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Windows 7 Boot Manager error after reformatting external backup drive ?

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I tried to use a Low Level Format tool to format a USB 150GB drive that I had and it was taking WAY toooo long (4gb completed after 12 hours at a rate of 0.5mb/s). So I cancel and just use the Quick format option. I think after it was reformatted that it (usb drv) may have accidentally been set as "Active" drive. With my Win7 OS installed on the C drv.
Everytime I try to boot now I get a Boot Manager error enter Cntrl-Alt-Del to restart.

I can get into my system and see all data there when I boot with the Win 7 DVD in dvd drv (even without hitting a key to boot from DVD / with portable USB drive unplugged)

When I tried to enter into system recovery it says "no system partition".
I have right clicked on the C drive in disk Manager and click on "set as active" yet when I reboot it still gie me the boot manager error message and then when I do get system booted with dvd in drive and go back to disk manager the C drv is NOT marked as active.
What can I do to get my system to boot properly without the WIN7 DVD in drive and WITH the external USB drive plugged in?

Sure appreciate any help on this

What tools does Acronis offer to help verify a drives status and settings so it boots properly also what is offered to do a full bare metal backup & restore? And what for ongoing laptop backups?

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You have a system reserved partition called "system" on your system disk.

When you unhide hidden files AND protected system files, do you see the boot folder either in "system"?

If yes, that should be the active partition, not C:\

Once you have determined the correct active partition, take any disk out of our computer except the disk containing the system, boot on the Windows recovery DVD, choose startup repair.

You should add a label to your partitions. eg "OS" for C:\ That will make your life easier with the recovery CD.

An Acronis disk and partitioin backup containing all your partitions (no need to have a sector by sector option turned on!), and a recovery CD that you have test (you have booted on it, you have restored a couple of files from your backup), is all what you need to do a bare metal restore.