Bootmgr is missing - Repair says that's all OK

Hi everybody
I've installed Vista RC1 starting from an exterbal dvd (Usb). The
installation was fine (but at opposite of what is written it never restart
during the procedure). Finishing the Expanding file (about 50 minutes) it
goes on to next steps and at the end it restart automatically.
At the reboot on prompt says "BOOTMGR is missin - Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to
reboot)".
So I'vre read many message regarding this trouble and I've tried to use the
repair function from the dvd (it is really boring during the "Windows is
loadin files" phase, about 30 minutes to go).
I've chosen Startup repair , but no problems are found, it seems everything
allright but rebooting the problem is still remain.
So after ia new "Windows is loading files..." phase I've tried to use
Command prompt and with a ScanOS it says this "Total identifies Windows
installations:0". But in Startup Repair it finds th windows Vista on my Hd
"C:".
So I've tried to write a boot.ini manually but it does't works...
So now I've 2 choices
1) Re-try a repair (but I'm skeptic about it)
2) Try a re-installation of o.s.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Ciao
Gianfranco

PS: Could be a problem regarding my dvd that is an external device on usb
port? I don't know because it seems to works during every phases.

 

First I would try unplugging the USB DVD before the reboot. It isn't
necessary at this point.
If it doesn't work, you will have to make sure the partition with the boot
file is the active partition on the first hard drive in your boot priority.
You should have all the files necessary to complete the install so you
shouldn't need the DVD drive anymore.

 

Doesn't works either. I have only this hdd on my system and I've formatted
it during the installation of Vista (it requires ntfs) .
So I hope Vista make itself the active partition after the drive format...
Where can I verify if the disk has active partion ON? (I don't know where is
a "Fdisk" command here (Vista) )
Now I've tried to see error pressing space bar and it says \Boot\BCD
0xc000000f Error occurring to access data but I don't know how to fix.

So I've 3 questions
Is there a way to skip those 30 minutes of waiting (Windows is loading
files...) to reach startup repair or command prompt?
Something like the F8 pressure on startup in Xp and older o.systems?
And if is possible which is the command to try to correct my boot? (BootBCD?
BCDEdit, RecBoot?....)
IS there online some Windows Vista Support to read?
Thanksalot
Best regards
Gianfranco
Ciao

 

Doesn't works either. I have only this hdd on my system and I've formatted

Sounds like you have 1 hdd and are making one new partition of the whole
drive. Primary partition? It should be active.

Don't know of any

BCDEdit is the command to edit your boot file

 

I've connected the hdd with Vista as secondary on my system (XP) - With
Administration Tools I found the drive is NTFS (Active) so I think the
partition is ok.
Opening some files on the drive I found a message after "Bootmgsr is
missing" that is "bootmgr is compressed" so following a msg on a forum I've
tried a procedure to deleting bootmgr temp and then renaming but it's still
doesn't works.
So now, I'm frustrated about all these tests and my disappointment is about
(above all) the impossibility to try on boot a repair
or a command line prompt just after the mem check and drive boot (just
waiting few seconds).
I think it's absurd that I need to wait about 30 minutes on that boring
message "Windows is loading files..." only to try some solutions every time
because the consequence I can see only rebooting the pc...
I can't believe that MS hasn't thought something to permit a check or a
repair or a prompt command like the F8 procedure in Xp (or older systems)...
I found on newsgroups that after the "awful 30 minutes boot" F8 is working
and I try this too... It works but if something's wrong I need to reboot and
wait another 30 minutes to try something different ((
Now my decision is to figure out. I disconnect this drive and throw my
Windows Vista RC1 dvd in my bin... (
Sometimes I think whose says Mac systems are better than MS have right.
My apologies for this unuseful message (and my poor english)...
Thanks John for your helps.
Ciao, Gianfranco

 

According to what I have read, you can display the command line at any point
by pressing shift and F10. Also, I take it you are disconnecting your XP
drive during the install.
I would personally try this. I would using XP delete any partitions you
have on the Vista disk. I would shut down and unplug the xp drive. Startup
and go into the BIOS and set your USB drive to first priority in boot and
then your unallocated drive as second in the boot priority (could take 2
steps - don't let it default to the new drive because the xp drive isn't
there). Then booting into the Vista install program when it finishes the
first step and reboots, I would go into the BIOS during post and move the
hdd up to #1 save, exit and let it boot and see what happens. If it doesn't
work you can change your BIOS back to the USB drive and boot into the Vista
DVD and try the shift/F10
Good luck

 

Hello John,
I think you have the solution or at least the correct identification of the
problem in an earlier posting.
I suspect the active partition is not be set. This would generate that
error message.

