Posted on 01/05/2020 6:31:29 AM PST by CatOwner
I have a chore to go do, but I just sent you a PM with an idea to test it and see where the issue is actually coming from for sure. If you can indeed boot into linux, then it is not the machine it’s self. Opps, for got to send you the link!
Oh, well, I do have all the docs / data files backed up AND copy / pasted directly to an external HD, so they are “accessible” - just not off the E: drive of the afflicted machine when it is running off the E: drive. The “admin” (me) is the only user, so who knows why.
Right now I’m going out to my lab to see if I have a 128 GB USB 3.0 stick out there - if not, it’s a trip to town. All that stuff directly copy/pasted to the backup drive occupies ~67 GB at present. It in some ways reflects over 25 years of work & life.
At any rate, I’ll probably be looking at Linux at some point - if only to be able to run an OS off the SSD on this darn “Win 7” machine!
“It in some ways reflects over 25 years of work & life.”
And that is why you wouldn’t want to lose it. Makes me wonder how many have this and have not backed it all up.
The cool thing is the linux can be run straight from the DVD without making any changes to your machine. It just borrows the hardware temporarily while you are booted from off the DVD. Yet you can use it to also access MS files if needed. It really is a great “just in case” handy tool to have around. :)
Back again - after only a couple hours of sleep last night, I literally zonked out @ my computer desk.
Anyway, Dummy me (but not in a “DUmmy” way) — the data files are still on the Win 7 machine’s HD, now labelled as “C:” because the machine is booting from that drive. My IT over-saturated mind had me looking on E:, which is actually now the SSD, and there is a little duplication there, but, not much.
Nonetheless I have my laptop crunching out a copy to a USB stick of the files from the external HD saved off the internal HD of the Win 7 machine.. Then I’ll copy them again to the reserve machine - probably in what amounts to a temporary directory on the HD from where I can safely gradually merge that file structure with the much smaller file structure already on the data drive of the reserve machine. There’s only a little video stuff and a modest amount of music, so, the 500 GB HD has plenty of room to fart around. :-) Eventually I’ll be able to delete the temporary directory.
Ok, it seems like I always can’t quite copy over everything when I do one of these massive “copy/paste” actions: A folder called “Low” that I can’t find in a search of the overall folder / directory being copied from did not copy - I have no idea what it is. And, a couple HTML files that appear to actually be e-mail provider links would not copy - but those are also in my favorites which I also copied over separately (I’d exported them later to a separate folder not in the data backup.)
So, so far, so good, on that.
If I make a Linux boot drive with a USB stick, if all I’m after is the OS and minimal storage — maybe room for a utility or two, would a 4 or 8 GB stick suffice? I have several.
BTW - had this on the other machine and neglected to post it:
I took a look at that HP Factory disk — it’s actually 3 “Recovery” disks, with disk #1 containing in the root directory files “bootmgr”, “preloadsize”, “and setinfo”, plus folders “boot”, “HP”, preload”, and “sources” folder. Inside the boot folder are files “BCD”, “boot.sdi”, “efisys.bin”, “efisys_noprompt.bin”, “etfsboot”, and a “fonts” folder.
How does that disk not boot if the DVD drive is selected as the primary boot drive? And why am I getting the message the bcd file is mia? Yet the DVD player plays CDs just fine after I boot off the HD.
“disk #1 containing in the root directory files “bootmgr”, “preloadsize”, “and setinfo”, plus folders “boot”, “HP”, preload”, and “sources” folder. Inside the boot folder are files “BCD”, “boot.sdi”, “efisys.bin”, “efisys_noprompt.bin”, “etfsboot”, and a “fonts” folder.”
That should boot! But all it takes is one small scratch or piece of dust to goof a file. This has always been a problem with CD medium. Have you ever used and tested this set before in the past? There is a possibility it never got onto the disk correctly when it was originally written.
The same error on all sources? (HD, CD/DVD [factory and mine], USB Flash Drive). Seems unlikely.
There are quite a few new files on the SSD dated the time of my attempted upgrade (but it was interrupted by the update).
My guess is that there is a partially installed Win 10 Pro OS on the SSD, and somehow that interferes with the Win 7 “repair” boot media or drives, but does not come into play when the boot is entirely from the HD.
As I mentioned upthread, I could still try powering off & disconnecting the SSD, and boot again to the HP factory recovery disk to see what happens.
It may be that the only “fix” is to wipe the SSD and then attempt a System Recovery? Or, wipe the SSD and then clone the Win 7 on the HD back over to the SSD — in which (either) case I might decide to swap in a bigger SSD. Of course that leaves me with the Win 7 Pro OS, and I still want to upgrade to Win 10, which upgrade may blow up again - oh, Gawd….
Oops, that should have been: “The same error on 4 sources? SSD, CD/DVD [factory and mine], and USB Flash Drive). Seems unlikely.”
“Just bought a system with Win 10 and absolutely love it.”
One thing I hate about it is that it doesn’t cooperate with keystrokes. Since DOS, keystroke shortcuts have been what I rely on. Can’t even find actions in a menu. Win 10 forces you to use the mouse, which I hate.
For a job interview I had to take a document and do a lot of editing, formatting, merging, etc. I had 30 minutes, and was done in about 10. The HR critter said I couldn’t possibly be done because I hadn’t touched my mouse. I don’t want toys: I want to do serious work.
“My guess is that there is a partially installed Win 10 Pro OS on the SSD, and somehow that interferes with the Win 7 “repair” boot media or drives, but does not come into play when the boot is entirely from the HD.”
Absolutely, and it could be seeing the wrong one?
I don’t know...
Had to get some rest, and now take care of some tax stuff for myself and then my Mom, today, then make a trip up to Mom’s to help out there - may not get back to this / making that Linux disk until late Thursday.
(”Thor’s day” — haha - time to hit it with a giant hammer?)
Thanks so much for all the help - will let you know how it goes!
I read several web sites about this. It's going to get harder and harder to protect personal information from Microsoft, Google, Apple, ...
Thankfully, I have never used a Microsoft account for any Windows OS account. I don't have any other cloud-based account either. Bought the PC with Windows 10 Pro, which made disabling Cortana a lot easier. Installed Open Shell (formerly Classic Shell) for more of a Windows 7 look & feel.
As someone else commented on, there wasn't much in the way of excessive software installed by Dell. Primarily the McAfee virus scanner subscription that I didn't want. Easy enough to remove. There are several Dell-based applications installed I am not sure whether to delete or keep.
In the past, when I performed re-installs right after a purchase, I used to avoid the Dell applications. Of course, that meant them being unable to help me if something ever went wrong, but I was either fortunate or knowledgeable enough to where I have never needed their help in almost 12 years of purchasing their PCs (Win XP first, then Win 7 before going to Win 10).
reminder to self...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.