1 (edited by jblack827 2011-07-02 13:16:23)

Topic: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

Hi.

I was trying to shrink my mac partition to create another partition using GParted.

Everything goes fine under Gparted boot menu.

After I done, I found there is only one mac XOS option when I pressed option button.

I read a couple of threads and run the following command:

parted /dev/sda unit s print

it can detect both bootcamp and mac partition correctly.

Anyone can help me to rescur my windows partition?

2

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

Mac OS X often uses a hybrid GPT and MSDOS partition table scheme.  These two partition tables can get out-of-sync.  When this happens you can use the rEFIt application to re-sync the partition tables.  See the GParted FAQ.

3 (edited by jblack827 2011-07-03 07:57:26)

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

gedakc wrote:

Mac OS X often uses a hybrid GPT and MSDOS partition table scheme.  These two partition tables can get out-of-sync.  When this happens you can use the rEFIt application to re-sync the partition tables.  See the GParted FAQ.

Hi, gedakc

Thank you for your reply.
I tried to use rEFIt to resync the table.
But when I boot up, it gives me a message "missing operating system"
It seems like it is a grub message.

But I have windows 7 installed there.
I also tried to use my windows 7 dvd to repair the mbr. But it cannot find my windows partition


Anything else could I try? I really dont want to lose my data.

Thank you.

4

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

Have you tried using the ISO image of rEFIt so that you can boot directly from a CD?

5

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

gedakc wrote:

Have you tried using the ISO image of rEFIt so that you can boot directly from a CD?

Not yet. I will try later.

I only tried use GParted CD to boot directly.
The only way to boot from CD is under 'Startup Utility' to select boot from CD.

Is rEFIt ISO image any different with the mac installed version?
Can it fix my mbr?

Thank you.

6

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

My assumption was that you were unable to boot OS X.  If you were then to my knowledge there is no difference between the ISO image and the Mac installed version.

Which operating system are you trying to boot when you receive the "missing operating system" message?

The GParted FAQ contains tips on how to restore the boot configuration for GNU/Linux and Windows.

7 (edited by jblack827 2011-07-05 02:34:00)

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

gedakc wrote:

My assumption was that you were unable to boot OS X.  If you were then to my knowledge there is no difference between the ISO image and the Mac installed version.

Which operating system are you trying to boot when you receive the "missing operating system" message?

The GParted FAQ contains tips on how to restore the boot configuration for GNU/Linux and Windows.

My OS X is fine. I was unable to boot into bootcamp which is Windows 7.

I tried to resync the mbr table. Right now, rEFIt shows a 'boot into windows' option, but it won't boot and showing me a white srceen forever.

I tried to use Windows 7 recovery disc to repair mbr.
It detect a C drive and returned as a raw partition. Is that means I lost my data?

8

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

Did you resize moving the start (left edge) or the end (right edge) of the partition?

Also you might have encountered the "ERROR: Current NTFS volume size is bigger than the device size!" problem.  If so then see the GParted FAQ for details about this problem and how to resolve the problem.

9

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

gedakc wrote:

Did you resize moving the start (left edge) or the end (right edge) of the partition?

Also you might have encountered the "ERROR: Current NTFS volume size is bigger than the device size!" problem.  If so then see the GParted FAQ for details about this problem and how to resolve the problem.

I just resized the mac partition to two new partitions.

I didn't get any error message.

10

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

Would you be able to provide the output from the following three commands?

fdisk -l -u

where one of the options is a lower case "L" and not the number one.

parted /path-to-your-device unit s print

where /path-to-your-device is something like /dev/sda.

gdisk -l

where the option is a lower case "L" and not the number one.

11

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

gedakc wrote:

Would you be able to provide the output from the following three commands?

fdisk -l -u

where one of the options is a lower case "L" and not the number one.

parted /path-to-your-device unit s print

where /path-to-your-device is something like /dev/sda.

gdisk -l

where the option is a lower case "L" and not the number one.

Thank you for your help.

I have already send my HD to recovery data.

Although I still cannot find my windows partition, it is a good learn for handling different file systems.

Thanks again

12

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

For future generations:
I had the problem of messing up partitions with gparted and refit wasn't working.
I managed to rescue the windows boot by using gdisk.
Download: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gptfdisk/
Google "gdisk tutorial" for more info. And try to understand the concept of hybrid mbr so you know what you're doing.
After gdisk fix, reboot with Windows install disc and do the repair procedure.

13

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

I was also having the same issue, not able to boot to my Windows 7 partition after using GParted.  What worked for me was using rEFIt to match the GPT and MBR then using the Windows 7 disc to repair the Windows partition and make it bootable.  See this: http://noahcoad.com/post/14313643712/ge … -partition

14

Re: Help! Lost bootcamp windows boot option

Thank you noahcoad for the link to how you addressed this challenge.