing this with both harddrives in.) I attempted connecting the harddrives to an old computer, but it gave an error for both. (It detected the harddrives, but said it had an error reading from it. Windows Explorer asked me to format it... {i'm willing to format one of the drives if anybody thinks it will help, but the old harddrive has data I'd prefer not to lose.} ) Looking on google, I saw several problems that all have similar problems (less overdescripptive than I am though) but none of the fixes suggested worked for me. Also - as I have two different with different errors, I only need to make one of them work.)
Also - my other available computer has a CD burner / floppy drive if either are required. I also have several USB's. The computer can boot from USB's and CD's (tested), and I could easily take the floppy thingy and connect it to the computer.
also - this computer is probably still under warranty unless unscrewing the hard drive voids it. .. does that count as modification of the computer?

Lastly - thank you for not refusing to help when you saw my wall of text. I have no idea what the problem is so I felt the need to list every single stupid thing done to the computer.
 
Well, I suppose some questions. Do you know for sure the XP drive had a working install on it? An install can be moved from one system to another, but it is touchy and the install has to be able to recognize the new devices. Problems with which type of drive controller may be involved, such as IDE or AHCI, which is set in the bios.

Do you have either a repair CD you made with Windows 7 or an install DVD? The 3 disk set to which you refer is probably some type of recovery setup, and not a repair CD. It may need a specific drive layout for it to do it thing. Are there instructions on how to restore your Windows 7 system using that?

Is there any chance you confused the drives and installed on the Windows 7 drive instead of the XP drive?

What version of EasyBCD are you using?

Could I recommend, for the time being, you remove the XP drive and concentrate on getting Windows 7 back..
 
Do you know for sure the XP drive had a working install on it?
Not at all. Hence the reinstall.

Problems with which type of drive controller may be involved, such as IDE or AHCI, which is set in the bios.
......... Where exactly in bios would that be?

Do you have either a repair CD you made with Windows 7 or an install DVD? The 3 disk set to which you refer is probably some type of recovery setup, and not a repair CD. It may need a specific drive layout for it to do it thing. Are there instructions on how to restore your Windows 7 system using that?
Uh. It. Uh. Yeah it's "recovery disk". And it only has instructions for burning it, not using it. I used it by booting from it.. and it definitely looked like it was installing things. I just don't know what. All I really know is after I ran it, it had trouble with partitions.

Is there any chance you confused the drives and installed on the Windows 7 drive instead of the XP drive?
Nope. They are clearly labeled (Made by different companies, with very different logos). The only confusion is when they are both in, they can't be told apart on the system (both are 500gb, and I have no idea how it picks which one is drive C:\ )

What version of EasyBCD are you using?
2.1

Could I recommend, for the time being, you remove the XP drive and concentrate on getting Windows 7 back..
Okay, when I have some way to get it back.
(And I don't specifically care which OS I end up with, as long as the original harddrive isn't formatted.)
 
The only way I know of not to mess with your data backup is by doing a Startup Repair in the Windows Recovery environment. You can get there by possibly the F8 key during boot and select "Repair your computer", or by booting to a Repair CD or Install DVD. You can download a Repair CD online and you might be able to borrow an install DVD, as long as it is the same bit number as your install.

Since I have no way of telling the condition of your system after the boot interruption, we can only hope it is recoverable.
 
I can't get to the F8 part, my comp doesn't even load in that far.

And I don't think I should pay $10 for a *possible* solution to the problem.
 
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