Can't install EasyBCD

I bought a used T61 ThinkPad with windoz 7 and created a new partition to install XP on. That went OK but windoz XP does not recognize the built in wifi on the T61 so I can't access the internet to download Easy BCD onto that computer. I did download EasyBCD onto a thumb drive with another computer but when I put the thumb drive into the new computer the Easy BCD tells me that the configuration is wrong for the computer I really really need it on.
I presume someone else has had this problem. What is the solution?
Any help appreciated. Thanks
 
Well first off EasyBCD doesnt help you with Windows XP. It is for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows XP doesnt use the BCD to boot. It uses the boot.ini file. Next would be that EasyBCD needs .NET 2.0 or higher to install which is not included with EasyBCD or Windows XP. It requires it to be downloaded, since you cant download to the machine, this would mean that you cant install EasyBCD.

So you need to use the Recovery Disk for Windows 7, boot back into that and then create an entry for Windows XP. That will create your dual boot properly.
 
Well first off EasyBCD doesnt help you with Windows XP. It is for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows XP doesnt use the BCD to boot. It uses the boot.ini file. Next would be that EasyBCD needs .NET 2.0 or higher to install which is not included with EasyBCD or Windows XP. It requires it to be downloaded, since you cant download to the machine, this would mean that you cant install EasyBCD.

So you need to use the Recovery Disk for Windows 7, boot back into that and then create an entry for Windows XP. That will create your dual boot properly.

Thanks for your help Mac 2.0. I guess I was mislead by the article I read about dual booting which highlights EasyBCD at http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/8790/dual-boot-your-pre-installed-windows-7-computer-with-xp/. I followed those directions to a "T". The words on the EasyBCD home page "Boot anything." caught my attention so I went at it full speed ahead.
Unfortunately I'm 50 miles from anywhere, don't have a rescue disk and recovery is conveniently missing from this Thinkpad's BIOS.
 
Well that is just it, their guide is misleading. Windows XP doesnt have the ability to work with or boot any newer versions of Windows. But the issue you are coming across is the fact that they dont specifically state that you need .NET 2.0, but they do say to update Windows. That particular update is included with that bunch of updates right after you install XP. Which is why you cant install EasyBCD. If you could have followed the guide to the exact letter, you wouldnt have the issues you are cause you would have had .NET 2.0 and created a BCD for yourself to dual boot with. But since you didnt update, like the guide said right before it mentioned anything about the use of EasyBCD. So you didnt follow it to a "T" cause you couldnt due to no internet access.

As far as the EasyBCD page, yes it says boot anything. But did you go to the EasyBCD Documentation to view the System Requirements?

EasyBCD doesn’t require too much to get everything up and running:

An IBM-Compatible PC, supporting both 32- and 64-bit machines
Windows 8, 7, or Vista installed on the same machine (but you can use it from within XP, too!)
Either Microsoft .NET 2.0 – 3.5 Framework or Microsoft .NET 4.0 – 4.5 Framework (automatically installed during setup)
And that’s it!

You will note that it does state that Microsoft .NET 2.0 is required for the software. I will get it fixed to say that it requires internet access as .NET is not included with the download, it will download and install automatically if the system has an internet connection. It does help to know what the system needs for the software to run instead of just thinking that it will work without anything. We do have it shown and the links there for people to follow to get to the Documentation on what is needed. You just didnt do it. We really cant help you not reading the information available.

So you will have to do the same exact trick you did to get EasyBCD. Download the .NET 2.0 files, put them on a thumb drive and transfer them to the system. Then again, you could always just download the network drivers on the other PC, put them on the thumb drive and from there put those on the Thinkpad. Then you could access the internet and update XP as well as get the dual boot working.

Most likely, you wiped out the Recovery Partition. Either that or it was hidden and since it is for Windows 7 and not XP, you cant access it via the XP bootloader. Only via the Windows 7 Bootloader that you just wiped out.

So there is still another way. So try these new suggestions to get the software needed for .NET 2.0 or the drivers to the machine to complete the process for the guide.
 
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Thanks again Mac 2.0. The last time I tried to do anything like this was when I installed windoz 95 and OS2 Warp as a dual boot on a PS1 '95. This thinkpad is refurbished and has a warranty. I have notified the seller what has happened. I should hear back from him on Monday and I'll hold off on doing anything until then. He may have another solution. ("bootsect /nt60 all"?) Meanwhile, I have downloaded .NET 2.0.

