im back, new problem. cannot boot computer. how do i repair "bootmgr missing" error message? the computer was running wonderfully till this occured. is there a way back to greatness? thanks. i dont want to lose my files please. help. i found a few topics re: reinstalling the vista upgrade that should fix this. let me know of any ideas.

Hi andynjulie. If you haven't tried it already, one option is to boot from the Vista DVD disc and use the Repair your computer option, which should look like the picture below.

Any good? Also, do you know what might've caused the problem?

Repair_Vista_from_DVD.jpg
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Hi,

Please do not post duplicate topics on the same question. That only causes confusion and conflicting advice. I have deleted your duplicate topic from the General Computer Problems and left this one for responses.

Thanks

hi guys, sorry for dup.msg.

well, i tried the computer repair feature. the program could not find the drive, hence, could not repair. i called hp, ordered the xp recovery disks, will soon revert back to xp, till vista is more compatible with other programs. it seems, my son was converting a cd-r photo slideshow from quicktime to itunes. both these dont work well on vista. the raid drives showed errors occured. the next day, i reset the messages to the drives. the drive got stuck, then, i got "bootmgr missing" error message. we both messed up this computer. what i now need to do is somehow retrieve our files before i recover the system. unless there is a way to fix the boot problem. any ideas. thanks -andy

can i access my computer with the "bootmgs missing" error, using my other computer? -to get my files out?? if so, how? im just trying to think what to do. thank you

If I understand correctly, your RAID array may be corrupted. That hypothesis fits several of the key symptoms, including Windows Setup's inability to locate the drive (the RAID array would seem like a drive to Windows Setup). This may be a hardware problem, rather than a Vista problem. If your RAID array is broken, you won't be able to set up Windows XP on it either, until that is corrected..

The first thing I would try is entering the configuration menu for the computer's RAID controller with a special keystroke combination, while the computer is just beginning to start up, and see if the array can be rebuilt. If you give the brand & model of the HP computer you have, I'll try to find more-specific information about exactly how to do those steps.

Also, if you happen to know, was it set up for RAID0 (speed) or RAID1 (fault-tolerance)?

paul,

o.k. . i have an HP Pavillion M7690Y when i turn on the computer after the blue screen comes on, the boot screen qwickly comes on- the first line says RAID- non defined. on the second row, is Size and Type below type, it says nonRAID disk, then again, below that, nonRAID disk. in the set up screen we noticed in the advanced setting, SATA mode is set to RAID. i think you got the answer, please help. thank you so much.

-andy

i do not know anything about RAID. should it even be running? should it be set? reset? configured? i found an article, most people dont even use RAID.
http://www.mysuperpc.com/build/pc_sata_install_raid_boot.shtml

thanks so much for helping me, teaching me this great new stuff. -andy

add to last couple posts: on boot menu screen it says Select boot first device. first row is hdd group-below that is RAId 0, below that, RAID 1. down below these it says cd rom group- below that , it says 2nd master

hope all this info helps

add,add.

also on our system is the intel core 2 duo. if that helps assist you

also, about the raid setting. i dont know if it was set up at all . all i saw were those two areas with raid 0 and raid 1 (as stated above.)

i found details re my computer from my initial ordering info:

-
- Genuine Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
- Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor E6400 (2.13GHz)
- 2GB DDR2-667MHz dual channel SDRAM (2x1024)
- 320GB RAID 0 (2 x 160GB SATA HDDs) - performance
- LightScribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
- 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, video
- HP stereo speakers
- No Modem
- Single NTSC TV tuner with PVR, FM tuner, remote
- 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 7500LE, TV-Out, DVI, VGA
- Sound Blaster Audigy 4, 24-bit ADVANCED HD Audio
- HP Multimedia Keyboard, HP Optical Mouse
- Microsoft(R) Works 8.0/Money 2006/MSN Encarta Plus
- Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 15 Months

this is another item included.
HP 160GB Personal Media Drive

Thanks for the detailed information

From the system configuration you've listed, I see that the computer came with two hard drives, and they formed a RAID0 array. Unfortunately, when a drive fails in a RAID0 array, it results in the loss of all data on ALL the hard drives.

My top suggestion would be to cease using RAID and just use the "normal" approach, unless you really need RAID0. For an overview of the steps that would be involved:

0) be aware that a "raw" Windows installation can be vulnerable to attack. mech's info, scroll down halfway to the large picture

1) you would turn the computer off, open the computer's case, and unplug the data cable from one of the two hard drives, noting the exact fitting it attaches to. You would also unplug the cable that connects the 15-in-1 memory-card reader to the motherboard, noting its location. Also unplug any external drives, including memory sticks and your Personal Media drive. Why? so that the drive letter C:\ is definitely available for the hard drive you're installing Windows onto.

2) you would start the computer and press a certain key (on your computer, it's the F1 key*) to enter the motherboard's own BIOS menu. In that menu, you would change the motherboard's SATA hard-drive controller to operate in non-RAID mode**, insert your Windows CD or DVD into one of the optical drives, then exit from the BIOS menu system.

3) after exiting the menu system, the computer would then start up again. It should say Press any key to boot from CD..., so press a key and it should boot from the Windows CD or DVD that you inserted in step 2. Otherwise you can force it to by using the boot selection menu that you already are aware of.

4) Windows Setup should proceed, and should discover the hard drive. If any partitions are on the hard drive, delete them all, create a new one, and have Windows Setup use the full-format option so it can look for possible "bad sectors" on the disk. This will take a while, so you can go get a snack here

5) Windows Setup should finish formatting, add some stuff to the hard drive, and reboot the system. Then it should continue in the normal fashion and eventually land you on the Windows desktop.

6) once Windows was fully installed, you would need to install the Intel INF Update Utility (motherboard drivers), the latest nVidia graphics drivers for the GeForce 7-series, the drivers for TV tuner card and possibly the Audigy 4, and your software.

7) after everything was working, shut the computer off and re-connect the second hard drive and the memory-card reader.


This all assumes you have a "normal" Windows CD or DVD, as opposed to a "system restore" CD or DVD that restores an "image" of the fully-built Windows installation including drivers & software. If you have a "system restore" type of disc, then follow steps 1 & 2 but insert your system-restore disc and see how things progress.


Let me know if I need to clarify anything


* if your keyboard has a "F-lock" key, you must press that first so your keyboard's F-keys work as F-keys

** the SATA controller's non-RAID mode might be referred to as IDE mode or Native mode, among other things. I found some pictures of what your computer's BIOS menu would look like. Check here: link to page with pictures. Can you post the current setting you see on your Onboard PATA/SATA Configuration line?

_________________
Vista x64 · non-Admin account + Software Restriction Policy · Kaspersky AntiVirus 7 · Windows Firewall · full hardware DEP · 64-bit IE7 PM

i absolutely am thankful your team is available to help us wanabes. im still learning. after all my ranting. i noticed i paid for hp tech support. per their advice, we installed the xp restore. all is now good as new. all data was lost. my son has found about 2/3 of his files on our old computer. not a big loss. glad were back on our feet. thanks again so much.