UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME - Multiple Partitions

[Tangot]

Hi,

My laptop just had an UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME BSoD, and I've taken some steps to fix it, made a slight bit of progress, and because of the unusualness of the situation (which I only say because Googling didn't bring up any specific scenarios), I'd like to post where I'm at to get information on what I should do.

At first, I just got the error after the Windows Logo Loading Screen.

I then did chkdsk /r a couple of times via Recovery Console (freezing at 53%), and rebooted and after the loading screen, would show a black screen with my cursor on it.

Back in Recovery console, now it asks me to select a windows installation (before it would go into C:\). My HD is partitioned, D:\ has the windows files, and it recognizes that and gives me the option to log into D:\WINDOWS.

When I go to use fixboot, it says:

The target partition is C:.
Are you sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ?

This is where I get confused - if windows is on D:, why is it offering C:?

Should I do fixboot on C: or do something else?

 

[Saga Lout]

Hello and welcome to Tom's Hardware Forums.

Try FIXMBR first then FIXBoot after that and accept the warning both times. It's extremely unlikely an OEM would have put Windows on D: - what you may be look at are Windows files on their Recovery Partition D:\.

 

[Tangot]

Hi,

Thank you for the welcome, and quick response.

OEM was not partitioned, had some help about a year ago when my PC was overheating - they knew how to fix it from a hardware perspective, but weren't that good software-wise, and reformatted it and partitioned it awkwardly as such. I recall from when it worked, that the windows files indeed are in D: (as recovery console recognizes), though is it possible that the boot files may be on the other partition?

 

[Saga Lout]

In those circumstances, I'm sure you're right but FIXMBR will operate on C:\ in any event. If that allows you to go as far as Safe Mode, use msconfig>Boot.ini to deal with any anomalous or superfluous boot options.

 

[Ijack]

The fact that the Windows directory is on D: means nothing. Which drive does it boot from - which drive has the boot.ini and ntloader.exe files? I'd guess that this is C:. Whichever it is, it will be the active partition.