HP Envy notebook won't boot - partitions missing (?)

I have an HP Envy m7-n109dx notebook running Windows 7. Originally it came with W8.1 but I did a clean install of W7. Used PC Mover to move files from old laptop to new notebook. Updated the drivers, reinstalled necessary software....whole nine yards. Machine was running fine and I was almost done. Happy as  a pig in mud. Turned the machine off one day and...it wouldn't boot.

Originally I had a black screen with a winload.exe error message. So I copied winload from my desktop (also running Windows 7) to the notebook.

Then I had a bootmgr error message. I tried to use the bootrec command prompt with switches to fix the problem. Maybe that's when I screwed everything up.

Only other possibility is that after doing a backup (which I cannot access) I unplugged my external drive too soon.

The notebook won't boot. It has a black screen with error message "0xc000000f" and "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible"

I tried fixing the notebook with Windows 7 version of NeoSmart's Easy Recovery Essentials. No go

Using ER Essential's Partition Manager it says:

Partition - unallocated

File System - unallocated

Size - 931.51 GB

Used --

Unused --

I'm afraid to use the Winows Installation disk Disk Commander in case I screw up anything else.

I'm hoping someone can help me repartition (?) the drive without losing my data. This is now my primary machine and my whole life is on there. 

Please help and thanks for any assist.

Luni

It appears that the disk has nothing on it.

If you are concerned about data on the drive, don't do anything else with it until you decide if you want to recover the data.

I would first suggest trying the software from here:  http://www.runtime.org

It is free to try and won't hurt your data - then you can decide how you want to proceed (the GetDataBack program used to be $80 (US) to recover the data)

usasma,

THANK YOU for your reply.

Yes, ER Essentials' report makes it look like the hard drive is empty. However, when I go into (DOS) command prompt and use the dir command I get:

X:\Sources> 104 files    69038117 bytes

                         5 dir   531869696 bytes free

This volume shows a \recovery dir

C:\         1 file       0 bytes

              2 dir      531869696 bytes free

Isn't this where the system reserve would be? In Windows 7 I understand it's installed on the first 100MG of the hard drive...usually with no drive/volume letter.

D:\        27 files     4403101 bytes

            26 dir        705758810112 bytes free

In this drive/volume I can see all my directories...including the program files directory.

So it looks like my data is sitting on the hard drive and I think it's important that the Essentials' report says "unallocated" as if the hard drive isn't partitioned/no volumes.

Advanced options on the Windows installation disk shows Disk Commander: "Recover MBR, GPT or recover volumes on basic disks that are lost because of accidental repartitioning or deletion."

I also have the program EaseUS Partition Master on a bootable CD.

I feel like Partition Master could solve the problem but I am NOT familiar with disk partitioning at all and am afraid to use either program.

I have Seagate 1.5 TB external hard drive that I've used with Acronis True Image to back up this machine (disk image and incremental every week) but can't seem to access the backups. I don't know if I ever installed the boot manager portion of True Image. I was still in the process of setting up the HP Envy and just didn't think of it.

Thanks for your help.

Luni

Edited by Doreen aka LuniLadi, 04 November 2016 - 11:30 AM.

The most important thing here is to backup your stuff.

If you make a mistake with these advanced tools, or if there's damage to any of the things that you're using/accessing - then you may lose everything.

If you can see "Program Files" on the D: drive, then that's likely where your data is.

Backup the Users directory by copying it to an external drive - that's where the majority of stuff is kept.

Then I'd try these things to attempt to recover the installation (some steps may not apply - but I'm late for work and don't have time to weed that stuff out):

 

NOTE:  Try a clean boot to see if the problem clears up that way:  http://www.thewindowsclub.com/what-is-clean-boot-state-in-windows
If it does, then different troubleshooting steps are called for.

Here's some repair/recovery/restore options (in this order):

1 - Startup Repair.  Run it 3 times, rebooting in between tries.

2 - System Restore to a point before this started happening.

3 - DISM/SFC repair (DISM doesn't work with W7, although SFC does)  - doesn't work if you're not able to boot to Windows (let me know and I'll post a way to do it from Startup Repair)
    

Then please run the following DISM commands to see if there's any problems with the system (from an elevated (Run as administrator) Command Prompt).  Press Enter after typing it:
   

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

    FYI - I have repaired systems using the last command even though problems weren't found with the first 2 - so I suggest running them all.

    From this article: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824869.aspx

    You can also run sfc.exe /scannow from an elevated (Run as administrator) Command Prompt to check for further corruption. Include the CBS log (located at C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log) if you'd like to have a Windows Update expert check it (I don't check them because I can't read them)

4 - RESET using the "Keep My Files" option (W8 calls this a REFRESH; W7 and earlier doesn't have this function)

5 - Repair install of the OS (Thanks to FreeBooter!):
   

"How To Perform a Repair Installation For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10"
    https://www.winhelp.us/non-destructive-reinstall-of-windows-8-and-8-1.html

    "How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7"
    http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

    "How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vista"
    http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

    "Non-destructive reinstall of Windows XP"
    https://www.winhelp.us/non-destructive-reinstall-of-windows-xp.html

6 - RESET using the "Remove Everything" option (W8 calls this a RESET; W7 and earlier doesn't have this function)

If using W7 or earlier, this can be accomplished by resetting the system by use of the recovery partition/recovery disks/recovery drive.
If you don't have them, you can usually order them from the OEM manufacturer of your system ( US points of contact here:  http://www.carrona.org/recdisc.html )

7 - Wipe and reinstall from the Recovery Partition (if so equipped)

8 - Wipe and reinstall from Recovery Media - to include deleting all partitions.
If you don't have them, you can usually order them from the OEM manufacturer of your system ( US points of contact here:  http://www.carrona.org/recdisc.html )