Gianfranco
When you open the CMD prompt,. run diskpart.
in diskpart run the following
select disk 0
list volume.

In the list of volumes which volumes are listed as boot and what volumes
are listed as system

to set a partition as active while in diskpart run: (partition 1 is the
number of the partition you want to set active)
select partition 1
Active
exit

Exit to leave diskpart.

Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
<From: "John Barnes" <>
<References: <#snSjym#>
<eCrI45o#>
<OomuKtu#>
<>
<uuNci6z#>
<Subject: Re: Bootmgr is missing - Repair says that's all OK
<Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 04:31:37 -0800
<Lines: 59
<X-Priority: 3
<X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
<X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.3790.2663
<X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.2757
<X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Response
<X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 0643-8, 10/27/2006), Outbound message
<X-Antivirus-Status: Clean
<Message-ID: <#Pd4rY1#>
<Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
<NNTP-Posting-Host: host72168203162.hns-noc-rev-lu.com 72.168.162.203
<Path: TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl
<Xref: TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:14931
<X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
<
<According to what I have read, you can display the command line at any
point
<by pressing shift and F10. Also, I take it you are disconnecting your XP
<drive during the install.
<I would personally try this. I would using XP delete any partitions you
<have on the Vista disk. I would shut down and unplug the xp drive.
Startup
<and go into the BIOS and set your USB drive to first priority in boot and
<then your unallocated drive as second in the boot priority (could take 2
<steps - don't let it default to the new drive because the xp drive isn't
<there). Then booting into the Vista install program when it finishes the
<first step and reboots, I would go into the BIOS during post and move the
<hdd up to #1 save, exit and let it boot and see what happens. If it
doesn't
<work you can change your BIOS back to the USB drive and boot into the
Vista
<DVD and try the shift/F10
<Good luck
<
<
<<>
<> "John Barnes" <> ha scritto nel messaggio
<> <>>> Doesn't works either. I have only this hdd on my system and I've
<>>> formatted it during the installation of Vista (it requires ntfs) .
<>>
<>> Sounds like you have 1 hdd and are making one new partition of the
whole
<>> drive. Primary partition? It should be active.
<>>
<>
<> I've connected the hdd with Vista as secondary on my system (XP) - With
<> Administration Tools I found the drive is NTFS (Active) so I think the
<> partition is ok.
<> Opening some files on the drive I found a message after "Bootmgsr is
<> missing" that is "bootmgr is compressed" so following a msg on a forum
<> I've tried a procedure to deleting bootmgr temp and then renaming but
it's
<> still doesn't works.
<> So now, I'm frustrated about all these tests and my disappointment is
<> about (above all) the impossibility to try on boot a repair
<> or a command line prompt just after the mem check and drive boot (just
<> waiting few seconds).
<> I think it's absurd that I need to wait about 30 minutes on that boring
<> message "Windows is loading files..." only to try some solutions every
<> time because the consequence I can see only rebooting the pc...
<> I can't believe that MS hasn't thought something to permit a check or a
<> repair or a prompt command like the F8 procedure in Xp (or older
<> systems)...
<> I found on newsgroups that after the "awful 30 minutes boot" F8 is
working
<> and I try this too... It works but if something's wrong I need to reboot
<> and wait another 30 minutes to try something different ((
<> Now my decision is to figure out. I disconnect this drive and throw my
<> Windows Vista RC1 dvd in my bin... (
<> Sometimes I think whose says Mac systems are better than MS have right.
<> My apologies for this unuseful message (and my poor english)...
<> Thanks John for your helps.
<> Ciao, Gianfranco
<>
<>
<>
<
<
<

 

I did... but the problem is still remains.
On Reboot again "BootMGR is missing".

Reconnecting my drive with XP I've tried to see with administrative tools
something more and it (the Vista drive) seems to be Healthy and Active so I
don't know.
More (and worste): this morning after the last tryout I've forgotten on the
seconday ide controller a drive (known on my system as K (slave) and with
my big surprise (not a nice surprise indeed...) that something with Vista
gone wrong.

Infact after the test I've reconnected all drives in right order (without
the one with Vista with bootmgr missing that is disconnected from my system
now).
So Usually I have:
1 hd on Primary controller as master (C) and is the System drive with XP,
(it wasn't connected on all tests)
1hd on Primary controller as slave (D) , (it wasn't connected on all tests)
1 cd rom on Secondary controller as master (E) , (it wasn't connected on all
tests)
1 hd on Secondary Controller as slace (K) , ( unfortunately I leaved
connected during the last test)...

