[ale] help, windows 7 boot error

[Phil Turmel]

Hi Paul,

As Brian said, just copying the windows files doesn't make a bootable
windows partition.  But, ...

On 01/25/2015 10:29 AM, Paul Cartwright wrote:
> ok, I know, this is a linux group... but I don't know where else to turn.
> My desktop original HD1 stopped booting, so I got a new 3TB drive. I can
> still get to the old drive using my new fantastic IED-SATA $10 gizmo..

You still have your old drive.

> so I partitioned my "NEW" HD1 so windows is still on sda3 like it was
> before, and I copied all the  old files into it. When I boot I am
> getting the File: \Boot\BCD error attempting to read Boot
> configuration.  on sda3 there is a \Boot\BCD.

The quickest way to get up on the new drive is to image copy the entire
drive, which grabs the bootloader and places all of the partitions in
the "right" places.  NTFS partitions have to be restored at the same
sector offset if you want them bootable.

If the partition table is GPT, you'll have to fix up the spare copy at
the end of the disk.  gdisk or gparted should do this for you after the
copy.

But then the new drive should boot.  After it works, you can proceed to
resize partitions to use the new space.

Phil