Reinstalling Windows 8.1?

[Kermit_70 7]

Hello,

I have run FSX in Windows 8.1 without problems for months, but I am now in trouble.

Windows is just not booting up anymore.

 

I did some troubleshooting and googling around and this is what I found:

1) My hard drive is fine and working (I can see it and read it from prompt command, in Windows RE)

2) In the error log file I read: "windows 8 boot manager failed to find os loader"

3) I understand some "boot sector" are corrupted...

 

My Question/s:

How disruptive for FSX and add-ons is it to reinstall Windows 8.1 itself?

If I do that, assuming it will fix my problem, will I find all other files/settings related to FSX and add-ons as before, or would I have to re-install (please nooooo) those?

Does anybody here ave any experience with that?

Other suggestions on how to tackle this error message above?

 

 

Some Facts:

I have a "Windows recovery CD" that I got from PC manufacturer (Win 8 came pre-installed), which I think would allow me a re-install.

I Have installed my FSX and add-ons on a separate SSD (which I also see from prompt command), but I noticed that bits of files with add-ons-related names are still embedded in default HD...

I have the OS on default HD.

I see a D: called "Windows" and a X: called "boot" (probably a partition of my HD, since SSD has no partitions)

 

Please help??

[Jude Bradley 659]

FSX would have no factor in this booting issue.

 

 

X: is the WIndows 8.1 CD disk, so from there you could try

bootrec /FixMbr

and then

bootrec /rebuildbcd

and it should boot from thereon.

[Kermit_70 7]

Thank you Jude.

When I type these commands from prompt line, should I be in X: or it does not matter?

 

By Googling your suggestions, I found this article:

https://neosmart.net/wiki/fix-mbr/#Fix_the_MBR_in_Windows_8_or_81

 

Is this what you mean?

[Jude Bradley 659]

Yes, you can run from X:

In fact this is what I did last night when I removed a Linux drive from my 2nd machine.

[Kermit_70 7]

No luck...

I tried

bootrec /FixMbr

bootrec /FixBoot

bootrec /ScanOs

bootrec /RebuildBcd

 

But still can't boot up.

Is re-installing windows 8.1 a bad idea? What happens to FSX and all addons ?

[Jude Bradley 659]

Did you get a "success" message at any of the above commands?

Reinstalling OS will break all the registry links to the FSX and some if not all addons will not work correctly.

You could spend weeks getting it all back to  a working condition.

My personal opinion would be to nuke the drive and start over.

reminds me..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuDk3z25Ko

[Kermit_70 7]

I got a success for FixMbr and FixBoot, but "zero" Windows installations found...

Any advice?

 

When you say "nuke the drive and start over", you mean reformatting and re-installing everything?

Currently I have two physical disks: a standard HD where I have Windows, and a SSD where I did installed FSX and all adds-on, although I noticed that in the Windows drive there are a couple of folders&files with add-ons names...a bit suspicious.

I also have an "image" from october 2014, saved on a third external drive.

 

In your experience, what is better from a FSX point of view:

1) go-back to saved image

2) reformat HD, reinstall in HD Windows, but leave SSD intact with FSX and add-ons

3) reformat HD and reistall Windows on HD and reinstall FSX & add ons on SSD again?

 

Did this ever happen to you? 

 

Thanks

[Jim Young 2,356]

 

 

In your experience, what is better from a FSX point of view:

1) go-back to saved image

2) reformat HD, reinstall in HD Windows, but leave SSD intact with FSX and add-ons

3) reformat HD and reistall Windows on HD and reinstall FSX & add ons on SSD again?

 

The best option is 3.  I had FSX and Windows on one SSD until recently when I purchased another SSD.  I then reinstalled Windows on one SSD and FSX on the other SSD.  I have 3 other HDD's that I use for add-on backups, photoscenery, and installation of some add-on installations.  So, Windows is on C drive.  FSX and P3D are on the new SSD, Drive K. 

I think reinstalling FSX is the best option as there are a lot of system registry entries that have to be made and then there's the issue of sharing.  If your programs are not shared with you as the user, you may have difficulties when running some programs in FSX.  A lot of people download the program TakeOwnership and then take ownership of the main FSX folder and other folders, like the ASN folder if not installed in the FSX directory.  If you do not have the required permissions to get a texture or gauge, you could run into problems.  The best guide I know of that provides the best advice for reinstalling Windows is the PMDG Uninstalling and Reinstalling Guide.  They have the requisite experts and know what's best for getting the best out of your computer system.

