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Thread: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

  1. #1

    Default Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Hi,

    I'm a bit stuck right now because I wish to reinstall completely Windows 7 on my hard drive but it got messay when I bought my new second internal hard drive.

    This is my disk configuration right now:
    http://s704.photobucket.com/user/mav...81036.jpg.html

    As you can see my Windows primary partition is on the C:\ (1 Tb of data)

    The system partition however is on the second internal DHH Q: (500 gb)

    Now I can't do a multi-boot OS (example: Windows 8.1 & Windows 7) because my HDD are not GPD formatted (only MBR) and because Windows is streched between those 2 HDD.

    How can I fix this problem please and reinstall everything correctly and restore the backup image of Windows 7 I created on my external USB drive?

    Iw sh to have a multi boot OS Windows 8.1/ Windows 7 too, therefore I need to convert both HDD's to GPD format first?

    Regards,
    Last edited by mavyalex; February 18, 2015 at 01:45 AM.

  2. #2
    Stildawn's Avatar The Legislator of 'Lol'
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Can you back up your personal files on C drive? To an external or even USB if you have a big enough one?

    I don't know how you managed to get your system partition on a separate disk to your windows installation, usually it will allocate only 100mb or so of the install disk for the system stuff. But somehow you have a 500gb drive all allocated as system, very odd.

    Either way, just back up your files, put your Win7 cd in and boot from it, continue to install Win 7 and when you get to the HDD selection screen, just make sure you format both disks completely deleting all partitions. Then either partition it up how you would like to continue or leave them as two single disk partitions, and Win 7 installation will set aside the usual 100mb system partition automatically on the disk you selected for install.

    In regards to multiboot, just leave one disk (or a partition) for Win 8 and use EasyBCD to set it up.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Ok but how do I restore my WIndows image I have put on my external USB hard drive after reinstalling Windows 7 Please? I will not have to reinstall all of my PC games and applications with an image backup?
    Great Attila TW lover.
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  4. #4
    Stildawn's Avatar The Legislator of 'Lol'
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Ah your using an image, do you know what software you used to create the Win7 image? I know the one I use (Macrium Reflect) has the feature to create a boot disk, which would replace your Win7 CD in the process above.

    Failing that, I wouldn't know personally as I've never seen a case like yours, I would imagine that if you just install Win7 recreating the mbr in the process, then once back in the fresh Win7, you could perhaps restore your image over top and the mbr should still work.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Quote Originally Posted by Stildawn View Post
    Ah your using an image, do you know what software you used to create the Win7 image? I know the one I use (Macrium Reflect) has the feature to create a boot disk, which would replace your Win7 CD in the process above.

    Failing that, I wouldn't know personally as I've never seen a case like yours, I would imagine that if you just install Win7 recreating the mbr in the process, then once back in the fresh Win7, you could perhaps restore your image over top and the mbr should still work.
    Hi,

    I used the native Windows 7 backup/imaging feature in the Control Panel...Then Windows created a backup on my external USB hard drive.

    But as I said I don't know how to restore the backup/image I have created on a new Windows 7. I have already created a Windows boot disk...

    Regards,
    Great Attila TW lover.
    Member of Imperial Splendour mod for Empire Total War

  6. #6
    Stildawn's Avatar The Legislator of 'Lol'
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Ah OK. From research the image you created saves the mbr as well.

    You can restore the image using the boot CD you created its a wizard design and should be easy enough to follow. Just make sure you check when it mentions or asks for hard drives that you are selecting the right one etc.

    You should also be able to find a bunch of online tutorials on how to do this.

  7. #7
    Stildawn's Avatar The Legislator of 'Lol'
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Thinking about this more, you want to get your mbr back on the correct disk.

    So if you have the original win 7 installation CD, I would do that, installing a fresh copy of Win 7 which will set everything straight in regards to the mbr etc.

    Then once your in Win 7 you can reimage it from that image file you have on your external.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Hi Stilldawn..Not that I recall, I swapped the 2 internal HDD's in my desktop PC before installing. So Windows 7 installed on the xrong disk and for an unknown reason was stretched on 2 hard disks! It's incredible but it really happened..I will straighten things up and reinstall correctly..I hope I will be able to restore the image otherwise it willm take me hours to reinstall all of my PC games and applications...
    Great Attila TW lover.
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  9. #9
    Stildawn's Avatar The Legislator of 'Lol'
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    So the image is taken from the stretched install? Hmm yeah unfortunately you might run into difficulties there. I personally don't use the in built Windows imager cause well Macrium is better lol, so I don't know the features of the system, I know that Macrium you can put the image back on any drive larger than the image size, hopefully you can do this with the Windows create image as well.

    I wish you luck.

    Worse case is you have to reinstall all your programs, which sucks I know (having had to have done it numerous times in my life), but its not too bad really I find the worse part is the windows updates, it would also give you a chance to create a new fresh image, if you do this, take the fresh image when you have done as little as possible to your install, its always better to have the image from the fresh/cleanest state possible.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    I did it eventually! I made a disk image using Macrium . The image is big: around 600 Gb.It took me 4 hours at leat to save it on my external USB HDD...
    Then I disconnected the 2nd internal HDD of 500 Gb so I was left with only one 1 Tb HDD disk.

    Then I launched Macrium Windows PE environement from USB key and restored the image which took me another 4 hours or so...

    I had to fix the MBR with Macrium and then Windows 7 launched as before and lal programs worked and so on! Impressive.

    Now at ladt I have a clean Windows install on only one HDD and not spread on 2 HDD's...Thanks Stildawn.

    However I didn't reinstall Windows: i just restored the image..Shoyld I Have reinstalled Windows 7 clean first as you stated and then restore the image?

    Will I run into problems later on?

    My next step is to suppress the 50 Gb unallocated space partition on my internal HDD that I intended to use to install Linux. Any idea how to do it?
    Great Attila TW lover.
    Member of Imperial Splendour mod for Empire Total War

  11. #11
    Ybbon's Avatar The Way of the Buffalo
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Which Linux? If you are using Mint or Ubuntu then go to their sites, create a bootable DVD and then reboot.They call it a LiveCDI think, anyway, that will run the OS as a test or you can install. The installer will read the partition table and ask where you want to install this. Just make sure you choose the 50Gb unallocated and it should do it's thing.

  12. #12
    Stildawn's Avatar The Legislator of 'Lol'
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    Default Re: Reinstalling Windows 7 : need help - problem with partitions

    Quote Originally Posted by mavyalex View Post
    I did it eventually! I made a disk image using Macrium . The image is big: around 600 Gb.It took me 4 hours at leat to save it on my external USB HDD...
    Then I disconnected the 2nd internal HDD of 500 Gb so I was left with only one 1 Tb HDD disk.

    Then I launched Macrium Windows PE environement from USB key and restored the image which took me another 4 hours or so...

    I had to fix the MBR with Macrium and then Windows 7 launched as before and lal programs worked and so on! Impressive.

    Now at ladt I have a clean Windows install on only one HDD and not spread on 2 HDD's...Thanks Stildawn.

    However I didn't reinstall Windows: i just restored the image..Shoyld I Have reinstalled Windows 7 clean first as you stated and then restore the image?

    Will I run into problems later on?

    My next step is to suppress the 50 Gb unallocated space partition on my internal HDD that I intended to use to install Linux. Any idea how to do it?
    I mentioned doing a clean Win7 install to "fix" your MBR, and then restore using your already created image. But using Macrium etc like you have is fine, the end goal was having the MBR on the correct disk.

    In regards to Linux, follow mavyalex above, the install boot cd you create will show you the way.

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