4 replies to this topic

[TheRacerMaster]

I don't know how it happened, but I broke Windows. When I boot up, I get to Chameleon. I select the SYSTEM partition, which takes me to the Windows bootloader. I then select Windows 7 from there. But it gives some error about winload.exe. I've tried using Startup Repair from the Windows installation disc, but it just errors out at "Repairing Disk (this may take an hour)." However, I can boot into OS X fine. I can't boot into Windows 8 either, though. Windows 8 is also giving an error about winload.exe. I tried using a Windows 8 disc, too, but it also errored out at the same part. A while ago, Chameleon stopped working and would just go directly to the Windows bootloader. To fix it I made the OS X partition active using Terminal in the OS X installer. Could that have anything to do with it? Oh BTW, this is all on an MBR partitioned disk.

[khannan]

Windows 8 startup repair always fails for me,
Have you tried manually repairing it in command line, using windows dvd,
bootrec /rebuildbcd ?

[TheRacerMaster]

Hmm...nope. Lemme try that, then I'll give you my progress.

[TheRacerMaster]

OK, I was able to fix my Windows by doing the following steps:
1. Booting from OS X Lion installer, opening terminal, typing following commands
diskutil list
(use that to locate the SYSTEM partition number, in my case disk0s1)
fdisk -e /dev/disk0
(use the beginning part of disk0s1 - disk0)
flag 1
(use the number after s in diskutil list)
update
write
y
quit
reboot
2. Boot from Windows 7 Installation Disk
Select your language, then click next
Select Repair your Computer in the bottom left corner of the install Window
Let the installer do it's thing
3. Reboot

OK, I found this out: when I make the OS X disk flagged using the commands above, but using the OS X disk, the bootloader will be Chameleon again. But if you select the System partition to get to Windows bootloader and select Windows 7, it will complain about winload.exe. I may try making the bootloader chameleon and using the windows install disc to fix it.

[TheRacerMaster]

Oh, I forgot to add: You can use EasyBCD to add an option to load Chameleon in the Windows bootloader.