[Download] Vista Hide 'n Seek BETA

The main thing noticed here once XP is successfully added into the HnS Grub4Dos loader is that the boot.ini is then seen as boot.ini.hns. Simply double clicking on it to see it opened with NotePad doesn't happen. Ignoring the screenshot saved for the ubuntu 8.04 desktop saved to C the screen capture here enlarged with the Vista photo viewer shows what files should be seen when XP is sucessfully added into the Vista boot loader.

 
Map is system-specific.

Finbar, please enter
find /bootmgr
at the GRUB commandline and post the results here.
 
I noticed that I had two active partitions in Vista Disk Manager so I did some repartitioning, removed one of the EIDE drives that was dying anyway, and deleted the extra active partition. I also removed XP and reinstalled it on it's own physical drive. I ran HnS and got the same result, when I choose XP the system just reboots.

The results of Find /bootmgr are:

(hd0,0)
(hd1,0)

The boot.ini.hns file is:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Menu.lst is

# NeoSmart Technologies' Vista Hide 'n Seek Beta
# DO NOT MODIFY!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
timeout 30
default 0
title Microsoft Windows Vista
unhide (hd1,0)
find --set-root /BOOTMGR.HNS
makeactive
chainloader /BOOTMGR.HNS
boot
title Windows XP [XP (E:\)]
hide (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
map (hd2) (hd0)
set root (hd2,0)
makeactive
chainloader /ntldr
boot
# All your boot are belong to NeoSmart!

Snapshots of my current drive configuration and the contents of the Vista and XP partitions are attached. The larger list is the Vista drive. I did not find any boot files on any of the other drives. Drive 0 is an EIDE drive the remaining drives are SATA (ACHI disabled in BIOS)

UPDATE

The Vista HnS.log is

NeoSmart intelliLogger 1.0
Logging started on 5/19/2008 at 3:18 PM using log level Debug
3:18 PM Vista Hide 'n Seek 0.5.0.44
3:18 PM Boot drive: C:\
3:18 PM Listing drives involved in the procedure.
3:18 PM G as Unknown
3:18 PM F as Unknown
3:18 PM E as XP
3:18 PM D as Unknown
3:18 PM C as Vista
3:18 PM Beginning Install process.
3:18 PM Attempting to rename C:\boot.ini to C:\boot.ini.hns
3:18 PM Copying NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM to E:\
3:18 PM Creating boot.ini on E as partition(1)
3:18 PM Creating Vista entry in menu.lst.
3:18 PM Adding XP entry E on drive 2, partition 0 to menu.lst
3:18 PM Renaming BOOTMGR, creating GRLDR on C:\
3:18 PM Renaming BOOTMGR, creating GRLDR on E:\
3:18 PM Updating the bootsector on all partitions.
 

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If you are running three hard drives there with the storage drive HD(0) being an ide model with XP and Vista installed on separate sata drives the boot informatio when each version was installed would be placed on the ide drive. You would have to unplug that if ide repair XP's boot information at the recovery console with the Fixboot and Fixmbr commands.

After seeing the XP boot information rewritten you would boot up with the Vista dvd and look to the bottom of the install now splash screen for the repair tool options link seen at the bottom. On the next screen you simply select the repair startup problems to see the Vista boot loader corrected and then proceed to start over again with the HnS tool.

That's only if the G storage is a separate ide hard drive with botth versions of Windows on sata drives. The Windows installer always looks first for a first ide drive then looks for sata if no ide device is found. I first saw Vista on an ide drive and XP on one of two sata models when first trying the HnS tool to run into that one fast!
 
Bang! That did it. :booyah: Thank you very much for the help. Here is what I did:

I uninstalled HnS
Shut down the system and disconnected the EIDE drive.
Booted from the XP CD, loaded the Recovery Console, and ran fixmbr and then fixboot.
I restarted the system and it booted right into XP
I rebooted from the Vista CD and repaired the startup files
I restarted the system and it booted right into Vista
I ran HnS and Identified my Vista and XP drives
I rebooted the system and tested both the Vista and XP entries, both worked, XP properly hid the Vista drive
Shut the system down and reattached the EIDE drive.
I rebooted the system and tested both the Vista and XP entries again, both worked, XP properly hid the Vista drive.

