XP Boots Fine but Vista just keeps rebooting (NeoGrub SR)

[lweston]

I have a dual boot XP – Vista System. After installing EasyBCD 1.7 and using NeoGrub to create a dual boot that would hide the Vista partition when booting into XP.
Well hiding Vista and booting XP works fine but Vista just reboots even in safe mode.


My configuration:
1st hard drive has XP system on the first partition and an extended partition drive D:
2nd hard drive has Vista Ultimate on the first partition and an extended partition dir F:

Here is my debug mode settings display…

  Windows Boot Manager
  --------------------
  identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
  device                  partition=C:
  description             Windows Boot Manager
  locale                  en-US
  inherit                 {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
  default                 {ff8569a6-825b-11dc-b001-ec83df32f45f}
  displayorder            {ff8569a6-825b-11dc-b001-ec83df32f45f}
                          {08bb1723-6704-11dc-83d9-def628db3576}
  toolsdisplayorder       {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
  timeout                 6
  
  Windows Boot Loader
  -------------------
  identifier              {ff8569a6-825b-11dc-b001-ec83df32f45f}
  device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume3
  path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
  description             Windows Vista Ultimate
  locale                  en-US
  inherit                 {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
  osdevice                partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume3
  systemroot              \Windows
  resumeobject            {ff8569a7-825b-11dc-b001-ec83df32f45f}
  nx                      OptIn
  
  Real-mode Boot Sector
  ---------------------
  identifier              {08bb1723-6704-11dc-83d9-def628db3576}
  device                  boot
  path                    \NST\NeoGrub.mbr
  description             Windows XP Pro

Here is my menu.lst file…

  # NeoSmart NeoGrub Bootloader Configuration File
  #
  # This is the NeoGrub menu.lst file, and should be located at C:\\menu.lst
  # Please see the EasyBCD Documentation for information on how to create/modify entries
  # EasyBCD Documentation Home - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
   
  default 0
  timeout 0
   
  title Boot XP - Hide Vista
  hide (hd1,0)                            # SET THIS TO THE VISTA DRIVE
  # Optionally repeat the above entry for all the Vista drives
  chainloader (hd0,0)/ntldr        # SET THIS TO THE BOOT PARTITION
  boot

Any suggestions?

Lyle



Addendum:


Sorry but after reading my own post I thought it needs a little addendum!
Vista starts and acts like it is going to load but after a few seconds reboots.
There is not need to unhide the partition before booting into Vista is there?


Addendum:


I tried running Vista again from the Vista bootloader and I have found it fails to load stating "Autocheck program not found" then reboots? Huh?

Am I missing something... like a line to unhide the vista partition maybe?
So much for a quick 15 - 20 minute fix


Addendum:


I changed the menu.lst file to unhide "vista" partition and working again.
Of course with any restore points...

Okay what did I do wrong? Help!!!

[Makaveli213]

Okay from the last post it seems that you have got the boot working again correct?

You will lose your restore points when you boot to XP. This is a known fact when dual booting between XP/Vista. Whenever you boot to 1 OS the other loses it restore points. So if you boot to Vista XP loses it restore points. Boot to XP and Vista loses them.

[lweston]

Yes by unhiding of the vista partition things are back to the way they were.
More or less...

The deleting of restore points is one way. XP deletes Vista's restore points.
Which is why I DL and installed EasyBCD and used NeoGrub to hide the Vista Partition.

Although it worked then Vista would not boot?
So does that mean it cannot be done at least using EasyBCD/NeoGrub?

Lyle

[Makaveli213]

I dont know for sure. Computer Guru will have to answer that in more detail for you. But from what i see that is correct. Because the Vista partition is the main partition correct? Which is where the boot info is located. Which would explain why the bootloader is going crazy when that partition is hidden.

As i said CG will have a better answer for you. He is the expert. I am just learing all this.

[Computer Guru]

Yes, Mak is more or less correct. It's actually quite a bit more complicated than that, but the use-NeoGrub-to-fix-the-system-restore-bug is fatally flawed in that it'll never really be a 100% clean and easy-to-use solution.

I have a working beta of a one-click fix to the XP-Vista system restore bug, expect it to be released soon after EasyBCD 1.7.1 beta.

[Makaveli213]

Wow i am close to correct. I guess you are teching me a thing or two about this booting stuff CG. If i am gonna learn might as well be from the best.

[Computer Guru]

lol, you're making me blush, Mak! But honestly, who knew bootloaders could be such a PITA? I thought VistaBootPRO/EasyBCD would just be a 1-day project, get it out, end of story.. shows how little I knew.

I've been learning this whole time, too. Take the wiki for instance, a lot of the older pages are completely wrong about some things that happen to work anyway.

Life/experience is the best teacher, not me

Addendum:

Use this in the meantime:

# NeoSmart NeoGrub Bootloader Configuration File
#
# This is the NeoGrub menu.lst file, and should be located at C:\\menu.lst
# Please see the EasyBCD Documentation for information on how to create/modify entries
# EasyBCD Documentation Home - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

default 0
timeout 5

title Boot XP - Hide Vista
hide (hd1,0)                            # SET THIS TO THE VISTA DRIVE
# Optionally repeat the above entry for all the Vista drives
chainloader (hd0,0)/ntldr        # SET THIS TO THE BOOT PARTITION
boot

title Boot Vista - Unhide Vista
unhide (hd1,0)
reboot
#Now pick Vista from the *Vista* bootloader

Basically, use the NeoGrub XP entry to boot into XP.
Then when you want to boot into Vista, use the NeoGrub Vista then the normal Vista entries to get into Vista.

A PITA, I know. Blame MS for making their own products incompatible with one another then not bothering to do anything about it.

[lweston]

Thanks will give this one a try today....

[lweston]

Yep works... thanks again. I am glad I spend most of the time in Vista.
But a couple of programs and some games don't play nice with Vista.
Or is that vice versa?

[Computer Guru]

lol, it doesn't matter, does it?

Either way, tnhe games don't run in Vista at the end of the day