Windows 7 refuses to load, and fail recovery

[francisco2007]

When I try to fix it writes the notorious "The version of system recovery option is not compatible with the version of windows you are trying to repair"

Anyways, since I'm using Ubuntu 99% I don't mind reinstalling windows.

What's the best strategy to do that without jeopardizing my ububtu partion? How do I recover the grub? (just update-grub from the live-cd? That simple?)

Cheers

[Mark Phelps]

When you go to reinstall Windows from install media (DVD for Win7), during initial setup, it will allow you to select a parition for the install. Just be sure to select the one currently containing Windows. It will overwrite that.

But ... it will also overwrite the GRUB code in the MBR of your hard drive, so when you reboot, you will only see Windows.

You would then need to reinstall GRUB from a LiveCD or LiveUSB to get back access to Ubuntu.

[francisco2007]

OK, thanks.
I have a UEFI bios. I actually don't remember if it gave me hard time on the initial setup. Does it change anything?

[Mark Phelps]

Does it change anything?

Yes ... it does, quite a lot .. and I'm not familiar with UEFI BIOS setups, sorry.

[mastablasta]

about UEFI read more here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

[oldfred]

Even with newer hardware/motherboards that were UEFI, most Windows 7 systems were installed in BIOS or CSM - compatibility support mode. Only a few systems with Windows 7 released shortly before Windows 8 used UEFI.

So is your Windows 7 installed in UEFI or BIOS even if hardware is UEFI?

If drive is gpt then it has to be UEFI and you will have an efi partition. IF drive is msdos(MBR) then you are in BIOS mode.

From terminal post this:
sudo parted -l

[francisco2007]

Even with newer hardware/motherboards that were UEFI, most Windows 7 systems were installed in BIOS or CSM - compatibility support mode. Only a few systems with Windows 7 released shortly before Windows 8
If drive is gpt then it has to be UEFI and you will have an efi partition. IF drive is msdos(MBR) then you are in BIOS mode.

From terminal post this:
sudo parted -l

This is what I got. What do you make of it?

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 106MB 105MB primary ntfs boot
2 106MB 992GB 992GB primary ntfs
3 992GB 2000GB 1009GB extended
6 992GB 1992GB 1000GB logical ext4
5 1992GB 2000GB 8550MB logical linux-swap(v1)

[mastablasta]

look like BIOS to me. but where is the recovery partition?

[francisco2007]

This is the full report

Model: ATA ST2000DM001-9YN1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 2000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 106MB 105MB primary ntfs boot
2 106MB 992GB 992GB primary ntfs
3 992GB 2000GB 1009GB extended
6 992GB 1992GB 1000GB logical ext4
5 1992GB 2000GB 8550MB logical linux-swap(v1)


Model: ATA ST31000333AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 472GB 472GB primary ext3
2 472GB 1000GB 528GB primary ntfs


Model: ATA ST2000DM001-1CH1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 2000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 2000GB 2000GB primary ext4


Model: ATA ST3320620AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdd: 320GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 320GB 320GB primary ext4

[Mark Phelps]

It looks like sda2 is your Win7 OS install.

You might want to consider a Reinstall of Win7 over itself. That will leave your data intact.

I would make sure all the other drives are disconnected when you do this.

For more details on how to do this, see the following thread at the Windows 7 Forums: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?filter[3]=Installation and Setup

[oldfred]

Partition Table: msdos

Has to be BIOS based and you just have the standard BIOS type install of a 100MB boot/repair partition and your main install on sda2.

If you cannot repair it then Mark Phelps suggestion may be the only alternative. I might still back up data.
Was repairCD/Flash the same either 32 bit or 64 bit as that should be the only compatibility requirement.