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I have now built 3 machines using Win7 and I noticed an interesting problem:
When installing on a machine that has more than one blank hard drive Win 7 seems to write some critical boot files to the second hard drive. I noticed that later if there are any issues with the second hard drive or it gets removed or reformatted all of a sudden there are boot problems even though Win 7 was only installed to the first (main, (C) hard drive). The error I get when booting is "Boot manager missing" "Press ctrl+alt+del to reboot". When this happens I have to run a repair install or worse re-install.
It seems weird that Windows would write anything to a drive other than the one being used as the C: drive that is where the install lives.
Also, I learned the hard way that if I am installing Win 7 on a system with 2 identical hard drives, especially 2 SSD's this is a bad idea because not only does the second drive get some critical files written to it but if I want to remove one of the drives later to be used in another machine, I have no idea which one the Windows install is physically located on since there are no indicator (activity) lights on the drives.
Anyway, maybe there is an obvious reason for the system files that I am not aware of since I am not a super geek when it come s to these things. For now I just start a system install with only one drive in the box. Then later I add the second and third hard drives.
I am just interested in knowing why Windows does this and if there is a solution so I can avoid a post install of the backup or secondary drives....
Thanks,
Dave
When installing on a machine that has more than one blank hard drive Win 7 seems to write some critical boot files to the second hard drive. I noticed that later if there are any issues with the second hard drive or it gets removed or reformatted all of a sudden there are boot problems even though Win 7 was only installed to the first (main, (C) hard drive). The error I get when booting is "Boot manager missing" "Press ctrl+alt+del to reboot". When this happens I have to run a repair install or worse re-install.
It seems weird that Windows would write anything to a drive other than the one being used as the C: drive that is where the install lives.
Also, I learned the hard way that if I am installing Win 7 on a system with 2 identical hard drives, especially 2 SSD's this is a bad idea because not only does the second drive get some critical files written to it but if I want to remove one of the drives later to be used in another machine, I have no idea which one the Windows install is physically located on since there are no indicator (activity) lights on the drives.
Anyway, maybe there is an obvious reason for the system files that I am not aware of since I am not a super geek when it come s to these things. For now I just start a system install with only one drive in the box. Then later I add the second and third hard drives.
I am just interested in knowing why Windows does this and if there is a solution so I can avoid a post install of the backup or secondary drives....
Thanks,
Dave
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Dave, it's unusual to encounter such issues during Windows 7 installation, where critical boot files end up on a secondary hard drive instead of the primary one, leading to boot problems if the secondary drive is removed or reformatted. This behavior might stem from the way Windows 7 handles certain system files and boot configurations during installation. Here are a few insights into why this might be happening: 1. Boot Configuration Data (BCD): Windows 7 uses the BCD store to manage boot configurations. During installation, the BCD store may be placed on a different drive when multiple drives are present. If the BCD store is on a secondary drive that is later removed, it can result in boot issues. 2. Drive Letter Assignment: Windows assigns drive letters based on the order of drive detection during installation. If the secondary drive is detected before the primary drive during the installation process, some system files may inadvertently end up on the secondary drive. 3. Hardware Detection: Windows may detect certain hardware configurations differently when multiple drives are present, which could influence where system files are placed. 4. Boot Partition Selection: Windows might choose a different physical drive for the boot partition, which can sometimes lead to files being written to the wrong drive. To potentially avoid this issue, here are some suggestions: - Disconnect Secondary Drives: When installing Windows 7, disconnect any additional drives temporarily to ensure that the installation process is isolated to the primary drive. - Modify Boot Configuration: After installation, you can try modifying the BCD store to ensure that the boot files are directed to the correct drive. - Use Disk Management: In Windows, you can use Disk Management to check the active/boot partition and ensure that it is on the correct drive. - Consult Advanced Users: For a more thorough understanding and potential solutions, consider reaching out to advanced users or forums specializing in Windows installation and boot issues. Understanding the intricacies of Windows installation processes can indeed be complex, and it's great that you've found a workaround to avoid these issues by installing with only one drive initially. If you encounter any more challenges or need further assistance, feel free to ask for help!
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