Vista/XP dual Boot problems

[bloqueqc]

Hi got a little issue with dual boot. I’ve been reading the post here and hit a brick wall.

I have 2 SATA HS:
1: Vista 64bit Ultimate partition C
2: XP Professional 32bit partition K

I install Vista first on its own HD, then installed XP on its own. I had problem installing XP at first Vista kept booting. So I disable the Vista HD in the BIOS of my MOBO and install XP.

Now I want to dual boot , because I don’t want to have to play with the BIOS each time. Found a link to this application .. and said PERFECT !!! Exactly what I’m looking for but now I’m stuck.
Here is what I did so far.

- installed beta & ran the tool created a new boot for XP on Partition K, then rebooted and tried to boot XP. Got message that would flash on the screen to fast and then computer would reboot.
- Read the posts here found that I need to copy some files to the C drive.
- Copied the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM from the K drive (XP) to the C drive(Vista).
- Rebooted and tried to boot with XP. Got message the following error
“Invalid Boot.ini file”
“booting from C:\windows\”
- Was reading the forum here and found that I might have to update the BOOT.ini. So updated the boot.ini on the K partition to refer to “sdisk(2)” since it’s on the second SATA connect (says the drive is on IDE channel 2 when I boot).
- Did a reboot .. chose XP .. got the same Boot.ini file error and not I get this :
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows Root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.
- So not I’m wondering if my XP partition is corrupted ?

So what corrective action do I need to do to get this dual boot working?
PS: I’m going to be slow responding since I only have access to the PC in questions on weekends. But any help you can provide is greatly appreciated

Cheers

Here is the diagnostic info:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device                  partition=C:
displayorder            {b0932be4-3344-11dc-8321-a7e922ca96df}
                        {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c}
timeout                 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {b0932be4-3344-11dc-8321-a7e922ca96df}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows Vista (TM) Ultimate 
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {751d1ba0-332e-11dc-aa98-806e6f6e6963}

Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier              {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c}
device                  partition=K:
path                    \ntldr
description             WindowsXP

[Computer Guru]

Sounds like your Boot.ini is messed up. sdisk() isn't a valid entry for boot.ini.

it should look something like this:

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

or this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=D:\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
D:\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=alwaysoff /fastdetect /sos /usepmtimer

[bloqueqc]

Sorry that sdisk was a typo when I wrote the message .. I have rdisk(2) in the boot.ini

my boot.ini looks like your first example .. but I don't have the " /sos /usepmtimer" flags. Does that change anything ? I will try that this weekend

For clarificatoin ... is the second format of the Boot.ini better since your specifying the path to the windows dir ? K:\windows?

Thanks for your help .. I will keep you posted

[Computer Guru]

/sos and /ptimer don't do a thing.

Please read the stickied thread on how to configure an XP dual-boot; it explains exactly how to get the correct numbers for your boot.ini

[bloqueqc]

Hi .. I did read the sticky on the boot.ini .. and I have the correct configuration in my file.

Here is what I was using

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect


Then I even took what you had in your responce and changed it to match my drive configuration and I still have the problem

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=K:\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
K:\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=alwaysoff /fastdetect /sos /usepmtimer

If you have no other advice I think I will try to re-install XP. But now that I have BCD installed .. what the right steps ?

Cheers

[Computer Guru]

You can reinstall XP, install EasyBCD in XP -> BootLoader Management -> Reinstall Vista bootloader

That should do the trick.

[jedd999]

Also,

If you are going to re-install XP do it on the C drive... Vista will automatically make itself the C drive no matter what, so once you install XP go and install EasyBCD in XP (you will need to get the .net 2.0 framework otherwise it wont work) and tell it to restore the Vista Boot Loader. At the same time, make sure that you have both XP and Vista in the list of entries and that the drives they are associated with are correct.

Hopefully that should work

[Makaveli213]

Actually jedd Vista doesnt automatically make itself the C:\ drive. If you try to isntall from within XP and do a fresh install Vista will take the next available drive letter. Only a clean install from boot will give Vista the C:\ drive letter.

[bloqueqc]

Why Do I have to install XP on my C drive ?? I have two 350 meg drives. I already have Vista installed on one (C: Drive) and I was going to install XP on the other (K.

Since both OS would be on separate drive I was thinking this would make things easier.

