1st HDD= XP 2ndHDD=Vista, cannot boot Vista without 1st HDD

I've had XP on a IDE HDD for a while and decided to install Vista on a new SATA HDD i bought to test it out without messing with my XP.

Now, i tested to boot Vista alone by unplugging the 1st HDD (XP) but the computer refuses to Boot and ask for Vista Boot Disc.


-I've tried using the Vista Startup Recovery, didnt work.
-I've tried using EasyBCD to remove XP boot and make my Vista stand alone boot. Didnt work.



Via XP - C: = XP / F:=Vista
Via Vista- C: Vista / D: XP

I also have a slave drive (E:smile: for extra data but it doesnt have any boot or OS installed.



Little help? I really want to remove XP from that drive because im getting disc errors from vista for my slave drive E:, so im guessing its about to die. I want to transfer all my files from there into the XP drive, once i erase it.


Do i have to install Vista?
 
What you have to do is on the Vista drive you have to make that drive the system active drive. Which will force it to be the boot drive. From there you fix the Vista bootloader and that should fix the problems you are having.
 
If you installed Vista with the XP disk connected, then disconnected XP and tried to boot Vista, and it won't boot, then the Vista boot must have been installed on the XP disk (it will be put on the disk marked "system active")
Vista won't damage your XP. Reconnect the XP disk and boot up, and you should see Vista's boot manager, with a dual boot option to select XP as well.
You can then boot Vista, copy your files over from XP and when that's all done, we'll tell you how to get rid of XP safely.

Addendum:

Oh, and welcome to the forum Shady.
 
Last edited:
thank you both. No, i had all drives connected when installing Vista. But I formatted and created a partition on the Vista drive (F:, from xp's point of view) and installed it there.

What you have to do is on the Vista drive you have to make that drive the system active drive. Which will force it to be the boot drive. From there you fix the Vista bootloader and that should fix the problems you are having.



How do I make it system active drive? thanks
 
I'm a bit confused by your answer !
I asked if you'd had XP connected when you installed Vista, then disconnected it when you tried to boot ?
Your answer was No, but you then said that you did have all drives connected.
In which case my original point is still valid.
XP was your "active " system. Vista installed where you put it, but the Vista bootloader would have gone to the active partition. Then you removed the active partition by disconnecting XP, hence no boot.

Reconnect your XP disk (it's not in any danger from Vista being booted), and you should reinstate the boot process without needing to do anything else.

If your eventual intention is to Install Vista, remove XP and have a single boot, and you don't want anything on the XP system saved; you could have just done a clean install to your new SATA disk with the XP system disconnected and removed the confusion of an unwanted dual-boot.

You could do what Mak says and set the Vista partition active (an option in disk management, or with a 3rd party partition manager), then repair the Vista bootloader, but try just reconnecting the other disk first and you might save yourself the bother of having to fix anything (providing the things you've tried so far haven't messed anything up - which should be ok if the XP disk has been protected by being disconnected)
 
i mean I had the XP drive ON/connected when installing Vista, so your probably right about boot being installed to XP drive.


I made the Vista drive ACTIVE now, is there a way to make the XP one INactive? I didnt see a option.
 
You can only have 1 active partition on a HDD, but it won't matter if there's another active partition on a different disk, as long as the one you want is first in the BIOS sequence.
 
it worked.

active'd the vista dive. Disconnected XP drive. Booted up Vista disc, it found a boot error and restored/repaired it.


Works like a dream, thank you all
 
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