Hard Drive wiped itself but space is still taken up?

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

Hi, I was cleaning my GPU fans because it was really dusty, and after I plugged everything back in it came up with "Reboot and Select Proper Boot device". So I grabbed my Windows 7 install disk and it booted up into windows install, I clicked repair. All the main files are restored, but ALL my games, around 300-400GB of them are gone, but the space is still taken up?

Let me know what you guys think.

Edit: I decided to install a steam game, and it turns out the directory link was deleted, so I re-linked it and now my games are back, the thing is ALL my desktop shortcuts are still deleted. Any thoughts?

JackNaylorPE · Oct 18, 2014

Sounds like MBR got trashed.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4836283_repair-mbr-windows.html

Ironsounds · Oct 18, 2014

Hello... Well... it didn't Wipe itself you allowed Software to have its way with it. Cleaning your fans should have not changed a thing on your hardrive, But... Bumping a connector, or plugging into a wrong connector could have caused this... and could have been fixed with Cable re-connecting and/or a MB BIO's reset or setting.
Since you did a Windows Repair on it, There are backup copies of changes... AND also all your Windows Updated files have been replaced with the Original DISK files. Take a look at your Recovery File History and see if there is a Good file that dates before your Windows repair proceedure... and try it.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

When I click on Computer in the Start menu, it keeps telling me to insert a disk into the RW Drive. What disk?

Ironsounds · Oct 18, 2014

Hello... Windows maybe is trying to complete the Repair you started, and needs the Windows Disk to complete it.
Go to Control Panel-Recovery-Open system Restore-NEXT- check mark the "show more restore points". See if you have a date there when the Computer was running good and try installing it.

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

Ronan440 :

Is/was the hard drive actually fully connected?
Cleaning the GPU fan will NOT affect the software.

Doing the Repair before checking the physical connections probably screwed your existing install.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

When I insert the windows disk it takes me to windows install, should I go ahead and install it? Thing is windows is already installed and the old version will be moved. I cannot access files such as downloads or my shortcuts because windows didn't back them up.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

This is what shows up when I click Computer http://prntscr.com/4xdn96

JackNaylorPE · Oct 18, 2014

Ya want windows repair

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26095-repair-install-windows-8-a.html

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

Will my windows key work again though?

JackNaylorPE · Oct 18, 2014

You only need windows key if you wipe the drive and reinstall fresh. But if you did that windows key will still work.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

When windows needs to restart during upgrading it says windows installation cannot be started. So there's no luck with that.

JackNaylorPE · Oct 18, 2014

Upgrading ? This is a repair not an upgrade.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

It comes up with an upgrading option or custom option when I run the windows 7 disk.

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

If we back up about 8 steps, there was no reason to grab the Windows 7 install disk and click repair.

Cleaning the GPU fans, and a subsequent 'no boot' is NOT a software fail. Something got disconnected, or not reconnected properly. Hence, "Reboot and Select Proper Boot device". It could not find the boot drive.

However, since you have already started down that route and probably completely borked the original install....

To fix? Completely leaving out the Windows install disk, and having ONLY the boot drive installed....what happens?

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

The boot drive is again? Windows keeps telling me to insert a disk into the RW Drive.

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

Ronan440 :

Boot drive = whatever hard drive or SSD your Windows is on.
Disconnect all other drives but that one.
Power on and see what happens.

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

And verify, hands on, that the specific drive is actually connected properly.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

I've disconnected the 2nd HDD that has all my games etc on it. It boots up the same asking for a disk to be inserted but without the 2nd HDD being connected obviously.

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

Ronan440 :

OK, so we move to the next step.
Connect the 2nd HDD, power on, see what happens.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

Connected it back, it's the same as last time. When it boots it asks which to start up with, windows install or Windows 7. If I leave it for about 5 seconds it automatically goes into windows install but shows up Installation cannot be started. If I go into windows 7 it boots up as normal but shows up with a blank desktop as the same as before. I don't have access to my desktop shortcuts, my downloads etc. It keeps saying insert a disk into the DVD drive.

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

I fear that your earlier flailing about may have hosed the original install.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

I think so too, should I go ahead and reinstall windows?

USAFRet · Oct 18, 2014

If I go into windows 7 it boots up as normal

By this you mean it actually boots and runs, just not as it used to? You may have just restored it to a 'clean' install.

Ronan440 · Oct 18, 2014

The problem I'm having is windows is restricting me from access my desktop shortcuts and downloads etc. This is what my desktop looks like when it's booted. http://prntscr.com/4xesgb

And it asks me to insert a disk into the ROM.

Hard Drive wiped itself but space is still taken up?

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