recover boot Windows Longhorn

[Cixert]

I have tested all original Longhorns from a hard drive with 4 primary partitions.
1-Boot Files i386 boot.(boot partition).
2-Empty for the installation of the new system.
3-Windows XP x32 NT 5.1
4-Data
I start the installation of the iso from Windows XP.
No bootmgr based version has finished installing on my computer.
I have tried the Shorthorn variant. This does install completely and the interface starts, but after the first reboot the message "ntldr is missing" appears.
I have reviewed the files manually and they all seem correct.
I have tried to recover the bootable boot from the Windows Vista recovery console command line but it does not recognize any Windows installation.
The only way I've had to recover the boot has been from the Windows XP console with the "fixboot" command.
Fortunately, the boot is recovered through boot.ini and Windows Longhorn star.
How can you recover the original boot of Windows Longhorn?
Preferably with command line or manually.
I have not found any program that manages to recover the boot.
EaseUS manages to recover MBR and partition table but does not fix boot.
what does fixboot actually mean?

Edited March 15, 2023 by Cixert

[jaclaz]

In MBR style disks the booting sequence is either:

BIOS->MBR->PBR of active (primary) partitiion-> NTLDR (and NTDETECT.COM)->BOOT.INI->choice of OS

or

BIOS->MBR->PBR of active (primary) partitiion-> BOOTMGR ->\BOOT\BCD->choice of OS

The "fixboot" command in XP recovery console simply re-writes the PBR (bootsector) code with the one designed to invoke NTLDR.

The equivalent in a "full" system (Vista or later) is bootsect (with the /NT52 switch), NO idea if there is one in Longhorn nor which type of code it writes, some details on various versions:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/171749-bootsectexe-various-versions-compared/

Since longhorn/shorthorn is midway between XP and Vista it is possible that the version you installed (that clearly needs to use NTLDR as it is fixed by the XP recovery console) *somehow* writes the bootsector invoking BOOTMGR and then Vista does not recognize the install (basically because there is no BOOTMGR not \boot\BCD.

Third party, both bootpart.exe (by Gilles Vollant) and MBRFIX.exe (by Kaare Smith) should do (create a bootsector invoking NTLDR[1]), see also:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=5251

Something that you can try (as it costs nothing) is to make a copy of NTLDR and save it as BOOTMGR along NTLDR,  very likely the bootsector loading code is the same for both.

As a matter of fact at least in some versions of the boot code - on NTFS - it is possible to change the pointer to the string with the name of the loader as both strings NTLDR and BOOOTMGR are present (on FAT/FAT32 you need to change the actual name).

Of course IF my guess is correct, the "XP" code invokes NTLDR and has the message "NTLDR is missing" the "Vista" one invokes BOOTMGR and has the message "BOOTMGR is missing", your longhorn code could be invoking BOOTMGR but still have the "NTLDR is missing message", but it may well be any other type of problem.

jaclaz

[1] though it has to be checked if it is possible to do that on a NTFS volume, very likely both tools can only deal with FAT (16 or 32) volumes, so they would only work if you use a (small) Boot partition (what Microsoft would call System) and bootsect.exe remains the only simple tool to fix the issue

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by jaclaz
added note about NTFS possible issues

[Cixert]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:04 PM, jaclaz said:

In MBR style disks the booting sequence is either:

BIOS->MBR->PBR of active (primary) partitiion-> NTLDR (and NTDETECT.COM)->BOOT.INI->choice of OS

or

BIOS->MBR->PBR of active (primary) partitiion-> BOOTMGR ->\BOOT\BCD->choice of OS

The "fixboot" command in XP recovery console simply re-writes the PBR (bootsector) code with the one designed to invoke NTLDR.

The equivalent in a "full" system (Vista or later) is bootsect (with the /NT52 switch), NO idea if there is one in Longhorn nor which type of code it writes, some details on various versions:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/171749-bootsectexe-various-versions-compared/

Since longhorn/shorthorn is midway between XP and Vista it is possible that the version you installed (that clearly needs to use NTLDR as it is fixed by the XP recovery console) *somehow* writes the bootsector invoking BOOTMGR and then Vista does not recognize the install (basically because there is no BOOTMGR not \boot\BCD.

Third party, both bootpart.exe (by Gilles Vollant) and MBRFIX.exe (by Kaare Smith) should do (create a bootsector invoking NTLDR[1]), see also:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=5251

Something that you can try (as it costs nothing) is to make a copy of NTLDR and save it as BOOTMGR along NTLDR,  very likely the bootsector loading code is the same for both.