Now on my (K drive there aren't my data but... something like an
incomplete installation of Vista (I can see many folders...)
I don't know if is my mistake (but I install pcs since 1990 so usually when
I want to install a s.o. on a drive C: I check 2 times before makes bad
actions )
I was stupid to forget to disconnect the 2nd drive on secondary controller
but the consequence is really weird.
Now I've lost all data (I'd like to recovery someone) but I think this is
not so easy... It seems that last Startup repair (I saw only 1 disk in the
list but...) makes something wrong with my 2nd drive (K)...

So now I've a Vista that doesn't works (no problem I can format the disk)
and a drive with lost data...
I'm really frustrated and disappointed...
So, Do you think I can recover my data or not? From Xp I see on my (K
drive everything like folders I never seen before (boot, windows.bt ans many
others that seems related to Vista) but my data are gone...

Thanks, Ciao
Gianfranco

 

I do hope you do regular backups of your data. If when installing you
reformatted the drive, your options will be limited and maybe expensive. The
format within Vista install is a quick format, so some of the data may be
recoverable to the extent it hasn't been overwritten, and some reasonable
consumer data recovery tools MAY be able to recover some of them, but I am
unaware of which ones may work in Vista. As I have said on these forums
many times, NEVER rely on drive letters. ALWAYS identify your partitions by
some other means. Personally I have 7 partitions and I make sure they are
different sizes and uniquely identified and I always do a command prompt map
to see how they are identified before I do any destructive operation on the
machine.
Secondarily, could you confirm that Shift/F10 will get the command prompt?
Hopefully someone else will be more knowlegeable on the subject than I am
and can help you restore your data.
Good luck.

 

I had the same problem.

run the repair facility on the vista dvd. choose the start repair option.
let it do its thing, then click on details. scroll to where it says last
successfull boot. that will tell you what hard drive and partition it booted
from. then set your boot sequence in the setup on the bios of the mother
board to that hard drive. Should work.

See my post under "boot-not"

Ray

 

My data are lost but aren't "important" 'cause for those are "important" I
make daily backup.
For the partition discussion I'm agree with you but if I admit my mistake
leaving the 2nd hard drive connected I don't understand how Vista can
overwrite on another disk (phisical and on a different controller and with a
slave configuration) instead that one I choose. (And in the list of Startup
Repair I saw only one drive not two) More: It seems really bad because the
problem is on 2 phisical drives not 2 partition of the same drive...)
But I don't know how it happened...

No, I try after the boot, during the dvd loading but nothing happens. Maybe
I mistake the time when do it. Now I decide to re-format the drives (the
Vista drive and my ex-data drive but I don't think to retry with an
installation of Vista...)

Thanks, the data wasn't so important to waste time trying a recovery.
Bye, Gianfranco

 

I read this 2 minutes too late
I've formatted the disk, I was tired to wait 30 minutes (many times) to try
something...
Btw in my bios there is only the hard drive with the error message
"Bootmgr..." on primary controller, is set as master and has active
partition. Theb oot sequence is Hdd, Fdd, CdRom. So I don't know where is
the problem...there's only one hard disk to boot...

If could happen again in the future (Hope no) I know what to do...
Thanks, ciao
Gianfranco

 

Here I am
I've tried to solve that bad situation so here the final conclusion.
First at all my excuses to ev'ryone because something's go wrong for one
reason... guilty is : my dvd reader (usb).
This morning I've connected the hd drive (the one where I want to install
Vista) on Xp as slave and through administrative Tools I've eliminated every
partitions present on it. Then I formatted it NTFS (not quick format) and
then I activated the partion .
After shutdown the pc I put only the hd on primary controller as master and
a NEW dvd writer (Eide interface) as slave. (and this is the big
surprise)...
I boot from dvd and the installion is started with the usually "Windows is
loading files.." phase (with the Usb Dvd it needs about 30 minutes to end).
After ONLY 1(!) minute I'm ready to insert language and keyboard... so the
slowness was caused by the usb dvd reader (damn it!)...
In few words... all the installation is ended in 43 minutes! (Without
errors).
So apologies for my first negative impression because guilty are me
(ignorance) and my system (usb dvd).
Now I've to solve a problem of adsl modem drivers but I post in another
thread.
Thanks a lot
J