boot issues bt5 and windows7

[CDRCheshire]

I have a 2009 Sony Viao VGN-FZ140E computer. Which had windows 7 32 bit installed on it.
I burned a live cd of BackTrack5 and booted from it. From the startx window I used the icon on the desktop to install it to my computer. It did not see my copy of windows on the install (yes this might have clued me in there would be a problem).

So then when booting from the HD it would bring up BT5 and it worked fine.
I used bt5 to get some work done, and then had no way to boot back into windows.

I found a post related to this mistake which gave some info about booting from the livecd and using “gparted” to remove /dev/sda1
But this copy of the cd does not include it. Also I do not know how to get the wifi to work from the bt5 cd (though I know it works, and I have the ssid and key), and I have no cable ethernet access.

I got a windows 7 ultimate 32bit disc and tried to run the windows repair tool. It said that my computer did not have win7 ultimate installed. So now I am unsure of the former version of win 7, but whatever I can start over with the CD I have...

I then tried to install a fresh copy of windows. When it gave me the options to select a partition there were 3 options. None of which would it let me install windows on them. They all had an error which mentioned the drive not being NTFS or being in the GPT format. It would only let me delete the partition with BT5 on it. Which I seem to have done.
The Win7 install would begin to format a drive partition, but never bring up a bar, then after a few seconds would act like I had not clicked on the radio button to do so.

So like I said I think I deleted the bt5 partition, when booting from the HD I get:
error:unknown file system
grub rescue>

I burned a cd of the program Boot-Repair-Disc
and booted it. It wants connection to the internet, to update itself (which I can't seem to make happen).
But it eventually returns the following information:
Boot info Summary
-->Grub2 (v1.97-1.98) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks at sector 2048 of the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks in partition 2 for /boot/grub.

sda1:
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows vista/7: NTFS
Boot sector info: No errors were found in the boot Parameter Block
Operating system:
Boot Files:

sda2:
File system: swap
Boot sectore type: -
Boot sector info:

Drive/ Partition Info:
Drive: sda______________________________
Disk /dev/sda:80 GB, 80026361856
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488
units= sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size logical/physical 512bytes/ 512 bytes
partition boot start sector end sector # of sectors System
/dev/sda1 4,096 149,846,015 149, 841, 920 data partition (windows/Linux)
/dev/sda2 149,846,016 159,301,311 6,455,296 data partition (windows/linux)
“blkid” output:

Device UUID TYPE LABEL
/dev/ loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 BCCE3A66CE3A18DA ntfs
/dev/sda2 2dle7fb4-4f34-4335-936d-621f71e493bb swap


mount points:
device mount-point type options
/dev/sr0 /live/image iso9660 (ro,noatime)
The program gives me this info in a text file and says it has made no changes to my computer.

I am not sure as to what to do from here. I would use another computer normally to format the drive. But I have just moved to Europe from California for 9 months and I only have access to a macbook pro or the pc's at the local web cafe (locutorio). I would like a working system on windows 7, any advice that would help me make that happen would be greatly appreciated.

[Psiho]

Hello,

I had the same problem when I installed Ubuntu 10.10 on my HP dv7. I installed ubuntu on second partition and when I wanted to switch to win 7 it said that I have no win installed. The reazon is that pre-installed computers have hidden partition where is stored boot for windows. Ubuntu has a "instal in Windows" option which I didnt try, but I would like to fix this problem so that I could use backtrack 5 and win 7. I dont even have option: "instal it allongside windows" because of this partition. I think we have the same problem, if not, sorry for stealing your thread. So, any ideas guys?

P.S
sorry for my bad English

[maverik35]

Ok..Let's see:
You installed BT5 and then you deleted the BT5 partition..But grub is still installed in MBR...That is why keeps booting from grub2 but there is no Linux OS to load, so it defaults to grub console...

As to your windows partition to make a new fresh W7 install, well, need to have a NTFS parition...You encounter yourself in a "point" in which you have nothing in the HD..So start from the begining.

Download the gparted and burn it..Boot with it.

Please, see if you have in your HDD a recovery partition, and DO NOT DELETE it. If no recovery partition, just delete all partitions remaining.
Delete all other partitions. Apply changes

Make 3 partitions (or more if you want):
1. /dev/sda1 (Primary partition) size-----"you decide"
type (Filesystem) ------- NTFS
2. /dev/sda2 Extended Partition ------Size----"you decide"
3. /dev/sda5 Logic partition (for BT5) size ------"you decide"
type -----ext4
4. /dev/sda6 Swap partition size-----1Gb
type -----swap
5. Apply changes..

Now boot up with W7 DVD and it should see the NTFS partition, install it there..Or see user's manual to boot from recovery partition and it should see the NTFS partition. Boot up to see if W7 starts...

Then install BT5, when it requires you to choose the way to install, choose "Manual"..Now choose partition created (/dev/sda5) and mouting point (/), if you want to pick the filesystem you can do it, but it is already done in Gparted...

Then it will give you a summary about partition saying /dev/sda5 with swap (/dev/sda6), etc..Just continue....when finished, reboot.

Perhaps you wont have the win7 partition in the grub menu, do not worry, just keep going to text mode..Do not "startx" yet..Run this command:
os-prober -----------...Then you will see that all OS are being diplayed...You should see W7 partition.
update-grub -------It will read the os-prober file and will see the W7 partition..Just reboot..You should see all OS available on HDD...

Try it..

Luck.

But, did you have a UEFI partition?....

[TheOnion]

Hi maverik?

Are your steps applicable for UEFI systems?
My BT cannot detect my windows7 partitions if in non-UEFI mode

UEFI install both Win7 and BT5r3 no issue.
Once done EasyBCD added entry, but boot menu say missing file "\NST\Autoneo...."

Yup, something like that..

Any ideas?

[valilkurup]

I have loaded BT R3 gnome from CD into my dektop window 7, Ultimate version. I have two partitions in my C drive. while loading, it shows there is " no Operating system found in your computer". I want dual-booting system. So what to do to overcome this problem. I want in details please.

[TheOnion]

Hiies..still no luck eh?

UEFI, root of all linux problems

I beginning to entertain the idea of having an ultrabook all fully loaded with ONLY linux OS-es
And VMs for BT and/or ubuntu on WIn7 laptops..

i read this line on wiki: UEFI requires the firmware and operating system loader to be size-matched; i.e. a 64-bit UEFI implementation can only load a 64-bit UEFI OS boot loader.

This could explain the reason why whenever my Win7 is installed in NON-UEFI mode, NO other OS (BT or Ubuntu) can detect my windows7 partition.
The attempts so far i have attempted are all clean installs. ie no configuration change to anything yet
Also, my Win7 is x64 Pro, which was 1 of the 1st prominent OS's to use UEFI at start (not sure if UEFI was forced upon it, rendering it undetectable in non-UEFI environments)

I am giving all this dual-boot crap 1 more shot, all UEFI install to see if all goes well. Win7 will be easily detected like before as usual.
Going to use Gparted this time, havnt tried that before actually.

[maverik35]

Hi maverik?

Are your steps applicable for UEFI systems?
My BT cannot detect my windows7 partitions if in non-UEFI mode

UEFI install both Win7 and BT5r3 no issue.
Once done EasyBCD added entry, but boot menu say missing file "\NST\Autoneo...."

Yup, something like that..

Any ideas?

I'm affraid not...UEFI is a sort of lock...It means you do not have a choice: Take it this way: "you have to use what I say, period..."

I'm sure the linux world will do something about it.

Please refer to wikipedia and search UEFI, read it and you will see what I'm talking about.