Windows 7 Windows 7 system failing to boot after PartedMagic used to shrink C:

Hi, I Hope someone can help. I have just run PartedMagic on a new Windows 7 system to shrink C: in order to be able to create an E: (Data) partition.

On rebooting, I get the following error message:

Windows failed to start.

A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.

To fix the problem:
1. Insert your windows installation disk and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings, and click "Next."
3. Click "Repair your computer."

If you do not have this disk, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

File: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Status: 0xc0000225
Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

Click to expand...

As it is a new machine, it was supplied with no system disk and I don't have a Windows 7 Installation Disk to hand.

I guess that either the boot sector has been corrupted, the partition table has been corrupted or most likely that the system partition has been moved slightly.

Can anyone suggest a way around this problem please?

Incidentally, the system is an Acer Aspire 5742

According to PartedMagic, the partitions are now allocated as follows:

unallocated - Size = 1.00 MiB
/dev/sda1 - NTFS - PQSERVICE - Size = 15.00GiB - Used = 12.27GiB - Unused = 2.73 GiB
/dev/sda2 - NTFS - SYSTEM RESERVED - Size = 100 MiB - Used = 33.59 MiB - Unused = 66.41 MiB - boot
unallocated - Size = 7.84 MiB
/dev/sda3 - NTFS - Acer - Size = 488.27 GiB - Used = 27.17 GiB - Unused = 461.11 GiB
/dev/sda4 - unknown - Size = 92.79 GiB

Click to expand...

I suspect that the unallocated 7.84 MiB is the cause of the problem and that PartedMagic realigned the "Acer" partition.

I imagine that PQSERVICE contains recovery data of some sort (like Acronis)?
If so, does anyone know how I would use it?

Try getting the Windows 7 recovery disk from here:

Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download — The NeoSmart Files

Windows 7 Installation DVD and the Recovery Environment fixed the problem.

SORTED - I used a Windows 7 Home Premium Installation DVD and the Recovery Environment fixed it automatically

I still don't know how PQSERVICE can be used - I believe that you have to purchase a recovery disk from Acer I'm happy with Acronis TrueImage going forward.

Oh, well..never mind..


If you decide to try again, you can use Disk Management in Windows 7 to shrink or extend Windows Partitions, if there is space. You cannot use it to move partitions, and I believe you see why..... ;-)

Saltgrass said:

Oh, well..never mind..

If you decide to try again, you can use Disk Management in Windows 7 to shrink or extend Windows Partitions, if there is space. You cannot use it to move partitions, and I believe you see why..... ;-)

Click to expand...

As a matter of policy, in the past whenever I built a new system or on the infrequent occasions that I have bought a pre-built system, I ALWAYS make a backup / recovery copy of the system using Acronis TrueImage before live use.

When I build a system and install the OS, I tend to configure the HDD with a system partition and a large data partition. At various stages, I write a system recovery image to the data partition and eventually burn (usually the first, the patched and the final configuration) to DVDs.

This system contained just a single huge (>500GB) partition. Because it was a new system, I didn't want to boot into Windows in case it started randomly registering with Acer, eBay, Skype, McAfee, Norton, MS Office, etc., etc. before I could make a recovery image. As a result, I used PartedMagic to shrink the system partition to allow space for a temporary data partition. I am not familiar with Windows 7, having only used the Beta version some time ago. Incidentally, having made an initial default factory recovery image, I do go on to clear out all of the installed promotional and demo rubbish.

Thanks for your suggestions . . . you live and learn . . . usually by making mistakes

yup your right, you make a mistake, u learn how to fix it then your knowledge builds better than just reading about it.. without making mistakes then how can you learn from an issue from re accurring.

id say its better to make a mistake and learn and make it stick in your head thant read something and forget.