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How-To Geek Forums / Windows Vista

bootmgr not found

(31 posts)
  • Started 3 years ago by tikeshe
  • Latest reply from tikeshe
  • Topic Viewed 9856 times

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tikeshe
Posts: 18

I have done searches, but all i've found is problems when people add/remove OS's.
Anyway, my problem.
It's been working fine for about a year, and i decided to reinstall Vista Windows and do a complete wipe. That's when the problem started.
I reinstalled with the disks. removed the CD as it stated and then restarted the system. The error "Bootmgr not found. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL" appeared.
I've tried to repair with the startup repair but this doesn't fix it, due to not finding the OS, so i can't specifically select the OS for it to repair.
I've also reinstalled Vista Windows about 3 times, and it doesn't solve it.
Anyone have any ideas of what i can do, i'm really quite annoyed ];
Thanks in advance, Joe.

Ps. The thing that is making it hard to fix it, is because when it searches for the OS.. it finds nothing. So, the disk is unknown.
I did go on load disk, but i don't know where to find the setup information.

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

When i type bootrec /RebuildBcd
It says.. Total identified windows installations: 0
The operation completed sucessfully.

Does that mean that Vista isn't installed?
I'm just not sure since all i did was reinstall vista using the TechGuys Vista Repair CD's and there's also a Vista HD when i search for drivers since no disks (Vista OS) comes up when it asks me which disk to repair.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

tikeshe, hello. Which discs are you using to install? You need a Vista install DVD or recovery discs from the system manufacturer. You can't use a Repair CD to install Vista.

For a clean install of Vista, follow the instructions at blackviper.com and when you get to step 9, be sure that you are installing to "unallocated space" (as shown).

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

Sorry for the confusion.
I had vista installed when i bought my laptop. Decided to reinstall since i had lots of crap on there. I've done it loads of times with no problem.
I used the 2 discs that Techguy (company) told me to make when i first got it
It doesn't install Vista, but it's a repair disc. With reinstallation.
I reinstalled, no problems.. until it said to restart after i removed the disc. Bootmgr not found, appeared at that time.
I've reinstalled again and again to make sure it wasn't a one-off but no difference in outcome.
I think the problem is, i've either deleted the vista OS even though the driver is still there (think i'm using right word, the one in computer)
Any ideas?

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

I'm not familiar with Techguy, the company. Do they have a website? What is the make and model of the computer?

So, you have two repair discs for repair and reinstallation. Do you know if these are CDs or DVDs? When you say that you have done it (reinstall) loads of times, has that been done with these same discs?

Do you happen to know if there is more than one physical hard drive in the computer? You can find this information in the BIOS (or Setup) Utility.

The big name manufacturer's usually provide a recovery partition on the original hard drive. From that partition, you can burn your own recovery discs. The factory restore procedure can be done from either the hard drive or from the discs, but should not need both. A factory restore puts all of the original software back, including Windows, but is not really an "install".

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

Techguy
The make is "Advent" and the model is K4000
When i bought the laptop, it already had vista installed. When i first booted it up, the techguy company (A program i presume) told me to create recovery discs. I did, DVD-R discs. I have before, when i want to reinstall just put the disc in, and it works. not to repair anything, just if i wanted to do a clean wipe.
When i put the disc in, it searches for OS. Finds none and there's a button saying "Load drivers". There, it shows 4 hard drives.
Boot, Vista, Recover
I do think that they're recovery discs, like you stated, which restores back to factory restoration (Gets rid of everything, to like when i first got it)

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

It sounds like you are getting into the Windows Recovery Environment (RE) as shown in this article.

When you get to the System Recovery Options window that says no operating system found, can you continue on to the next screen? That one, which is also called "System Recovery Options" might have an option to do a factory restore (it could be one that was added by Techguys).

How was the procedure different when you *were* able to finish the factory restore?

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

Yes, i can get to the windows recovery environment.
When no operating systems comes up, i can click load drivers which then i could if i knew how to find the setup information. There's also a button to go "next". this takes you to the system recovery options but it says "no operating system" since i never selected one for it to fix.
I see this then null but where it says operating system on the top left. mine says none selected since no operating system is listed.
Normally, i would just go to Reinstall which is comes up with a list after it loads. 4 options are listed here
Repair using Windows recovery
Reinstall
Advanced options (which when you go on has chkdsk, Command prompt and Notepad)
And lastly, exit and restart with no changes

Also, i'd like to thank you for taking the time to help me.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

Reinstall comes up after what loads?

