Deleted partitions How to fix to boot again

tszpara · 07 Mar 2024

So it looks like I screwed up my hard drive pretty good.
In the process of doing a restore of data so while I'm waiting I figured I'd ask questions and do research

I had a MBR system I recently upgraded to SSD and converted to GPT.
Only been a few days so hadn't gotten to backing it up yet.

I deleted both 100MB partitions.

Still doing a restore but looks like I'll have my 2TB and a 500-550MB partition.

I really don't want to format and do a clean install as I have some old stuff migrated from Windows 7

Once I get booted with a USB (Windows or another utility I have) what is the best way to use DISKPART to fix.

Looks like I need a 100MB partition and need to format it
format z: /fs:fat32
(I chose z but any letter I assign to it)

then at some point BCDBOOT c:\windows /s z: /f UEFI

Also what is the order of these partitions. (I have AOMEI if I need to move them)

Also I see my laptop has a 4th partition. I'm assuming that is optional and if wanted I can create a 15GB drive later and put the Windows ISO files there.

Worse case I can restore a backup from October (try to convert it from MBR to GPT) and then go from there.

OR is this the best option

Clean installing Windows 10 on the drive >

confirm that Windows boots and runs properly >

restore an Acronis of only the Windows partition C: >

perform a startup repair as necessary >

OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
Version 10.0.19045 Build 19045

dalchina · 08 Mar 2024

Deleted partitions can be recovered using a suitable 3rd party partition manager, provided they haven't been overwritten.

Of course, if you had been using 3rd party disk imaging routinely and appropriately, this would not be a problem.

If neither option is available to you, post a screenshot or photo of your partitions (examine your disk when connected to another PC or by booting your PC from a live boot disk, or even boot from a Win 10 install disk to a command prompt and use diskpart to list them.

Easier and more informative to use a partition manager (on a live boot disk, or using a bootable disk for one).

Another option:
Provided your Windows partition is intact, create an image of that- or a copy- on a separate disk.

Clean install Windows, then replace the new Windows partition with the one you imaged or copied.

FreeBooter · 08 Mar 2024

In this video, i will show you how to create EFI partition from within Windows Recovery Environment.

Try3 · 08 Mar 2024

Here is guidance on creating the partitions yourself.
manually setting up a new drive and its partitions [NavyLCDR #3] - TenForums
recreating partitions [SIW2 #7 onwards] - TenForums

You could also consider an alternative:-
1 Make a system image of your current OS drive [your C:\ drive]
2 Make a driver backup [which will almost certainly not be needed]

Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials

3 Check your imaging utility boot disk works
4 Do a Clean install

Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials

5 Boot from your imaging utility boot disk
6 Restore the C:\ drive of the system image to the C:\ drive of the newly-installed Windows
This will get your system back to where it is now [all settings & applications and other OS drive contents as they are now] yet with the partitions created the way Windows currently wants them.

Best of luck,
Denis

Ivan Petrov · 08 Mar 2024

@Pentagon is the Partition Manager here

tszpara · 08 Mar 2024

Thanks all. Plan to do a clean install then recover a backup of the C partition.

Megahertz · 08 Mar 2024

It is quite easy to rebuild the EFI partition but first we have to see what you have on your drive.

Boot from a Win 10 installation drive and at the Windows Setup screen, press Shift+F10 simultaneously to open a command line prompt. Type:

diskpart
list disk (it will list all drives. Identify the 2T drive number)
select disk n (replace n by the 2T drive number obtained with list disk)
list part

With a Cel phone take a snapshot of the diskpart commands and paste it here as an attachment.
How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files at Ten Forums

Berton · 08 Mar 2024

Haven't tried it with recreating the default Windows but I usually boot to a Linux Mint LiveUSB Thumb drive which has the GPARTED program on it for manipulating the partitions on a drive.

GPARTED = GNU Partition Editor, also available as a downloaded .iso file used to create a bootable CD.

Pentagon · 08 Mar 2024

tszpara said:

Thanks all. Plan to do a clean install then recover a backup of the C partition.

A good decision!

tszpara · 08 Mar 2024

Did a clean install. Runs much faster.
After restoring C drive backup PC won't boot and super slow.
windows\system32\winload.efi
error code 0xc000000e

Is there a way (Don't care if I have to start over)
Clean install windows.
backup certain bootfiles, or windows files.
restore C drive minus certain files (so it keeps ones from clean install)

It booted up in seconds and not minutes after clean install before restoring c drive.