As a matter of fact at least in some versions of the boot code - on NTFS - it is possible to change the pointer to the string with the name of the loader as both strings NTLDR and BOOOTMGR are present (on FAT/FAT32 you need to change the actual name).

Of course IF my guess is correct, the "XP" code invokes NTLDR and has the message "NTLDR is missing" the "Vista" one invokes BOOTMGR and has the message "BOOTMGR is missing", your longhorn code could be invoking BOOTMGR but still have the "NTLDR is missing message", but it may well be any other type of problem.

jaclaz

[1] though it has to be checked if it is possible to do that on a NTFS volume, very likely both tools can only deal with FAT (16 or 32) volumes, so they would only work if you use a (small) Boot partition (what Microsoft would call System) and bootsect.exe remains the only simple tool to fix the issue

 

Newer versions of Windows Longhorn do not use i386 but bootmgr.
From what I remember reading, both Longhorn and Vista call ntldr and this version of ntldr checks to see if boot.ini exists or bootmgr exists with his boot folder.
The problem happened in Shorthorn 4033. Now I have tried other versions and I have verified that the problem does not recur, it only happens in 4033. All Shornhorn versions -Longhorn based- use the installer of Windows Vista build 5231. But I had the question of how to repair the installation . I will try those third party tools.
In the original Longhorn I have not had the problem, although I have not been able to complete any installation successfully due to different problems. Original Longhorn requires an NTFS partition to perform the installation.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Cixert

[jaclaz]

No windows version use I386 to boot, I386 is a folder where installation files are for some windows versions.

I believe you mean that Longhorn requires NTFS filesystem for the "system" (what MS would call boot) partition.

Since NT 3.1 Windows has been designed to work with two partitions, one (that everyone calls boot, but MS calls system) that contains the boot files and is active in the MBR table and one (that everyone calls System, but MS calls boot) containing Operating system files:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/system.html

The requirement for this second partition being NTFS came with Vista (but very likely Longhorn already has it), the first one can be anything, including a FAT12 bootdisk.

It really depends on how you install whether you have a single partition (that then needs to be NTFS) or two (in which case only the second needs to be NTFS).

You will likely have different drive lettering if you are using one or two partitions, depending on the specific way you install:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/quirks.html#c_drive

Bootsect.exe will work on FAT12/16/32 and NTFS, the third party utilities I mentioned probably only on FAT12/16/32 (but has to be checked).

Up to XP Windows boots via NTLDR (and NTDETECT.COM)

Vista boots via BOOTMGR AND NOT via NTLDR.

Longhorn depends - I believe - on specific version.

jaclaz

 

[Cixert]

On 3/16/2023 at 3:27 PM, jaclaz said:

No windows version use I386 to boot, I386 is a folder where installation files are for some windows versions.

I believe you mean that Longhorn requires NTFS filesystem for the "system" (what MS would call boot) partition.

Since NT 3.1 Windows has been designed to work with two partitions, one (that everyone calls boot, but MS calls system) that contains the boot files and is active in the MBR table and one (that everyone calls System, but MS calls boot) containing Operating system files:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/system.html

The requirement for this second partition being NTFS came with Vista (but very likely Longhorn already has it), the first one can be anything, including a FAT12 bootdisk.

It really depends on how you install whether you have a single partition (that then needs to be NTFS) or two (in which case only the second needs to be NTFS).

You will likely have different drive lettering if you are using one or two partitions, depending on the specific way you install:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/quirks.html#c_drive

Bootsect.exe will work on FAT12/16/32 and NTFS, the third party utilities I mentioned probably only on FAT12/16/32 (but has to be checked).

Up to XP Windows boots via NTLDR (and NTDETECT.COM)

Vista boots via BOOTMGR AND NOT via NTLDR.

Longhorn depends - I believe - on specific version.

jaclaz

 

With i386 I mean that the installer is compatible with 386, it works at 16 bits. (the installer for the 16-bit versions includes the i386 folder and the 32-bit versions include the source and boot folders)
I just verified that the Vista 6.0.5231 installer (the one used by Shorthorn) requires both bootmgr and ntldr (versions before 4000 only ntldr, 5000 and 5001 post reset only ntldr).
It starts with bootmgr and the bootmgr menu appears but after choosing an OS it jumps to ntldr and boot.ini appears
The system doesn't boot whether I delete bootmgr or ntldr. In addition, the version of ntldr is different from that of NT 5.1, the previous one is not compatible.
Longhorn pre-reset versions (up to 4093) do not install on FAT32 but I just verified that this 5231 installer installs Windows on FAT32.

