Help! HP System Recovery finds Win7 on D: instead of C: drive

[blueflowers]

Hello,

Win7 Home Premium 64-bit started getting stuck at Windows Flag icon after getting BSOD on Memorial Day after running low on memory/system resources from uploading a large amount of data to the cloud for an Antivirus backup.  After rebooting, Windows did not boot normally until I replaced the 8Gb RAM, then it it worked for about 3 days and was able to create a USB Win7 recovery set, complete a full online backup. Then the new 8Gb RAM purchased seems to have died (it was used) and then was back to getting stuck at the Windows Flag screen.

The memory module showed it had failed, so replaced the single 8Gb RAM with 2 4Gb Ram and the HP Advanced Diag tests showed memory, battery, hard drive (both short/long DST) and video components passed.

Tried booting normally to Windows, but still stuck at Windows flag icon after having replaced the memory modules.

Created windows system recovery CD, exited to command prompt, changed the attrib of bcd file so I could rename it to bcd.ol. then ran bootrec /rebuildBCD (which didn't find any installations of windows), /fixmbr and /fixboot.

Rebooted, still unable to boot into windows normally.

Tried running windows repair, the HP system recovery only sees a Windows installation on 😧 drive which was setup as the recovery. I checked the 😧 drive, and it has all my folders/programs/files from the C: DRIVE. I checked the C: drive, and the C: DRIVE says it is empty. So, looks like the hard drive volume label, i.e. C: (local disk), 😧 recovery, is gone as the Boot (X): has Windows /System32.

Is there anyway to do an inplace Win 7 upgrade except I am reinstalling Win 7 on the C: drive to recover the partition info?

With some effort, I can still boot into safe mode and see the C: drive with all the folders/files and 😧 drive with the recovery HP folders.

I've never had a problem with HP laptops since using them for many years and this is beyond me. I've spent hours each day trying to get Win to boot up normally but keeps getting stuck at windows flag screen, I'm guessing it's because Windows is not seeing the Win 7 installation on the C: drive and so it keeps trying to startup from the 😧 drive when all the Windows system and other programs files are on the C: drive.

This is very frustrating as it is now June 6th and I'm not getting anywhere. Its so complex I don't know who to call because the easiest reply will be to just format the harddrive and do a factory install and re-install all those programs.

Looks like the partition info got corrupted by the memory when it failed the second time.

Can someone please advise if there is someone out there I could pay to help me? I'm an IT Professional of many years, worked w/Compaq, HP and have never had a problem like this on anyone's work or personal laptop.

Oh, and it has latest BIOS of verF.1b .  I can boot up into F10 as well.

I'm at my wits end on this.  Anyone for  computer recovery  puzzle? Anyone seen this?

[blueflowers]

BTW, I see whenever I typed the D:\ it displays a frown 😧 instead of the D colon drive.  So substitute D drive for the frown face.

I've already tried restoring to 'last known good configuration' in safe mode (didn't work) and then to an earlier restore point but get 'system cannot find file specified 0x80070002' .  It looks like system is not seeing the Windows installation on the C: Drive even though it is there (not the D drive).

Currently i'm in the System Recovery Options and no operating system is listed. so it says to click on 'load drivers' and then install drivers for your hard drive but I don't know where to look for them, is it under boot X:\Windows\system32 or is it under local Disk D:\Windows\system32 or under HP_Tools F: ?