Well that is just it, their guide is misleading. Windows XP doesnt have the ability to work with or boot any newer versions of Windows. But the issue you are coming across is the fact that they dont specifically state that you need .NET 2.0, but they do say to update Windows. That particular update is included with that bunch of updates right after you install XP. Which is why you cant install EasyBCD. If you could have followed the guide to the exact letter, you wouldnt have the issues you are cause you would have had .NET 2.0 and created a BCD for yourself to dual boot with. But since you didnt update, like the guide said right before it mentioned anything about the use of EasyBCD. So you didnt follow it to a "T" cause you couldnt due to no internet access.

As far as the EasyBCD page, yes it says boot anything. But did you go to the EasyBCD Documentation to view the System Requirements?



You will note that it does state that Microsoft .NET 2.0 is required for the software. I will get it fixed to say that it requires internet access as .NET is not included with the download, it will download and install automatically if the system has an internet connection. It does help to know what the system needs for the software to run instead of just thinking that it will work without anything. We do have it shown and the links there for people to follow to get to the Documentation on what is needed. You just didnt do it. We really cant help you not reading the information available.

So you will have to do the same exact trick you did to get EasyBCD. Download the .NET 2.0 files, put them on a thumb drive and transfer them to the system. Then again, you could always just download the network drivers on the other PC, put them on the thumb drive and from there put those on the Thinkpad. Then you could access the internet and update XP as well as get the dual boot working.

Most likely, you wiped out the Recovery Partition. Either that or it was hidden and since it is for Windows 7 and not XP, you cant access it via the XP bootloader. Only via the Windows 7 Bootloader that you just wiped out.

So there is still another way. So try these new suggestions to get the software needed for .NET 2.0 or the drivers to the machine to complete the process for the guide.
 
I would suggest trying to get the Network Drivers for the Thinkpad and transfer them over via USB Thumb Drive. That would be a lot quicker than trying to use EasyBCD. Plus the fact that it will allow you to update Windows XP which has at least 200+ updates since SP3 was installed. That is a lot of security flaws your system will still have. That should be fixed ASAP.
 
Interesting that they have some of those items listed. As some of them as way after the release of XP and give you the exact issue you are in. How is someone to update Windows to meet the requirements if they dont have the driver needed to do so.

I am sure if you could figure out which one of the cards it is exactly, you could get the driver from a different source.

Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945BG Network Connection
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Intel WiFi Link 1000
Intel WiFi Link 5100
Intel WiFi Link 5300
Intel WiFi Link 5350
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN

Those are all the devices that this driver covers. I am sure Intel would have drivers that you could use that wouldnt have such strict requirements and cause such a conflict.
 
It may be that I don't do anything with the new XP install other than run a couple expensive programs that won't work with windoz 7. That's why I came here to begin with. XP should do that as it is. No internet, no updates, no virus protection. The company I got the new thinkpad from sells lots of refurbished laptops. If their troubleshooter can get me back into windoz 7 tomorrow I'll be a happy man.
Can I presume EasyBCD will boot XP if it is installed correctly in windoz 7???
 
That is great to hear. Let us know if you need any assistance when you get the disk. We will be more than glad to assist you with your endeavor.
 
Hey Mac 2.0. I got a boot disc and was able to get windoz 7 going. I installed EasyBCD and created entries for windoz 7 and for XP. Here's the detailed display mode:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device boot
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {dbd37fc7-1bed-11e3-90c2-001fe21c7a20}
resumeobject {1f8184a2-14de-11df-9734-f08c6d8c50b0}
displayorder {dbd37fc7-1bed-11e3-90c2-001fe21c7a20}
{dbd37fc8-1bed-11e3-90c2-001fe21c7a20}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 10


Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {dbd37fc7-1bed-11e3-90c2-001fe21c7a20}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows 7
locale en-US
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows


Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {dbd37fc8-1bed-11e3-90c2-001fe21c7a20}
device partition=C:
path \NST\ntldr
description Microsoft Windows XP

Do you see any problems?

Addendum

All righty then. I successfully booted into windoz 7 and then into windoz xp. EasyBCD is a great tool. Thank you Mac 2.0 and thank you EasyBCD
 
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