[Whakapapa]

Hey all,

I hope someone can help me here.

I got a new blue screen of death I haven't experienced before; "File:\BCD 0xc0000034" error where I was told Windows couldn't boot up and needed a repair disc/new boot file. Luckily I had a laptop I could use and tried to find a solution. The only thing I could find was to insert the install disc if I didn't have a Repair disc. Which I didn't. I didn't have the install disc either since I bought my computer with preinstalled Windows 8 and for some reason my supplier didn't supply a Windows disc

Luckily, I thought, my work place had lots of Windows 8 disc lying around and I just took one of those. The solution I found said that when I booted from that disc, I would get the option to repair my install. I inserted the disc, got it to boot from the disc, but I didn't get an option to repair my Windows boot file. So I thought, okay, I will try to just click next and see what happens.
Long story made short; I now have two installations of Windows 8 on my computer.

The old installation is on my SSD and my new installation is on a normal harddisk. From what I can see, the new installation is completely clean; ie. no drivers, no bookmarks, no applications, all my setups gone for every program.
I can see almost every program I've installed when browsing my folders, but Windows searcher can't find them.

This is naturally frustrating and I feel silly for trying what I did.

But how can I fix my computer to get my old installation back with working drivers and applications, and remove the new installations from my computer? Is it possible to do at all or must I completely wipe everything from my computer and reinstall everything from scratch?

 

[Masterchiefxx17]

Can you boot to the SSD and have Windows 7 up and running? Or does it BSOD?

 

[spunk.funk]

Boot into the new setup of Windows, in File Explorer (Windows Explorer) you should see another drive letter (your old Windows) copy any files you want to an external drive from this drive.
Unplug the HDD and leave just the SSD. Boot off of the Windows 8 DVD. Choose Custom Install. There is a big button that says Install Now do not press this, and a little link at the bottom that says Repair Your Computer. Press this.
If this fails, most computers come with a Recovery Partition to set the computer back to Factory Defaults. Depending on what make and model, That's why there is no disc included, you would access this by pressing a Function key, usually F11 (depending on make and model again). If you have safely backed up your files previously your can set the computer back to Factory Defaults, then restore your files. Once Windows is back, you can plug the HDD in and format it and store your files on to it.

 

[Whakapapa]

Thanks for the replies!

Can you boot to the SSD and have Windows 7 up and running? Or does it BSOD?

I don't have Windows 7 installed. But when I tried to boot to the SSD, it came up with the BSOD error every time, no matter what booting arrangement I made in the bios, I couldn't get it to boot up on the SSD

Boot into the new setup of Windows, in File Explorer (Windows Explorer) you should see another drive letter (your old Windows) copy any files you want to an external drive from this drive.
Unplug the HDD and leave just the SSD. Boot off of the Windows 8 DVD. Choose Custom Install. There is a big button that says Install Now do not press this, and a little link at the bottom that says Repair Your Computer. Press this.
If this fails, most computers come with a Recovery Partition to set the computer back to Factory Defaults. Depending on what make and model, That's why there is no disc included, you would access this by pressing a Function key, usually F11 (depending on make and model again). If you have safely backed up your files previously your can set the computer back to Factory Defaults, then restore your files. Once Windows is back, you can plug the HDD in and format it and store your files on to it.

I will try this, but last time I booted from the windows disc I couldn't see Custom Install or Repair your computer. Which is why I pressed Install Now...
During the installation of the new windows I could see the Recovery Partition on my SSD, but I didn't know how to activate it. I can try the F11 after backing up my files, I was hoping for some way where I didn't have to format my HDD. Seems like I screwed myself there :facepalm:

 

[spunk.funk]

What is the make and model # of your computer? If you can see the recovery partition then reinstall using that, disconnect the HDD first.
You can Google the make and model# of your computer with the words access recovery to find out the key combination to enter recovery, or look at your computer documentation.

 

[Whakapapa]

Thanks for your replies. I tried your solution with unplugging the hdd and boot from my ssd, but I never got any option to repair my windows no matter what shortkey I tried. The only option I could get was to install windows. So I just formattet every drive, after backing up the important data, and started from scratch with my computer

I should make a repair disc now if something like it happens again. Is there anything else I can do to make it easier/prevent it from happening again?

 

[Masterchiefxx17]

If you have another Windows 7 PC you can create a repair CD from that:

Create a system repair disc