Can you get help from Techguys? Maybe your recovery discs are corrupted or damaged somehow.

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

When i put the disc in (first disc) it says Windows is loading files with a progress bar (black screen, white bar and writing)
after that's loaded. a screen with the options:
Start windows repair environment
Reinstall Windows
advanced options
exit and restart

I probably could get help, but they'd make me pay loads most likely.. The recovery discs may be damaged, not sure ];

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

If the discs aren't corrupted, could it be another problem? I'd like to somewhat be sure before i buy a new recovery disc.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

OK, so after booting the first recovery disc, you choose "Reinstall Windows" and this is the reinstall operation that you have been attempting, correct?

My suspicion is that the existing Vista partition may be confusing the reinstall procedure. You said above that when you click on the "Load Drivers" button in the recovery environment, that you see 4 "drives". I'm pretty sure that these are partitions. You listed: "Boot, Vista, Recover". What's the 4th one?

"Recover" is probably a recovery partition put there by Advent or Techguys. "Vista" would be where the OS is installed, but I don't know what "Boot" is for. If it comes from the factory, it might be a utility partition similar to what Dell uses. This partition might have the utility that will do a restore from the Recover partition. Are you aware of such a utility partition and how to access it?

EDIT: a quick search of the forum turned up instructions for another Advent laptop that uses F10 at boot time to access the hard drive-based recovery utility. Give that a try.

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

Yes i have been trying to reinstall.
The 4 Drivers found are:
system (C:)
Recovery (D:)
Vista (E:)
Boot (X:)
and the file i'm looking for is "setup information" but i find none from where i've looked.

I've just tried F10 when it booted up, repeatingly pressing it but it just loaded up and then the Bootmgr message came up.
Well, when i do press Load drivers, i click on the "computer" icon and then 4 Drivers appear.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

Well, it turns out that for your laptop, K4000, the hard drive recovery begins with F8. That is described here.

I don't know why there is a System and a Vista partition. It might be normal for this system. Anyway, try the hard drive reinstall procedure with "Full Destructive Recovery". That should wipe out any partitions that don't belong.

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

I've done that 3 times or so, it says it's fully complete but i still get the error of "bootmgr not found"

Also, i've been on that website and tried the F8.. nothing happened except for the error coming up again.

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

Ok, detailed review xD





I do allthat then it says
Once the recovery program has finished with the DVD you will be prompted to remove the disk and restart the computer.
And i do that
I then restart, and the error "bootmrg" is still there..

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

Seeing the whole article is much more informative. Especially interesting to me is the part with the 5 steps of recovery where step 1 says:

Prepares the hard disk by creating 2 partitions (if the hard drive is blank) one for Windows Vista and one for the hard drive recovery process. If the hard drive is not blank then the recovery program deletes all partitions present on the drive & creates 2 new partitions resulting in total data loss

I was curious before about why there were 3 partitions on the hard drive -- System, Vista and Recover. The statement above suggests that only 2 are created, but it also says they will all be deleted and re-created. So, maybe 3 is the right number.

Either way, my next suggestion would be to use a utility that will wipe the hard drive clean before doing another (hopefully the last) reinstall from the DVDs. Since you have run through the procedure with the DVDs so many times, I think that it's safe to say that they are not corrupted. There might be something on the hard drive that is interfering with the reinstall process.

You can wipe the hard drive with a utility such as DBAN or the hard drive manufacturer's Install or Diagnostic disc.

Posted 3 years ago #
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tikeshe
Posts: 18

i've downloaded it, but there's no .iso file?
and i need that to burn it onto the disc.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

It comes as a zip file with the ISO file inside it. You can extract files from a zip archive with Explorer.

Posted 3 years ago #
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GEEK4UALL
GEEK4UALL
Posts: 32

insert your vista dvd and get to the recovery tools and click the automaticly repair windows

Posted 3 years ago #
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