 

Reinstalling FSX is a pain but I think good as it makes you think about whether you really want to reinstall this addon or that addon.  I started out with the basic installation of FSX.  Ran it a couple of times and got the fsx.cfg sliders set properly.  I use no tweaks so I didn't have to mess with that.  I did install the highmemfix=1 parameter in the Graphics section and I like to tweak the LOD_Radius and raise it to 6.5 from the default max of 4.5 and raise the Texture_Max_Load to 4096 from the default of 1024.  My sliders are very close to the default but I have turned on AI to 20% for AI aircraft and 10% for all the other items.  If you look at the AVSIM Configuration Guide, those are my settings and my NI settings.  They work very well for me no matter what addons I install.

 

When you install Windows, it will do everything automatically for you.  You will be given the option to select which HDD or SSD you want to install Windows and install it there.  When it is complete, it will ask for a username and your time zone and then set everything up.  Of course, it is best to immediately go to Windows Update (if Windows installation hasn't done it already), and download all the latest updates. 

 

There are several FSX addons that need to be reinstalled.  Basically, if it's commercial software for scenery or aircraft, it needs to be reinstalled.  I left all of my photoscenery on my HDD's and just reconnected those areas to the scenery.cfg.  FSDT/FlightBeam, FlyTampa, Aerosoft, PMDG, IFly, RealAir, Orbix/FTX, etc., required reinstalling as they have security software that calls "home" every so often to make sure your software is legal.  Take your time reinstalling.  No need to reinstall everything the first week or first month.

 

Figure by now you have already reinstalled Windows but thought I would throw in my two-cents just in case you haven't started the process yet.

 

Best regards,

[Jetman67 517]

maybe try the bcdboot command from command prompt

 

Wayne

[brucek 38]

My neophytic advice in this matter: If you have trouble booting, this is serious enough to either re-format the HD/SSD and reinstall Windows, or- since you are startiing all over again- you might also consider a HD/SSD update, taking the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons.... and it may be that the boot sector is damaged anyway.

 

Upside- a fresh install of Win 8.1 and possibily a new HD/SSD, downside is no simming for a while. If you were ever thinking of a mobo update, now might be the time too....

 

Thanks, Bruce.

[Kermit_70 7]

Thank you all.

I have not acted, yet... I am still trying solutions to recover original system by repairing/rebuilding bcd, etc. (details are so complicated). 

 

I am keeping the "reinstall all" still as a last resort action.

There is still one thing I am not very clear abut: I remember when I was putting together my dedicated PC for FSX tat in this forum people were suggesting to keep Woindows on main HD and FSX+addons on separate SSD, so that "if HD goes bad, you still have all FSX stuff on the SSD". I did exactly that.

Now, this is not a case where HD is dead, because I can clearly see and navigate all files from prompt line, but it is something with Windows not booting (again, bcd and things like that).

 

So is there really no way to re-use all installations, configurations, minor tweaks that with time I added to FSX and all my add-ons, since they are all nicely sitting on SSD?

 

I simply cannot believe it is all lost because stupid windows does not boot up. There must be a way to recover all the "registry connections"...

Is there a way to save current registry and use it again after win reinstallation, for example?

 

Thanks!

[Jim Young 2,356]

Is there a way to save current registry and use it again after win reinstallation, for example?

 

That would be impossible but FlightOne has a registry repair tool that checks your registry and makes sure all required FSX entries are there but it does not do it for your addons.

 

I do not see in any of your posts where you tried resetting the CMOS for your computer or going into the BIOS and setting everything to the default.  Is the BIOS seeing the HD with the Windows installation?  You want to make sure the boot order is correct.  Sometimes the BIOS gets corrupted and decides to try booting to another HD.  If you have a Windows Recovery CD, change the boot drive to the CD and start up the Windows Recovery.  It has the capability of fixing bad boot sectors.  It may even allow you to boot up to Windows where you can then maybe fix what's wrong. 

 

Here's a link that provides info on how to change the boot order in your BIOS - http://www.howtogeek.com/129815/beginner-geek-how-to-change-the-boot-order-in-your-computers-bios/

 

Here's a link on how to fix the "failed to find OS loader" error message - https://neosmart.net/wiki/failed-to-find-os-loader/.

 

I would do everything possible to try and recover your current Windows installation before ultimately reformatting and reinstalling Windows. It sounds like there is a fix for your problem. Please stay away from BCD Edit. Might work for computer experts but not for beginners.

 

Best regards,