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    Clean install to C: breaks Dell OEM diagnostics partition - Why?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by toronto, Sep 26, 2012.

  1. toronto

    toronto Notebook Deity

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    I did a clean install (reinstall) of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit to the C: partition, choosing Custom option and Format before install.

    Now, boot with F12 and selecting Diagnostics correctly runs the Pre-boot System Assessment (PSA) (which is from BIOS), but fails to subsequently boot into the OEM partition as it used to.

    Why would a clean install to C: break the functionality of booting into the Dell's OEM diagnostics partition?
     
    toronto, Sep 26, 2012
    #1
  2. pjcronje

    pjcronje Notebook Geek

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    Because a clean install overwrites the MBR, and then the F12 menu doesn't know where to point to.
     
    pjcronje, Sep 26, 2012
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  3. toronto

    toronto Notebook Deity

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    Thanks for the information.

    BTW, I didn't delete or format the entire disk. I left my data partition in place, and just installed Windows to the C: partition.

    I have a backup image of the entire disk. I could restore the MBR from that. Do you think restoring the MBR would then allow everything to work?
     
    toronto, Sep 26, 2012
    #3
  4. PocketSmiley

    PocketSmiley Notebook Geek

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    Save yourself the trouble of using:

    bootrec.exe /fixmbr
    bootrec.exe /fixboot
    bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

    and just download Boot Repair Disk and boot it on a CD/DVD/live-usb. The former option requires the Windows installation disk and going to the command prompt in System Recovery and it takes longer and you might mess things up so I just use Boot Repair Disk, especially when a Windows clean install wipes out my GRUB.
     
    PocketSmiley, Sep 28, 2012
    #4
  5. toronto

    toronto Notebook Deity

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    Thanks for the tip!
     
    toronto, Sep 28, 2012
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  6. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Doesn't always repair the MBR, especially if overwritten, great way to fix a bad file system (blinking cursor at top left hand corner).
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Sep 29, 2012
    #6