Dual-Booting Windows Vista and Windows ME

[Gary]

I just got a new computer with Vista and want to install my old hard drive with all my stuff already on it in a dual boot.

My old drive has ME on it with many database programs that will not work with vista and some of my hardware ( scanner, Mouse ) don't work with Vista either. Since my old drive works with everything I need, Can I add it and get it to work?

Will Win ME dual boot from a different drive? I need step by step instructions to do this since I'm not very computer literate.


Thanks, gary

[Computer Guru]

Hi Gary,

Just create a new Windows ME entry in EasyBCD -> Add/Remove Entries
Set up a boot.ini file in the Vista drive following these directions: Legacy Windows boot.ini dual-boot guide
Extract these boot files to the Vista drive, and reboot.

[Gary]

Hi;Thanks for the reply. I did what you suggested and when the computer boots, it gives me the option of Vista and ME. ME fails to load. If I go to the boot manager and try ME from there it almost loads. The welcome screen loads momentarily then goes blank. It then goes to an error message and reverts back to a Vista load.
Any Suggestions.

Thanks, Gary

[Computer Guru]

what's the error message, Gary?

[Gary]

File:\NTLDR
Status Oxc000000F
Application is missing or corrupt

That's all it says.

Thanks, Gary

[Computer Guru]

Did you extract the boot files to your boot drive?

[Gary]

Yes, I'm not sure I did the Legacy boot ini. right. I put the extracted files on the C:\ drive which is where Vista is.

[Computer Guru]

But is the Vista drive the boot drive?

[Gary]

Yes , the boot drive is C:\ and only has vista on it with a partition with Vista Recovery stuff on D:\. ME is on G:\ drive.

Here is what the settings from BCD says.

There are 3 entries listed in the Vista Bootloader
Bootloader timeout is 30 seconds
Defalt OS: Windows vista

Entry #1
Name: Windows recovery enviroment
BCDID: {572bcd55-ffa7-11d9-aae0-0007e994107d}
Drive: D:\
Bootloader path; \windows\system 32\Boot\winload.exe
Windows directory: \WINDOWS

Entry #2
Name: Windows Vista
BCDID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader path: \windows\system 32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \WINDOWS

Entry #3
Name Windows ME
BCDID: {ntldr}
Drive: G:\
Bootloader path: \ntldr

hope this helps.
gary

[Computer Guru]

Go to the second screen in EasyBCD (believe it or not, I cannot remember its name!), and change the letter of the ME entry to C:\ as well.

[Gary]

I did that and got this message.
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt.
Windows Root> \system32\ntoskrnl.exe

How do I add this file if I can not get into Win ME and where to put it?

I think we're getting closer to making this thing work.

Thanks,Gary

[Computer Guru]

Never mind this.

Remove boot.ini and remove the ME entry from EasyBCD.

Install: http://neosmart.net/forums/index.php...E=01&id=68

EasyBCD -> Add/Remove -> NeoGrub -> Install
NeoGrub -> Configure

Type this in at the end of the document that appears:

find --set-root /io.sys
chainloader /io.sys
boot

Save and exit notepad.
Exit EasyBCD.
Reboot.
Select `NeoGrub Bootloader` at the prompt.

[Computer Guru]

Topic Moved

[Gary]

Hi ; Your reply says never mind this. Does that mean not do this or do it?

Gary

[Computer Guru]

It means:
1. Don't do what we were talking about at first.
2. Do what I say next.

So, yeah, do what I told you