Did Puppy corrupt my Windows 7 installation? [Solved]

[houndstooth]

When I want to see if a pc will boot Linux, I typically try a Puppy distro out of familiarity. Most machines can handle both, but on some I lose Windows.

Historically the most vulnerable are old 32-bit desktop devices, yet I recently acquired a hybrid (64-bit 'compatible' 32) laptop that lost Windows 7 booting Puppy. It boots a blank screen with a blinking cursor.

Puppy runs great but Windows is gone & I still need it. My intention actually was to use Puppy to repair Windows without a factory reset.

The ONLY changes I made besides booting both 32 & 64 distros is changing the BIOS boot order & accessing Windows system directories in a file manager without change, & otherwise copying/deleting files outside the system folders.

So I'm wondering, is the mere act of booting Puppy able to corrupt a Windows installation, or is it possible to do something very minor to thwart the default Windows boot?

[rockedge]

or is it possible to do something very minor to thwart the default Windows boot?

Yes, it is possible.

How are you booting Puppy Linux? Are you installing a boot loader like Grub2 or Grub4Dos?

[mikewalsh]

@houndstooth :-

Well, rockedge is right. It's highly unlikely that Puppy has erased or deleted Windows.....unless you specifically told it to. It's far MORE likely that the Windows bootloader has become corrupted.

Windows will still be there, but you've temporarily lost the ability to boot it. Not having used the beast for around a decade, I don't have this issue, so can't really advise, but we have several members here that should be able to help.

This is why I always preferred Grub4DOS as a bootloader.....since all it ever did was to "chainload" into the Windows bootloader, and basically left it alone to do its thing. I don't know how the newer bootloaders - like Grub2config - handle this.....

Mike.

[houndstooth]

Think I've seen old 32-only & updated versions of G4D that work UEFI here as well as G2C.

I have PNY USBFLASH that mysteriously only work on BIOS machines, so I wouldn't bother putting a 64 os on them because I couldn't use them in a new machine.

I haven't tried new G4D because G2C works well enough. I would have used it to boot the 64pup & G4D the 32, but G2C on this hybrid compatible device successfully boots either 32 or 64 os.

Old G4D & G2C are the answer. On a hybrid, boot possibilities are most robust.

Walsh's idea of a corrupt boot loader reads promising, though I admit I don't know the entry for Windows, simply removing the USB to boot it instead of Linux.

If that's what it is I may just need to restore the Win7 bootloader.

A factory reset is tolerable after I back up everything, but there would be a lingering threat of corruption happening again booting Linux.

[wizard]

@houndstooth

Not enough info in our first post about the hardware. If you post the make and model it will give us a better picture.

Both @rockedge and @mikewalsh are right. The problem is most likely related to the bootloader. This could be something you changed in the bios of some change you made to the existing internal drive. We still need clear answers to rockedges questions.

1. How are you booting Puppy, USB, CD, internal drive?
2. Is Puppy using Grub4dos or Grub2?

Thanks
wizard

[Wiz57]

Probably need a MS Windows 7 Startup Repair disk, may need to download it with another PC, create the bootable
disk or USB thumb drive, then boot the problem PC with the bootable disk/USB drive, follow the instructions to
repair your boot record for Windows 7. Be sure to download the version for the problem PC, either 32 or 64 bit.
Wiz
(link for help)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 21161c416e

[houndstooth]

I tried a 4th alternative (not 7, G4D, G2C) bootloader with a Windows option & it boots.

I cannot find the restore disk, but a restoration is the next step.