Another Dual Boot issue (XP & Win7)

Gearloose

Member
HI there
I've had a dual boot arrangement working fine for last 12 months (Set up originally with the help of Easy). Was doing some disk maintenance yesterday (running out of disk space) and now cannot boot into XP. (can still get to Win 7). Have spent a few hrs on forums & I think it may have had something to do with compressing drives? & possibly stuffing up NTLDR,NTDETECT or boot file?

I was trying to workout how to replace these but got cold feet as don't want to ^*&^&* up everything including Win 7. Not too sure on how to get into repair console in XP etc? From what I've read so far I think you need the following from Disk Management

Disk 0 has "I" partition containing XP (is System, Active & Primary) + Partition "D" (DATA)
Disk 1 (Logical Drive & current boot) has WIN 7 "C" Drive, associated Programs (P) as well as 2 other small primary partitions

I understand that my set up (separate systems separate disks) may make things easier to fix & I could if necessary just "delete" XP (ie partition "I")? But I wouldn't mind trying to fix first (good learnings for non IT person!). Will attach Easy BCD file. Hoping one of your experts can advise

much appreciated

Gearloose
 

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Delete the XP entry from the BCD (edit boot menu), and add it again (add new entry), letting EasyBCD auto-configure.
 
HI Terry
many thks for getting back to me. I deleted XP entry & added new entry but unfortunately no go this end.

XP boots as far as Windows XP logo & hangs (which I presume means its not the boot record?)
Next option? Do I need an XP Repair disk?

G
 
Yes, the boot is fine, doing everything it should.
The problem lies with XP during the post-boot kernel loading phase.
Something you did to XP has corrupted it.
Goodells.Net :: Understanding MultiBooting
might explain what's happened, depending on what exactly you did.
If the suggestions there don't help, you should try a "repair install" using your XP CD if you have one
 
T
Ok will do & thks again. I think it must have been compressing XP drive through Win 7
Showing my ignorance here but can I just boot with that CD from startup (assuming BIOS is in correct order) or do I have to be actually entering XP (ie at the screen where its choose windows 7 or XP)?

Also - if this is still a "no go", how do I delete XP once & for all? Even though they are on seperate disks I obviously can't just delete /reformat the XP partition as its currently the "system" partition

G

PS I haven't done any cloning or changing drive letters (as per Goodalls article) but what I did do was extend the XP partition "I" (using EASEUS partition master) as I had no space left on "I".
I did this by reducing the size of data partition D (Also on drive 0) & then expanded the XP partition "I".
 
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Boot the XP CD, select Install, and then you should be able to select the existing XP and choose to "repair install" it.
It's also refered to as an in place upgrade and will keep all of your settings and installed apps.
 
Hi Terry
apologies for delay in getting back to you - Holidays finished & back to work (so this is now an after hrs exercise)
did the above- get to screen which says which version of Windows do you want to log into
1. C:\WINDOWS
2. D:\Windows

I presume its C but tried both to no avail
While I had a password to login to XP (as administrator) It won't accept that password?

I can get to C:\WINDOWS..sometimes? (by just hitting enter?) Is there a DOS command to get to recovery console from there?

Other Options?

Clean Install? What do I lose? everything on that Hard Drive (Drive 0)? Dual Boot arrangement?

Delete XP altogether? can I do this from Win 7 or via Easy BCD?

Thanks for your time with this
much appreciated

G
 
T
Apologies - No I wasn't but now when I go down your suggested track I don't seen to be getting a "repair" option (Its Windows XP Home if that makes an difference?..Most of the internet examples are Win XP Pro?)

I get to a screen that shows the various drives/partitions including C: Partition 1 which is my XP partition but options are
"Set up Windows XP on selected item (ie C partition 1) press enter"
"To create a partition in the unpartitioned space press C"
"To delete selected partition press D"

If I Hit enter the next screen says
"Caution Installing multiple operating systems on a single partition is not recommended......."
(Confusion here as my Win 7 is on a totally different disk/partition?)

"To continue set up using this partition press C"

DO I keep going??

G
 
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afaik XP Home isn't a problem (that's my version and I'm pretty sure it's an option)
However it can't offer a repair facility if it doesn't recognize a genuine XP system somewhere.
Your OP and screenshots indicate that XP is in the partition labelled "Programs"
Does that appear, and did you highlight it ?
 
Yes C: Partion 1<Programs>

Win 7 is on D: Partition 3 <Win 7>

my options at that screen are

Format Partition using NTFS file system (Quick)
Format partition using NTFS file system
Leave the current file system intact <no changes>

It shouldn't matter that I'm possibly using a different WIN XP Home disk should it? (eg version 2002 which incs service pack 2)?
than what was originally installed. Note - The disk/s are all original & not OEMs

G

PS I'm now thinking that getting rid of XP altogether might be the easier option?
 
The only other reason I know for detecting an XP but not offering a repair option, is if it thinks it's too broken to fix.
But if you're not attached to that particular XP to the extent that you're considering junking it, then there's no particular harm in just doing a full format/install right over it.
Remember though, that any XP install (repair or clean) will regress the boot, and you'll need to put the W7 bootmgr back in charge afterwards.
Recovering the Windows Bootloader with EasyBCD - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
Recovering the Windows Bootloader from the DVD - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
 
Terry
I'm happy to go down the "ditch XP" track
Is the instructions I need for "Type 2" (Obviously opening easy BCD in Win 7)?
I'm a bit worried that I'll lose access to Win 7 as well & have to rebuild from scratch

G
 
You only need those instructions if you do reinstall XP.
XP is not forward compatible. It has no idea what bootmgr or the BCD are and will simply replace them with its own boot manager/loader.
If you do genuinely want to ditch XP, you will have to arrange to save the W7 boot files which have been placed with XP because you chose to put W7 on a logical drive. Windows boot architecture has never allowed booting from other than a Primary partition, so you will either need to copy the boot files to a primary partition on the W7 disk (not to W7 itself for the above mentioned reason)
Changing the Boot Partition - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki, then format XP, or you can leave them where they are and manually delete the whole of the XP OS around them.
 
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