What has surprised me, regarding your idea of not using the Windows Disk Manager, is that I have placed the hard disk in another computer and after running the Windows XP Disk Manager, all the disk partitions have disappeared, without performing operation. "Only booting Disk Manager" why? In addition, the same thing has happened with just starting Acronis Disk Director without performing any operation on the hard disk, why?
I have recovered them with EaseUS Partition Master.

Offtopic: For those who think of trying Longhorn and Shorthorn, it's not worth it, it's all problems and errors, nothing works and no support. In Shorthorn not even work 360 Extreme Explorer and neither@roytam1 browsers, except on Shorthorn 3706 -Longhorn based- and Shorthorn Main Develoment.
Also I have tested One Core Api @Skulltrailon all Shorthorn versions besides Windows XP. Only it just got me installed on Shorthorn 3706 causing a lot of problems and no NT 6 compatible programs work. Blue screen is guaranteed in XP and the system is normally not recoverable. Great care. Shorthorn 3790 versions (Main Development) can not be installed from XP to another partition, so I have not been able to test.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Cixert

[jaclaz]

You can mean whatever you want by i386, but using the same language and conventions as other people usually helps in understanding.

Up to XP NTLDR is used

Starting from Vista BOOTMGR is used.

Your experiment with Shorthorn/Longhorn shows that in some versions both NTLDR and BOOTMGR are used, still the XP recovery console fixboot can only rewrite the PBR code to invoke NTLDR.

Since that works it means that - at least once installed - your Shorthorn/Longhorn boots via NTLDR (and not via BOOTMGR, unless there is another bootsector invoking BOOTMGR in BOOT.INI).

Checking the contents of BOOT.INI should be enough to verify (or confute) this.

A good idea would also be to make a copy of the bootsector (on FAT it is first sector, on NTFS it is the file $Boot or first 16 sectors of volume) before running the XP recovery console (when the OS is failing to boot) and compare it with a copy after having fixed it, there may be other changes besides the OS loader name.

 

I don't know which idea you are referring to, I don't recall having talked of Disk Manager in this thread.

However there is a known issue with the XP disk manager when used on a disk that has been partitioned with Vista and later.

As soon as you access it with Disk Manager AND change something (like making a primary partition active) then all logical volumes inside extended disappear.

The issue is talked about here:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=9897

Only accessing the disk with Disk Manager shouldn't create issues, and in any case the issues are only related to logical volumes inside extended (primaries are unaffected), so what you report seems like news, and it is likely something peculiar of Shorthorn/Longhorn.

jaclaz

 

[Cixert]

On 3/18/2023 at 7:57 PM, jaclaz said:

You can mean whatever you want by i386, but using the same language and conventions as other people usually helps in understanding.

Up to XP NTLDR is used

Starting from Vista BOOTMGR is used.

Your experiment with Shorthorn/Longhorn shows that in some versions both NTLDR and BOOTMGR are used, still the XP recovery console fixboot can only rewrite the PBR code to invoke NTLDR.

Since that works it means that - at least once installed - your Shorthorn/Longhorn boots via NTLDR (and not via BOOTMGR, unless there is another bootsector invoking BOOTMGR in BOOT.INI).

Checking the contents of BOOT.INI should be enough to verify (or confute) this.

A good idea would also be to make a copy of the bootsector (on FAT it is first sector, on NTFS it is the file $Boot or first 16 sectors of volume) before running the XP recovery console (when the OS is failing to boot) and compare it with a copy after having fixed it, there may be other changes besides the OS loader name.

 

I don't know which idea you are referring to, I don't recall having talked of Disk Manager in this thread.

However there is a known issue with the XP disk manager when used on a disk that has been partitioned with Vista and later.

As soon as you access it with Disk Manager AND change something (like making a primary partition active) then all logical volumes inside extended disappear.

