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Messed Up Bootcamp Partition

Hello


Thanks to anyone who reads this or can provide any help.


System

iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)

iMac 10, 1

El Capitan 10.11.1

Windows 10 via bootcamp. Started as Windows 7 HP and upgraded via Windows 8 pro and 8.1 pro.


Background


About 2 weeks ago I started having problems with my computer and could not get OSX to boot. I don't know what I did but only Windows would start. I was also able to get into the recovery partition. I was able to see the os x partition from within windows. It just would not boot. The Apple icon came up on screen and th progress bar got about 3/4's of the way across the screen then the iMac shutdown.


I tried a number of solutions from different websites but could not get beyond this.


I decided what I was going to do was back up my computer and reinstall. I new I had a Time Machine back up of OS X to within a few days but I didn't want to lose my windows partition so I bought a external hard disk and got a cheap copy of Acronis True Image included as a special offer. I installed this on the Windows partition I backed up a complete image of Windows and OS X partitions. I used the software to create a Acronis bootable recovery usb.


I Then used Disk Utility from my original Snow Leopard install disk's to wipe the disk back to a Single HFS+ Partition. I Installed Snow Leopard and then all updates to get my computer back to El Capitan. So far so good and all working. I then used the migration assistant with my Time Machine back up and got all my Apps files and settings back. So at this point OS X was going fine.


To get windows back I then used Disk Utility to partition half my 1 TB as FAT32 with the intent of using the recovery USB to recover the Windows partition. However I found the USB would not boot. I discovered later that disabling system integrity from the Recovery Partition then seems to let the USB key boot but I only found this out by accident later when I had left the key in and I rebooted after disabling the above.


So being stuck without a way to recover my backed up partition I had the bright idea! to use Disk Utility to partition a separate 100GB from my mac partition to another FAT32 partition. I then installed my original Windows 7 to this 100GB partition. I then reinstalled my Acronis True Image software to this and then used this to recover the Windows image to the 500GB partition that I originally created.


The recovery process seemed to go well and once completed I was able to view the partition in os x but I could not boot in to it. After a little further research I discovered the 4 partition limit on GPT and realised I now had managed to created 5. The EFI, OS X, OS X recovery, 100GB Windows 7 and the 500GB recovered Partition.


So my next idea was that now that I had my original windows recovered and I could view the files I thought I could Use Disk Utility Again to Delete the 100GB partition and resize the OS X partition back up to 500GB Also. I have done this and I followed the guide here http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/installing.html#sluggish to fix Windows boot problems as I thought that may help.


This didn't work but I also read about Hybrid partition tables and how if these got problems that Windows may not boot. I then came across this forum and noticed that there may be a solution to recover/fix the partition tables.


Screen Prints


I have taken some screen prints of the commands and outputs that I have seen recommended in this forum. I would hope with these someone can point me in the correct direction.


User uploaded file

User uploaded file


User uploaded file

I Searched using the EFI GPT option in test disk.
User uploaded file

I Added Screen prints below of what you get from selecting p:list files with each of the non mac partitions listed above.

User uploaded fileUser uploaded file


User uploaded fileUser uploaded file


Thanks for looking and I hope someone can post me in the correct direction. If you need any other screen prints please let me know.


Regards.

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Nov 28, 2015 4:41 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Dec 6, 2015 5:35 PM

On this screen - Screen+Shot+2015-11-26+at+01.08.58.png you have the Testdisk reported start/end/size values. The values are the same as second MS Data entry on Screen+Shot+2015-11-26+at+01.07.02.png . This is also the last entry in your MBR.


In your MBR, you have a boot flag missing. Disable SIP (System Integrity Protection) and run the following commands in OSX Terminal and test. Please ignore i386 MBR message, but not any other messages, in the following steps.


sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk0

p

flag 4

p

w

y


Reboot and test.

21 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Dec 6, 2015 5:35 PM in response to quantum-spinecho

On this screen - Screen+Shot+2015-11-26+at+01.08.58.png you have the Testdisk reported start/end/size values. The values are the same as second MS Data entry on Screen+Shot+2015-11-26+at+01.07.02.png . This is also the last entry in your MBR.


In your MBR, you have a boot flag missing. Disable SIP (System Integrity Protection) and run the following commands in OSX Terminal and test. Please ignore i386 MBR message, but not any other messages, in the following steps.


sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk0

p

flag 4

p

w

y


Reboot and test.

Nov 28, 2015 6:00 PM in response to quantum-spinecho

Hello


so the system started to boot Windows and I got this.


User uploaded file

I'm going to try booting from a win10 usb key I made and see if that can repair the install. I will also need to dig out my sub keyboard and mouse as I know these windows screens are not very good with the blue tooth versions.


will report back later but for moment I'm off to sleep as its 2 in the morning here. I appreciate you getting me back on the correct path. Will update tomorrow.


cheers for the help.

Nov 30, 2015 1:40 PM in response to Loner T

Hello.


So I managed to boot from win 10 usb key.


Tried startup repair from the troubleshooting menu. That didn't work.

also tried bootrec from command line with various options. That didn't work.


bootrec /scanos

bootrec /rebuildbcd

bootrec /fixmbr

bootrec /fixboot

Now trying sfc

User uploaded file

JUst waiting on on that finishing to try a reboot.


here's hoping

Nov 30, 2015 2:04 PM in response to quantum-spinecho

SO that didn't work.


could not repair some files.


reboots back to the win load.exe error.


any suggestions. The options I can think off are.


  • Reset this PC - currently saying Windows drive is locked. Will need to reinstall apps but can keep files.
  • try Acronis again and copy image back.
  • Clean install. Im currently getting an error saying as computer is Eif it can't install Windows to an Mbr.

I Didn't commit to any option above. Just went in after steps to test for any errors.


THanks again and any ideas welcome.

Nov 30, 2015 3:15 PM in response to quantum-spinecho

On a 2009 Mac, you have an upgraded W10 (from W7). 2009 models officially do not support W10. This is one issue.


Can you mount your EFI partition and check if there is a Microsoft directory? On older Macs, the EFI partition contains the boot manager/loader for W10. W7/W8+ is installed/executed differently. The Acronis software has no knowledge of such configurations The BSOD of 0x0ce indicates BCD corruption.


Did bootrec.exe /scanOS show the C: with a valid OS?

Nov 30, 2015 3:42 PM in response to Loner T

HI

thanks again for replying.

there is a Microsoft directory. I did mount and check this. You can also see it on the last screen print of my original post.


will get back once I have checked bootrec but I have had to boot back to os X for now as I have to get some stuff done.


AS I said before I appreciate your persistence. Reply probably won't be until tomorrow.

Messed Up Bootcamp Partition

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