Help! Win 8 installed over Win 7

Help plz

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Help with dual boot-winloader issues

[DEL]Okay, so I decided I wanted to try windows 8, so I grabbed the ISO from the Microsoft website, created a separate hard drive partition, and I am quite certain that during the installation process, I had installed to the new partition. However, when I tried to access win7 again after installing, it repeatedly gave me Automatic Repair, and the bootrec.exe options I tried
(bcdedit /export C:/BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd)
appeared to work, but now when I try to access win7, it says 0x0c0000428- Windows cannot verify the digital signature of this file ('this file' presumeably being winload)
So what I want to know is how I can fix this (If I can at all!) All my data is on win7, including paid programs. Why would win8 just install over win7 when I custom installed to a separate hard drive partition?!?! Ugh. I am seriously fed up with this. I would buy a new computer, except that it costs too much, and knowing my luck, there's probably a fix, and I'll have bought it for nothing. Haven't tried easyBCD yet...though I don't think it'll help if win7 got wiped.
EDIT: after looking over it, my disks have been shifted back one...as in F became C, C became D, etc. Also, supposedly, I still have two OSes. WTF, windows?!?! [/DEL]

I want to punch my computer.
So bad.:mad:

Haha well okay disregard all that please. I freaked out when I saw the win8 symbol on my usual primary hard drive. Being stupid. However, the problem I have now is that win7 never works. It gives me an error saying that winloader is not there...even though it clearly is. I have tried fixing this by switching winloader and winloader~1 as suggested on other threads, but didn't work. I somehow also had winloader~2. Haven't tried that one yet, though if the other two don't work I really don't know....And I really don't like 8. Not at all. [DEL]What the hell is up with the start button??[/DEL]
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Hi there and welcome to the forums.

You're free to punch the computer but I wouldn't do that.:)

If you are able to boot witn Win8, try to see if your Win7 partition (might have new drive letter) still exists: if so your data + paid programs are still there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
So booting into windows 8, the OS "root" drive for 8 is C right? And can you see your windows 7 install in one of the other drives from Windows 8?

Though the boot manager may be a bit messed up (Installing Windows 8 installs a new boot manager over the Windows 7 one), I bet that your windows 7 partition is still there and fine in itself, just looks like another drive from win 8.

What's probably happened is just that your new partition that Windows 8 is in becomes C while in windows 8 and if you can get your windows 7 boot back when you boot that your windows 7 partition will then be C and windows 8 3will be D (Or whatever). (Though windows can reside on any drive letter, a lot of apps get cranky about windows not being on C)

Hopefully someone else can get you some better diagnostics on fixing the Win 8 boot loader so it'll properly load your windows 7...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/8
Do you have a system image (backup) of the full Win7 partition/drive?

Then just restore everything back before Win8 installation.

It's always recommended to do a full backup before important events such as a new install of a OS or new program.

If you don't have the image but your Win7 partition is still there, all you need is the restoration of the bootloader.
I'm not sure how to fix that yet because it depends on how bad things are messed up.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Do you have a system image (backup) of the full Win7 partition/drive?

Then just restore everything back before Win8 installation.

It's always recommended to do a full backup before important events such as a new install of a OS or new program.

If you don't have the image but your Win7 partition is still there, all you need is the restoration of the bootloader.
I'm not sure how to fix that yet because it depends on how bad things are messed up.

Whoops. I don't think I was thinking properly when I posted that. Apologies. Anyways, the drive names have only switched around. nothing big. I have a system restore, but I keep getting an error when I try to restore from the win8 boot screen, and before I got the winloader issue (before I fixed bcd) Now that I have the winloader issue, I tried looking in my System32 for winloader.exe, but I get: winloader.mui, winloader~1.exe.mui, winloader~2.exe.mui. I'm a bit confused, as supposedly it only makes one other winloader... I switched where I booted from, but it only added a third OS (What is even the difference between win7 and win7 home premium...?) and both of them don't work. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
If you can get into win8 ok, then just add another entry to system bcd store and name it something like NEW WIN7 .

Probably easier for you to use easybcd than do the commands
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
If you can get into win8 ok, then just add another entry to system bcd store and name it something like NEW WIN7 .

Probably easier for you to use easybcd than do the commands
hmmm, but what should I use as the bootloader? I tried both winloads to no avail. I'll try the third one, but I honestly don't think it'll work....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
If you can boot into windows 8 - do so.

Then install easybcd.

Add an entry for win7 using easybcd - you don't have to choose a bootloader.

FYI you should have win7 winload.exe in win7 system32.

winload.jpg



You also have win8 winload.exe in win8 system32.

You will also find a copy of winload.exe in windows\system32\boot

the .mui files should be in windows\system32\boot\en-US
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Ok. Just follow SIW2's instructions to fix the bootloader.

Next time when you consider the full restore of Win7, don't try it from the Win8 UI but boot with a Win7 DVD/USB and try from there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
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