The issue is talked about here:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=9897

Only accessing the disk with Disk Manager shouldn't create issues, and in any case the issues are only related to logical volumes inside extended (primaries are unaffected), so what you report seems like news, and it is likely something peculiar of Shorthorn/Longhorn.

jaclaz

 

You commented on this in another thread.
I don't remember the method I used to partition this hard drive. But I only use Windows 2000/XP and compatible programs. It is a mini notebook without CD ROM. I did it via external USB.
Until now I was working with XP and I did not modify the partitions to install Longhorn, except to format the 2nd partition to NTFS and convert the 1st partition to NTFS from FAT32. On the 1st partition I don't install operating systems, I only have the boot files. I will try to see the MBR partition machine code, I remember some old tools.
What I can contribute is that it is possible to fix Longhorn to only boot with ntldr by disposing of bootmgr with the Windows XP recovery console. And I seem to remember that I also did it in a test with Windows Vista RTM. I'm going to try Windows Seven now.
Greetings

Edited March 24, 2023 by Cixert

[Cixert]

I have tasted again with Windows Vista, I was wrong in some concepts @jaclaz

The final test says:
-Windows Vista RTM does not start with ntldr and boot.ini

-Yes, any Windows Longhorn does, at least up to 5231, maybe Windows Vista can start with the Dual Longhorn charger (Bootmgr+NTLDR).

-Windows Vista does not work in Fat32, I have achieved it almost install in Fat 32, cheating it. After the install menu "choose partition" I have formatted the partition of NTFS to Fat32 with Alt+Tab. Then look almost until the end. Just, at that final moment, this says "a critical component has not been installed, restart to repeat boot process"
After restarting it says "missing bootmgr" despite being installed.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Cixert

[jaclaz]

Yes, Windows Vista uses BOOTMGR+\boot\BCD, 7 and later also.

Windows Vista can work on FAT32, it just won't install on it.

If you install on NTFS, then copy the whole contents to a FAT32 volume, it will work (Dietmar did it years ago), later GD 2W10 posted a simpler method including a couple needed tricks to avoid the errors:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/102556-how-to-install-windows-vista-on-a-fat32-partition/

With 7 that is not anymore possible, because 7 has too many files for FAT32 in its WinSXS directory, though it is possible to have it working by removing files from the WinSXS folder (there are some "mini-windows 7" that can be deployed to FAT32):

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=19643

There is somewhere (I believe on reboot.pro) but I cannot find it right now a topic about the files that can be "safely" removed from a full windows 7. install to allow copying it to FAT32.

If I manage to find it, I will add a link to it.

Anyway, likely the WinSxS_Reduce_Trusted.cmd will work for it:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=21977&page=13&#entry216384

jaclaz

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by jaclaz

[D.Draker]

3 hours ago, jaclaz said:

7 has too many files for FAT32 in its WinSXS directory

Could this be the reason why win7 is painfully slow, esp. on boot ? Why when I turn on any win7 PC, I hear billions of reads-writes per second ?

It doesn't happen with Vista. Thanks.

PS.

I even tried on a very fast HDD , like Raptor.

[D.Draker]

4 hours ago, jaclaz said:

Anyway, likely the WinSxS_Reduce_Trusted.cmd will work for it:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=21977&page=13&#entry216384

Can I execute that tool on a live Win installation ? I wrote the description by the Dutch developer, he says "e.g. Mounted VHD".

jaclaz, have you ever tried it yourself ?

[jaclaz]

6 minutes ago, D.Draker said:

Could this be the reason why win7 is painfully slow, esp. on boot ? Why when I turn on any win7 PC, I hear billions of reads-writes per second ?

It doesn't happen with Vista. Thanks.

PS.

I even tried on a very fast HDD , like Raptor.

Surely 7 is "heavier" than Vista, but on a normal NTFS filesystem the number of files present in WinSXS is irrelevant (and BTW most of them are hardlinks) I believe more simply that 7 loads a lot more files when booting.

Reducing the files in WinSXS has always been about "crazy" projects like installiing 7 on FAT32 or when really squeezing the install size for mini-windows and PE's.

On PE's on slow media (USB) there are optimization techniques, but even if they can be replicated on a "full" 7 on internal HDD or SDD, they won't give any practical advantage

And NO, that cmd is intended for offline (and basic/reduced) OS, if you try running on a booted OS you will likely botch it for good (if it works at all).

jaclaz

[Cixert]

Several strange things have happened to me that I cannot solve after trying to install the versions of Shorthorn that were not allowed to be installed from XP, because they said "the files cannot be found in the temporary path".
1-I can not repair the bootloader of the hard drive in XP format.
2-On boot the NT 5.x installation CD does not get past the "press any key to start the CD" screen with this hard drive.
3-Finally the boot CD does not start (it does not show the message press a key to start from the CD either).

