Partition Table keeps becoming unbootable

[AndyII]

During one of the non-boots, I went into the command prompt again to run Testdisk. The initial result before analyzing the disk shows the wrong drive as bootable, but also shows 5 partitions. The wrong bootable partition, the boot as primary, the third partition as primary, a fourth partition as LBA which I didn't set up and a 5th partition as logical. Then I analyze and it finds only the four but also with the wrong drive bootable. I've fixed them and saved them but they always move back.

Which partition was your wrong bootable partition?

The image below shows the initial TestDisk screen when I choose the disk. It appears to be showing everything correct now. These are the 5 partitions I saw that you have already explained. I understand the logical and extended partitions now.

td_initial.jpg (46.21 KiB) Viewed 3157 times

Some computer manufacturer are modifying the MBR to let you start into a system recovery to get back to factory settings using a certain key during startup (manual and BIOS message can help).
It's like a bootmanager.

Is that what is happening in the image below? Once I click quick search, I get this screen.

td_qsearch.jpg (50.08 KiB) Viewed 3157 times

The "Vista Partition" (which is the recovery partition) is marked as bootable and my Windows partition is not.

I finally replaced the disk and cloned the information to the new, larger disk sector-by-sector using Acronis True Image.

Would it be possible that you cloned a modified MBR?

It's possible. I did a sector by sector clone. Would that do it?

Some Info about the MBR:
Partition table only contain your partitions and is a part of your MBR.
The MBR also contains your bootloader 446 Byte (64Byte is your partition table and 2 Bytes a signatur that your MBR is valid).
MBR is a single sector and the size is 512 Byte.

Did you check your BIOS for any MBR protection like Virus Protection?
It could prevent any changes to your MBR.

There is no virus protection in the BIOS.

Also watch your eventviewer and windows logs for some entries under system like disk or controller.

Fiona

There are no disk or controller events logged in the System log.

I've corrected the boot partition in the second image and written them to the table. I went back into the Quick Search in TestDisk and the screen is exactly the same. The Vista Partition is selected to be the boot disk.

I've been having problems with my BIOS (yes I've flashed it to the most current version) changing hard disk priority from the SATA disk to the IDE disk. It also adds USB devices as Floppies and Hard Disks. But that does not coincide with the problem I'm having. Do you think it might be related though?

[Fiona]

Probably that you misunderstood something?
Inportant is your first photo with your current partition structure (partition table).
Your second partition is active and bootable.
If you run Quick Search all partitions are displayed for recovery.
TestDisk sets the first partition as bootable automatically.
If it's wrong you have to change it manually.
So there is nothing to do.

It's possible. I did a sector by sector clone. Would that do it?

Might be possible that your MBR is slightly messed up and can cause such behavior as you explained here:

A while ago, I had a hard disk controller board fry. I sent it out and they replaced the board. Since that time, I was having problems where every second to fourth reboot forced me to do a startup repair.

But it's only a faint suspicion.
I've already seen so many causes, that's why it's difficult to judge.
Faulty controller and driver can cause it, another case is a SSD power plug gets hot and is under warranty etc..

Fiona

[AndyII]

TestDisk sets the first partition as bootable automatically.
If it's wrong you have to change it manually.
So there is nothing to do.

I did not know that. Thank you.

Might be possible that your MBR is slightly messed up and can cause such behavior as you explained here:

A while ago, I had a hard disk controller board fry. I sent it out and they replaced the board. Since that time, I was having problems where every second to fourth reboot forced me to do a startup repair.

But it's only a faint suspicion.
I've already seen so many causes, that's why it's difficult to judge.
Faulty controller and driver can cause it, another case is a SSD power plug gets hot and is under warranty etc..

Fiona

I've already replaced that hard disk. This is a brand new disk. By SSD I'm assuming you're talking about a solid-state disk. I don't have one of those.

So you think fixing the MBR is worth a try?

[AndyII]

Fiona, it's been two weeks since I asked the question. Given what I wrote in my previous post, do you still think it's worth the risk to attempt the /fixmbr you suggested on that site?

[AndyII]

Since you wouldn't answer I had to chance it. I'll post again if the problem remains. I can't figure out why you wouldn't answer me.