Question Windows update broke other install on separate drive

[Kogure]

So something bizarre has happened. I was trying to fix a non-booting laptop, and I connected that drive to my PC to get some files before formatting it. However, it booted just fine on my PC. When I tried to update the Windows on it, however, after the restart, neither my PC's nor the laptop's drive would boot.

This is where it gets weirder. Because I've put the laptop's one back, and it started on the laptop, finished installing the update as if just restarted, and booted. However, now the Windows on my PC isn't booting. It just tells me to "reboot and select proper boot media". Startup repair gives me the usual "couldn't repair".

Any idea what could have happened? It's as if my laptop's mysterious fault moved to my PC instead.

 

[cherry blossoms]

In the BIOS do you have multiple boot partitions available? Can you select a different one and successfully boot?

Do you have an external dock? Is there the usual system Primary/Boot/Pagefile/Crash Dump assignments in drive management?

Windows may have dropped bootloader config and recovery config information on the other drive. ALWAYS install windows with ONLY the desired boot drive connected.

Would recommend backing up your drive before doing anything else if you have to go to rebuild/recovery steps

Rebuild method 1 :
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1.Boot from the original installation DVD (or the recovery USB)
2.At the Welcome screen, click Repair your computer
3.Choose Troubleshoot
4.Choose Command Prompt
5.When the Command Prompt loads, type the following commands:

bootrec /FixMbr
bootrec /FixBoot
bootrec /ScanOs
bootrec /RebuildBcd

Press Enter after each command and wait for each operation to finish

6.Remove the DVD from the disk tray
7.Type exit

Power off and power back on
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Does your system boot?


If not

Rebuild method 2:
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Repeat steps 1 though 4 above, then try the commands: (provided C is your boot drive)

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd

6.Remove the boot media and exit
7. Restart the computer and check if you are able to boot the computer successfully