So just to make sure I got this straight ...(cause last time I tried this I ended up having to re-install Vista as well)

Current situation: Got vista on my C drive with BCD setup with 2 boot entries Vista & XP (that does not work)


1- Reboot and install XP (K Drive)
2- install EasyBCD in XP
3- Go into -> BootLoader Management -> Reinstall Vista bootloader
4- ReBoot and now It should boot with Vista only (no choice of XP)
5- use EasyBCD in Vista to create a boot option for XP
6- Copy NTLR & NTDETEC.COM from XP drive (Kto Vista C:\
7- Copy boot.ini from XP drive (K) to Vista C:\ ... Should I have to make changes to the Boot.ini ??

8- Reboot .. and .. magic I should be able to boot in either or ... right ??

Am I missing something ??

Thanks

[Computer Guru]

You shouldn't have to do steps 6 and 7. Other than that, yes, spot-on! B)

[bloqueqc]

I just did step 1 ... booted off the CD of XP, reformatted the partition then the install asked me to reboot... now .. I keep getting "A disk read error Occurred" ... It was obviously able to read the drive. it installed the files

Anyway .. got fed up .. booted of my vista DVD .. did a repair.. said it found something wrong with my boot block. Asked me to reboot ... rebooted .. still got the "A disk read error occurred"

EasyBCD .. is starting .. to get hard

[Computer Guru]

EasyBCD has nothing to do with this. Right now, you're mucking around between NTLDR and the Vista MBR - no EasyBCD there.

You need to clean your MBR. Do you have a Linux live CD?

[bloqueqc]

I don't have a linux live CD ... But I manage to get vista booting again. After running the repair function twice using the install CD. So my MBR should be ok .. right ?? Once I'm in I reformatted the drive that had XP on it so it does not have the NTLDR on it anymore.

I was also unable to find a good link on how to clean up the MBR... if anyone has something to recommend

BTW when I'm in Vista and I use EasyBCD don't I muck around with the MBR. The option I did where say reinstall Vista bootloader .. does that play around with MBR?

Anyway ... So I tried again to install XP.. now that Vista is up again. Booted of the XP CD .. reformatted the drive that had the old XP on it. Got to the end of the process where the system reboot.... and again got the same problem error "A disk read error Occurred"

Even booted with the Vista drive unplugged.. use the XP Fixmbr command and tried to boot again with XP.. still same problem.

Now these two drive are SATA .. would this have anything to do with it ??

Funny thing when install in XP says I’m on Disk 0 id 0 bus 0 … but I’m on the second sata controller (IDE channel 2 in the bios… don’t know if that makes a difference

[Computer Guru]

Yeah, sounds like an MBR issue to me

"Reinstall the Vista Bootloader" puts the Vista bootloader back on the MBR.

Get into Vista.
Download dd for Windows
Extract dd.exe to your desktop
Start | Run | CMD.exe

cd Desktop
dd.exe if=/dev/zero of=\\?\Device\Harddisk0\Partition0  bs=446 count=1

This will remove any and all trace of bootloader from the MBR of hard drive zero.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS IF DONE WRONG. MAKE SURE YOUR XP DRIVE IS INDEED HARD DRIVE ZERO.

Safer alternative:

Boot into Vista
EasyBCD | Useful Utilities | Power Console

cd bin
mbrfix /drive 0 fixmbr /yes
mbrfix /drive 0 clean
mbrfix /drive 0 fixmbr /yes

This will delete all data (along with the bootloader) on drive 0, then re-create the mbr properly.

I advise you to use the second method. Again, anything to do with the MBR is dangerous and we can't be held responsible.

[bloqueqc]

Thanks for the info (sorry it took so long .. was on vacation)

I still had a few problems with the steps you gave me. But once I only had the XP drive plugged in I was able to do the MBRFIX by booting of a CD that had WINPE on it.

So then I finally was able to install XP on the second drive and of course now my PC boots up with XP only. I downloaded easybcd (+ all XP patches needed to run it) and installed in on the XP drive (while in XP of course). Now my XP drive in XP is my C which is kind of confusing since my Vista drive was C when I was booting in Vista.

So based on the step I had written up in the previous Post I am on Step 3 … So form XP I ran EasyBCD and did Manage bootloader -> Reinstall the Vista Bootloader -> Write MBR. Then I rebooted …. But my PC still only boots in XP ... I don't even get the menu to choose for XP or Vista…

What am I missing ??