I tried to install Shorthorn Main Development 3801 from CD on another computer with a hard drive with 4 FAT32 primary partitions.

When I reboot the BIOS it does not find any operating system.
I check that in the boot partition there is the bootmgr, ntldr and boot.ini file but there is no Boot folder.

I try to repair the boot by starting the Windows 2003 CD with the fixboot and fixmbr commands but the hard drive won't boot.
I copy ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini from Windows XP to the boot partition and run fixboot and fixmbr again.
But the hard drive still won't boot.

I delete all partitions from Windows XP and recreate 4 primary partitions in NTFS from Minitool Partition Winzard.
I reboot with the Windows 2003 installation CD in the CD drive and get the message "press any key to boot from CD".
I press a key but the installation CD does not start.
I try the Vista installation disk and it does start.
I delete the partitions again with Easeus Partition Master and the CD does not start either, then with Eassos DiskGenius and the CD does not start either, then with Macrorit Partition Expert and then the message "press a key to start from CD" no longer appears. from any NT 5. If NT 6 CDs are booted.

The problem only occurs with this SATA hard drive, after the operations performed.

Edit:

I have managed to solve the problem by converting the disk to GPT and then converting it back to MBR with Acronis Disk Director.  So I have installed Shorthorn 3801 on a single NTFS partition.

 As a curiosity I comment that from this boot.ini I can start my other hard disk with w2000 and XP but from the boot.ini on the 2000/XP disk it does not start Shorthorn/Longhorn.

Is there a way to boot windows vista from a boot.ini?

It seems that this could be one way.

Edited March 23, 2023 by Cixert

[jaclaz]

Boot.ini is ONLY a settings file, it tells NTLDR what to boot [1].

You are loading the NTLDR of your Shorthorn that (evidently) can boot the (previous) operating systems (2000 and XP), the inverse does not work, i..e. the 2K NTLDR can boot both NT4 and 2K but not XP, the XP NTLDR can boot XP and 2K (and possibly also NT4 but it would need to be tested) and so on.

Vista and later can ONLY boot via BOOTMGR.

You can add to your 2K or XP BOOT:INI an entry loading GRLDR (the grub4dos bootmanager) and have in its configuration file (menu.lst) a choice to chainload the BOOTMGR.

Other point: the "press any key to boot from CD" message comes from a file on the CD called bootfix.bin.

The idea is that you may (or may not) being booting a CD to install the windows for the very first time, i.e. on a blank/unpartitioned hard disk (intended use) OR you might be booting it on a machine with an already partitioned disk OR (common enough) you forgot the CD in and left boot priority unchanged and you booted to the CD by mistake on reboot after install, so, once the CD has been booted, the bootloader/bootsector of the CD runs bootfix.bin that checks the MBR being valid and only if it is, it shows the message. If the MBR is blank or invalid, the CD continues booting without need for a keypress.

Some more details here:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=9540

jaclaz

 

 

[1] to be fair, though unrelated, non-arcpath entries in BOOT.INI are also parsed by BOOTMGR, I believe up to the one in Windows 8 or 8.1, surely up to 7.

[Cixert]

On 3/24/2023 at 4:06 PM, jaclaz said:

Boot.ini is ONLY a settings file, it tells NTLDR what to boot [1].

You are loading the NTLDR of your Shorthorn that (evidently) can boot the (previous) operating systems (2000 and XP), the inverse does not work, i..e. the 2K NTLDR can boot both NT4 and 2K but not XP, the XP NTLDR can boot XP and 2K (and possibly also NT4 but it would need to be tested) and so on.

Vista and later can ONLY boot via BOOTMGR.

You can add to your 2K or XP BOOT:INI an entry loading GRLDR (the grub4dos bootmanager) and have in its configuration file (menu.lst) a choice to chainload the BOOTMGR.

Other point: the "press any key to boot from CD" message comes from a file on the CD called bootfix.bin.

The idea is that you may (or may not) being booting a CD to install the windows for the very first time, i.e. on a blank/unpartitioned hard disk (intended use) OR you might be booting it on a machine with an already partitioned disk OR (common enough) you forgot the CD in and left boot priority unchanged and you booted to the CD by mistake on reboot after install, so, once the CD has been booted, the bootloader/bootsector of the CD runs bootfix.bin that checks the MBR being valid and only if it is, it shows the message. If the MBR is blank or invalid, the CD continues booting without need for a keypress.

