Windows 7 Non-bootable Windows 7. The cloned version WORKS!

[Steaua10]

Hi.
Windows 7 Ultimate x86

It was on my original 1TB Western Digital HDD. After several consecutive PC crashes it doesn't boot anymore. After the BIOS POST there appears a blinking underscore in the top left corner, and it stays in that state forever. (I don't want to perform a clean Windows install to not lose my working environment. I just want to fix my OS so I continue working further from last time)
I can't enter in safe mode, I can't call the System Recovery Options or Windows Boot Menu, so there is not much what I can do.

I attached this HDD to a new computer (different motherboard), which has a IDE HDD with another Windows 7. I performed a chkdsk on my original HDD. There are no bads and errors. Also I ran SFC scannow but it didn't fixed the system.

I cloned that broken Windows on a new partition on another IDE HDD. I've used Paragon Adaptive Restore - OS Adjust, and it fixed the cloned Windows to work on a different HDD in a new machine!
Now I have a working clone of a non-working Windows! LOL (The cloning was done after the original OS became non-bootable)

Here is the graphic representation of my drives and OS -- https://funkyimg.com/i/339qm.png
Although Paragon fixed the clone to work, it can't fix my original W7 OS to work on this new machine.

I think there should be a problem either with Boot Sector, BCD data, MBR on my original HDD. I don't know very well these things.

If I try to boot directly from the HDD with my original Windows, it stops booting on a black screen with a blinking underscore (probably before Windows Boot Manager).

If I boot another IDE HDD with the cloned Windows:

--I can boot perfectly from here the Working clone

-- It also has in Windows Boot Manager an option pointing to my original Windows from the another HDD

--- But trying to boot the original Windows from the another HDD, I get stuck on a black screen (with no cursor/underscore this time) and no signs that Windows is loading.

So if Windows isn't loading, this is why I suspect a BootSector, BCD, MBR problem.

---

Startup repair ran ~6 times

SFC also a couple of times

I also ran Bootrec.exe / fixMBR /fixBoot /rebuildbcd
Also, I will notice that I ran bootsect /nt60 SYS /MBR and Bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

And there always appear the message: Total identified Windows installations: 0

This probably should be related directly with the boot failure.


Also I followed the steps from here --> How to Replace Motherboard without Reinstalling Windows. - wintips.org - Windows Tips & How-tos
No succes.

What can I do to restore to a working state my original OS?

inspect well the logs.
What I found:
Paragon logs says:

Setting up HAL & Kernel drivers:

Default Kernel and HAL type selected (get from Windows registry): 'Uniprocessor PC'

!!!Warning: File 'halacpi.dll' have not been found in repository
!!!Warning: File 'halmacpi.dll' have not been found in repository

CBS logs says:

2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d0 [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d1 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-d..opwindowmanager-api_31***_none_e21***73ff\dwmapi.dll do not match actual file [l:20{10}]"dwmapi.dll" :
  Found: {l:32 b:WaFu91BE**5fWI=} Expected: {l:32 b:b65ky***pa6ecVS+Frou***E4A=}
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d2 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20{10}]"dwmapi.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-DesktopWindowManager-API, Version = 6.1.7601.17514, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf***35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d3 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-d..opwindowmanager-api_31bf385**1.7601.17514_none_e2164e**3ff\dwmcore.dll do not match actual file [l:22{11}]"dwmcore.dll" :
  Found: {l:32 b:Pwh2KpIANM**khCFB**axzYZk=} Expected: {l:32 b:TDGQC*b*khQtE=}
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d4 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:22{11}]"dwmcore.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-DesktopWindowManager-API, Version = 6.1.7601.17514, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31b***5}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d5 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-duser_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_5a4b**a\duser.dll do not match actual file [l:18{9}]"duser.dll" :
  Found: {l:32 b:EUAGPY8***xI6icE+g=} Expected: {l:32 b:uGE2DQoBQmWgvrTML+MeoFrpUSDosHggwToETWTADis=}
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d6 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:18{9}]"duser.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-DUser, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d7 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-duser_31bf3856a***5dce176a\duser.dll do not match actual file [l:18{9}]"duser.dll" :
  Found: {l:32 b:EUAGPY87BlufmkKA7S***icE+g=} Expected: {l:32 b:uGE2DQoBQm***ETWTADis=}
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d8 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:18{9}]"duser.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-DUser, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf38***5}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2020-03-26 13:49:09, Info                  CSI    000001d9 [SR] This component was referenced by [l:198{99}]"Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf385***5~x86~~6.1.7601.17514.WindowsFoundationDelivery"
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001da Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-d..opwindowmanager-api_31bf38***7514_none_e2164e***3ff\dwmapi.dll do not match actual file [l:20{10}]"dwmapi.dll" :
  Found: {l:32 b:WaFu91BEIm***fWI=} Expected: {l:32 b:b65ky5d***QE***4A=}
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001db [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:20{10}]"dwmapi.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-DesktopWindowManager-API, Version = 6.1.7601.17514, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001dc [SR] This component was referenced by [l:198{99}]"Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.1.7601.17514.WindowsFoundationDelivery"
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001dd Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-d..opwindowmanager-api_31bf38***ff\dwmcore.dll do not match actual file [l:22{11}]"dwmcore.dll" :
  Found: {l:32 b:P***=} Expected: {l:32 b:TDGQC***hQtE=}
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001de [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:22{11}]"dwmcore.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-DesktopWindowManager-API, Version = 6.1.7601.17514, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {***}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001df [SR] This component was referenced by [l:198{99}]"Microsoft-Windows-Foundation-Package~31bf38***x86~~6.1.7601.17514.WindowsFoundationDelivery"
2020-03-26 13:49:10, Info                  CSI    000001e0 Repair results created:

Should I repair these manually ?

 

[ChatGPT]

The issues you're encountering with potential file corruption require careful consideration and may need manual repair steps. Here are some suggestions on how to approach potentially corrupted system files: 1. System File Checker (SFC) Scan: - Run sfc /scannow from an elevated Command Prompt. SFC will scan your system for corrupted files and attempt to repair them. Check the SFC results after the scan completes. 2. Windows Update Troubleshooter: - It can help resolve issues that prevent Windows updates from being installed correctly. You can access the Troubleshooter from the Settings menu or download it from the Microsoft website. 3. Repair Windows Installation: - If multiple components are showing mismatched hashes, consider a more advanced repair installation. Using a Windows setup disk or USB drive, you can initiate a repair installation that keeps your personal files and settings intact while trying to resolve system-related issues. 4. Manual File Repair: - For specific files identified as problematic, you can sometimes find clean versions in the WinSxS folder. If necessary, consider copying a correctly-matched file to the specified location manually. This approach can be complex and potentially risky for novice users. 5. Check Windows Logs: - Reviewing the Windows event logs for any specific error messages related to the corrupt files can provide more insights into the issues at hand before proceeding with manual file repairs. It's recommended to always back up your personal data before performing repairs that involve the system files. If system file corruption persists after performing these steps, further troubleshooting and potentially contacting Microsoft Support might be necessary to diagnose the root cause of the issue.