Thanks again for the help
 
The root of this whole problem is that some Windows' components list IDE drives first and SATA drives second or the other way around, and which is which depends on the hardware used and the SATA controllers in question, along with the BIOS configuration.

I have one more idea that might be able to automate the whole thing, let me check it out... hopefully I can post back soon with an update on the matter :smile:
 
I've been rewriting the GRUB component, adding new features that will do away with the need for the right drive,partition combo entirely - so far it's working great!

i.e.
instead of the `hide x,y` that's causing all this trouble, I've added a new function `find --hide idfile` which is bulletproof :smile:

Only thing left is to add a `find --switch-drives` to automate the mapping procedure as well, then code HnS to take advantage of the new instructions.

it's almost 2am though, so I must turn in for now..
 
Sounds like a go there! One more new thing to consider for HnS!

Finbar127 It's great to hear the method saw working results. When first trying out the dual boot configurations here I was running an ide drive along with the two satas and saw a few first time goofs. Once simply unplugging the ide to see either version reinstalled clearly saw the exclusion of the ide override typically seen when mixing the two drive types.

Gee? I think you'll probably see an HnS beta #3 soon! :brows:
 
Just an update: all automated detection of drives is complete.

This would fix all the problems assuming that the only IDE/SATA ordering issue was with HnS' GRUB components (vs. in boot.ini/NTLDR).

Added commands:
find --remap-root
find --unhide
find --hide
 
Since I was the one who first got the IDE/SATA problem about 8 builds ago, and then was the one who reverted after SP1 went on, I feel honour bound to stress-test your next build. Let me know when it's ready for a trial.
 
Come on. That is so not true. In the words of National Treasure. Thomas Edison failed over 200 times to make the light bulb. But only needed 1 time for it to work. When asked he said he did not fail 200 times. He just found 200 times how NOT to make a light bulb.

Same situation. You have tried 45 times to make every configuration work. With how many possibilties there are for a PC. I think 45 attempts is very low to get working application.

Great work! That is all you need to think.

I will get this one and try it out myself. This should be run from Vista right? Or can i run it from XP?
 
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But.... Edison invented the lightbulb! :wink:

You're right though... 45 isn't much compared to what he did....
"I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have
succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have
eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will
work." –Edison. (source) ..."
Click to expand...
(It needs to be run from Vista)
 
WARNING
Sadly Guru I'm talking to you now from my backup PC


Addendum:


I ran build 45 which appeared to work perfectly, but upon rebooting I get
Booting GRLDR
Warning unrecognized partition table for drive 80 please rebuild using MS compatible FDISK (err=115) current C/H/S 16383/240/63
Starting cmain() ...

I am presented with a blinking cursor at the end, but a dead keyboard.

What now ? Rebuild the Vista bootloader from the instalation DVD I suppose ?
 
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!!!!!

For me it worked with a basic XP, Vista setup on a single IDE disk...... Go ahead and repair it from the Vista DVD...
 
When I try to repair, it can't see any systems and wants me to load drivers, but it expects me to know where they are on the DVD !
Any ideas? Digging down through the DVD windows\system32\driverstore ends in a bewildering array of anonymous folders !


Addendum:


I've tried everything that looks remotely like it's to do with HDs or SATA, but none of the drivers load, and repair still sees no systems.
If I bypass load drivers and go straight to repair startup, it says it's done it (No partition marked as system in the partition table - repair successful), but still after 6 attempts I can't get into anything but the DVD.

Addendum:

Where can I download a bootable Linux that will be capable of accessing my windows partitions and doing whatever's necessary to undo what HnS has screwed up ?
 
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