Some more details here:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=9540

jaclaz

 

 

[1] to be fair, though unrelated, non-arcpath entries in BOOT.INI are also parsed by BOOTMGR, I believe up to the one in Windows 8 or 8.1, surely up to 7.

It is possible that when the text did not appear "press a key to start the CD" the BIOS boot priority changed without realizing it, but when the message did appear I confirm that CD start priorities in the BIOS were correct. The Windows NT 5 (2000-XP-2003) installation CD was not able to start, when it was frozen for some reason, not being capable of detecting the hard drive modified by Longhorn/Shorthorn before being able to start the file installation load. To work again it was not effective to erase the hard drive and partition again.

The only solution was to convert the hard drive to GPT and covert it again to MBR.
The NT6.x DVD, yes did start correctly with this same hard drive before performing the conversion operation.

I continue to do tests:
1-I have installed Windows Seven on the Notebook computer.
2-I have installed Shorthorn on the computer desktop.

My purpose is to try to start Windows Seven with the Windows Longhorn boot, copying Shorthorn files into Windows Seven.

I still cannot comment conclusions, because in several tests the following has happened to me:
-As deleting the boot files from the active partition all partitions disappear. That is, with the hard drive connected as an external USB to Windows XP. I delete the "Boot" folder and all partitions disappear. I have performed more tests and also happens when Bootmgr, Ntldr, Boot.ini, etc. erase at the same time. This has not happened when one by one erase. I have copy and paste other folders that have not boot files and the problem has not happened to me.
I indicate that in certain circumstances Windows does not let these files erase, in others erases them without problems and in others the partitions disappear.

Hard drive 4 partitions in Notebook computer:
1-Primary FAT32 Active partition with boot manager.
2-Primary NTFS Windows Seven.
3-Primary Fat32 Windows XP.
4-Primary FAT32 Data.

From XP I install Windows seven in the second partition.
I confirm that now the number 1 partition begins in sector 2048 (I don't know if before).

Then I extract the hard drive and connect it to the computer, it is the external USB and I started Windows XP. I erase some start files and partitions disappear.
This does not always happen. I don't know what depends.

Then I have copy the original boot files of the Windows Seven and I have tried to repair the boot with the Windows Vista DVD.
1-I undo automatic recovery message Windows seven partition.
2-I execute the commands:
Bootrec /Fixboot
Bootrec /Fixmb
The result is that Windows Seven not starts.
Then I try to recover automatically, but the message repair Windows Seven now does not appear.
However, Windows Vista DVD says trying to repair.
The result is that not only does Windows Seven not start, but now the Windows Seven partition is in RAW and inaccessible. In addition the fourth partition appears inaccessible.
I try to recover the partitions with Easeus Partition Master but the program does not finish progress and does not find the correct partitions.
Then I again erase the Boot folder of the active partition and the partitions disappear again.
Then, after disappearing again, Easeus Partition Master does find and recover the correct partitions.
I am struck that this program also has the following MBR recovery options.
-2000/XP/2003
-Vista/2008
-7/8/10/2012
Is the Vista MBR and Windows Seven different?
I am investigating the initial sector by partitioning from the record administrator, it could be the following:
Sector 63 -> Windows NT 5.x -> Align hard drives with 63 sectors per track (512 bytes per cluster).
Sector 2048 -> Windows NT 6.0 -> Align hard drives with 4096 bytes by Cluster.
Sector 4096 -> Windows NT 6.1 and Superior -> Optimizes alignment in hard discs 4096 bytes by Cluster.

The Eassos Disk Manager program allows you to choose the initial alignment when partitions are created and also allows partitions to the initial sector 63 since 2048 or 4096.
I do not extend anymore, this requires an integer post apart ...

Ok, then I now try to recover the installation of Window Seven with Windows Seven DVD with the hard drive connected to the USB desktop.
I can't repair Windows Seven installation.
I execute:
-Auto recovery = It has not been completed.
-Console:
Bootrec /Fixboot
Bootrec /Fixmb
Bootrec /rebuildbcd

Bootsect /NT60 C:

No option manages to repair the boot.
With how easy it is to repair the NT 5.X boot it seems that NT 6.x boot resists me.
I can't repair Windows Seven boot.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Cixert