Ok, so if this works, after that I can safely delete the old hidden partition and continue onwards? By "run bootsect /nt60 C:" you mean, type that into a run prompt?
If 7 boots then yes, then you wont need the old partition anymore. Yes. In case you dont know how this bootsect stuff works: 1.) Download the bootsect from the attachment (its the untouched MS one) 2.) Put it into any folder (just make a new one) 3.) Create a new textfile in this folder and name it whatever.bat 4.) Rightclick/Edit, then paste this into it: Code: bootsect /nt60 c: pause 5.) Save the bat and run it. Due to the pause command you will see whether or not the procedure was sucessful. Note: It will probably also say something like 'the update may not be reliable since the drive could not be dismounted during the update' but dont worry about that, it always says that when the tool is being used under windows and can be ignored.
Delete partition using GParted, put Win7 install disk in your pc and boot into "repair-mode". Select "startup repair" and/or use "Bootrec.exe /FixMbr <enter> Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd <enter>"
startup repair doesn't work - it doesn't recognize the windows 7 installation. As for the other commands, those are launched from the command prompt option in the system repair menu?
yes open the command prompt and type in the command provided in this thread. hopefully they work as they are intended to do.
OK, I created the batch file that you suggested. When I run it as an administrator, it gives the following output - "Target volumes will be updated with BOOTMGR compatible bootcode. C: <\\?Volume{blah blah blah bunch of numbers and letters}> Updated NTFS filesystem bootcode. The update may be unreliable since the volume could not be locked during the update: Access is denied. Bootcode was successfully updated on all targeted volumes." So it says what you said it would, however, is the "access is denied" anything to worry about? Right now I'm going to attempt to mark the C: partition as active, boot into ubuntu, copy over the boot files from the hidden partition, and then try to boot 7. Hopefully at this point startup repair will work and I can at least rebuild the system to a bootable state.
Wooo! Just deleted the hidden partition and booted into Windows 7. Disk manager now shows the disk as having my OS partition and 100 mb of unallocated space...Dolorous Edd - you were right! This is what I did - 1. Ran batch file as an administrator 2. Booted into ubuntu and copied entire contents of hidden partition onto C: partition. 3. Booted into Windows 7, re-ran batch file, and set the partition as active in disk management. 4. Booted into GParted and deleted hidden partition. 5. Booted into Windows 7 with no problems! Now, it's safe to assume that I can make a system image of the now-single partition, reinstall 7 with no 100mb hidden partition, and restore the system image to have my comp finally the way I want it. I HOPE it's smooth sailing from here. At least we're making some progress! Side note: My 1 TB storage drive, throughout all of this, has somehow acquired 1 MB of unallocated space, which is shown in GParted but not in Windows 7 Disk Management. Would it be safe to extend the 931 or however many GB main partition into this 1mb remaining space with no loss of data? Since I'm only using up 324 GB of it, I can copy the data over onto my remaining drives before I do any partition work, just in case. Any idea how this could have happened? UPDATE: New problem - The built in Windows 7 imaging tool only makes images of the entire disk. So when I imaged the new disk with no hidden partition and just 100 mb of unallocated space, it restored that same unallocated space, leaving me back where I started. For some reason, I have a bootable CD of Acronis TrueImage, but not the actual program. So I'm re-downloading Acronis right now to make an image of ONLY the OS partition. Then I will delete everything with GParted and attempt to restore the Acronis file onto the drive.
WOOOOOOOOT I did it! It's finally done. One disk, one partition, no unallocated or system reserved space, fully functioning and with all my data/settings intact! A big thanks to everyone who contributed in this thread and shared their experiences/suggestions! I am now going to make a new thread outlining the process for anyone who was stuck in the same place I was. Mods, you can close this thread if needed.
LOL indeed it was...It's a good thing that stuff like this is actually fun for me. I probably should have majored in something computer related...
Like i said, it always says that when you run the tool under windows, especially with C:, because the C: drive is necessarily always mounted. Nothing to worry about. (As you see.) I knew it would work that way because thats how windows would have done it too. (Putting bootfiles on C: and making C: the bootdrive via bootsect.) Im glad to hear everythings fine now...
You do not have to allow 7 to create the 100mb partition, just delete it when it creates it and create a larger partition.(during install)
I tried that on 1 laptop i did, yet windows insisted on re-creating the 100mb partition. What i usually do now is create 2 partitions on the OS drive and then windows installs on the first partition (without creating the 100mb partition) then when windows is installed delete the second partition if you want and extend the first to take up the extra unallocated space.
after it is reformed make a secondary partition, removing the 100mb part. Then when extend the partition 1 on disk zero, windows then does not recreate the 100mb prt.