Windows 7 won't start: BOOTMGR is missing.

[CressAlbane]

After re-starting the computer for Windows Update to finish, my computer (Toshiba satellite L305-S5865) gives me this message: "BOOTMGR image is missing. The computer cannot boot."
I have Windows 7 home premium 32 bit, and it was upgraded from Windows Vista.
The update in question was released on Sep10, 2011 and is type: Critical Update.

I tried the repair disc, but after running the system repair no problems were found. (?) Next, I tried system restore (2 different restore points) but each time I got and 0x8000ffff error.
I tried using CMD through this tutorial:

Let's start by telling the recovery console to fix our MBR and bootsectors:
bootrec.exe /fixmbrbootsect.exe /nt60 all /force

Then ask it (nicely!) to try and rebuild your BCD data from scratch:
attrib -h -s C:\boot\BCDdel C:\boot\BCDbootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

If you're lucky, this'll work and you'll see a message telling you everything went OK.
Reboot your PC by typing in this command or by closing all the dialogs:
shutdown -r -t 0

Don't forget to remove your Windows Vista DVD or Recovery DVD from the drive!

After all this, I still get the "BOOTMGR image is missing" message. Can anybody help out? Thanks in advance

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[jdee/barc]

Try this method. it's tedious and inconvenient, but in t he end, it worked really well

You need: at least a DVD or CD drive that can burn CD-R's
Windows Installation Disc /or the OS restore disc/s that came with your computer
a blank CD-R
Another computer with internet

Note: in case you didn't know, and i'm assuming you do, to boot into a boot menu, you normally press F12 (thats how it was on all the PC's i've used/seen)

First: on the other computer, download and burn the latest stable version of Ubuntu Linux 11.04 to your CD-R (do it according to your computer type, 32bit or 64bit)

After that: boot from ubuntu cd. at the install screen: select "try ubuntu" to access the applications and system

After that, mount your hard drive, and back up your files (to a usb drive or something, you can acces internet in the live cd. but do NOT back up to another cd because the system is currently running live off the cd)

next step: use Disk Utility (or gparted if it's there) to completley erase, repartition, and reformat your Hard Drive. Go for NTFS.

after that, reboot, but this time take out the ubuntu disk and rebot from the Windows install disc/restore disc.

Install windows, following the instructions.

re-Install the proper drivers for your computer, unless they have been preinstalled with the windows copy you have.

It worked for me, it should work for you.

[keenmike]

I use to do the following I would take apart the computer and access the hard drive thru an external hard drive usb type encloser I have. They sell for around ten dollars. Then with second computer I scan and search for the files to keep. Then put back pc and reinstall a fresh windows operating system.
But next time I have a problem I will try and mount my hard drive with Ubuntu. I have disks. In the past I only used Ubuntu for the gimp.

[lucasfart]

Just curious - if you could boot up from a usb and copy over the necesary files, would it all work fine, or does it require specific settings for every computer? Take this example - I tried to make a bootable usb install for win 7, however the boot files didn't copy for some reason. I just copied over the boot files and it all worked like a charm...

[501st_commander]

Booting from usb or cd doesn't work well -- or at all in windows, because of the size that windows is. You can pull a boot like that off with a Linux system, but, as i said, not in windows.

And yes, Windows has system-specific settings.