Blank screen booting XP

E

errolgreer

Member
Before I start: I have read “The boot sequence programs” and the notes on “checking a few things before you post”. I have also read many posts re my problem, but to no avail !

I have a large sata drive with a C root partition, XP Pro on part D, Vista on part V and Ubuntu 9.10 on another partition. In Vista I ran Easybcd 2.0 beta (78 I think) and added “Microsoft Windows XP” with the auto config. All selections work well, imncluding Ubuntu.. When I select XP it brings up the text (see below) from boot.ini on the C Drive, and when I select “Microsoft Windows XP Pro” XP boots normally.

I Installed Win 7 RC1 in another partition. When I rebooted and selcted XP Pro, the screen went black and stayed that way. So, went back to Win & and using Easybcd 2.0 I deleted the entry XP entry and added a new XP with auto config etc. Now, when I select XP and it selects “XP Pro…” the screen goes black etc.

From within Vista, I deleted the Win 7 partition, then without doing anything with Easybcd, I rebooted and selecting XP Pro, it comes up as before.

So it seems that Win 7 is somehow getting in the way of XP booting ? Please see the info below.

(The following is extracted from within Win 7)

This is the text from Easybcd 2.0

There are a total of 4 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 30 seconds.
Boot Drive: C:\

Entry #1
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {default}
Drive: E:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows Vista
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: V:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #3
Name: Ubuntu 9.04
BCD ID: {8b924348-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \NST\NeoGrub.mbr

Entry #4
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {8b92435e-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
Device: boot
Bootloader Path: \NTLDR

The text below is my boot.ini file in my root drive.
;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
c:\="Other systems"

Below is the screen display created by typing bcdedit in a command window from within Win 7.

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {default}
resumeobject {8b924357-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
displayorder {default}
{current}
{8b924348-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
{8b92435e-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
resume No

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {default}
device partition=E:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {8b924359-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=E:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {8b924357-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
nx OptIn

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=V:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=V:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {389789c1-5d6c-11de-ade2-8c5e2e46ee8d}
nx OptIn

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {8b924348-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
device partition=C:
path \NST\NeoGrub.mbr
description Ubuntu 9.04

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {8b92435e-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
device boot

Addendum:

I forgot to mention that I did give the boot partition a drive letter begore running easybcd.
 
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Disk Manager image added

I have saved the DM .jpg image in paint. I try to copy from paint and paste (Cntrl V) but it does not paste it into this space. How do I get it into here ?

Addendum:

I tried your beta 79, but the problem is still there. I await your instructions to get the DM image posted !
Regards

Errol
 
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(btw. the sticky tells you how to post screenshots too)

The BCD from Windows 7 shows C: in the boot manager section.
It shouldn't.
Your "system" "active" partition is L:\
Is there a hidden folder called "boot" on your C:\ ?
Is your linux failing too ?
Both it and XP are chaining to C: instead of L: (where their boot files will be)
Something in the W7 install, or something you've done since has confused the BCD.
What happens if you "change settings" for XP and put L:\ in as the drive ?
 
The C drive shown in DM is the 39.04 partition in which I have put Win7. The system boot drive - which does have a folder called boot btw - I gave the letter L as suggested in some of your posts, before I ran easybcd 79. I checked via a CMD box that L ie "Boot" contains the ntldr and boot.ini file - see the content of boot.ini above. And, Yes, Ubuntu boots with no problem !
Regards
Errol
 
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {default}
resumeobject {8b924357-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
displayorder {default}
{current}
{8b924348-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
{8b92435e-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
resume No

from your OP
The bootmanager is not on C:\ It's on L:\ ("system" "active")
That's what's confusing auto-configure
have you tried changing the XP drive to L ?
You really need to repair the BCD (boot W7 DVD, "repair your computer" "startup repair"), so that the boot manager is correctly indicated as being on the "system" partition.
Once that's done, the auto-configure should work normally.
 
Thank you for being so patient ! Just to clarify: Each time I have tried to sort out this problem, I have first deleted the Win7 partition (via Vista) and then did a clean install of Win 7 on the 39 Gb partition. So the clean install sets up its own "C" drive, so "repair" shouldn't be necessary ? However, after reading your most recent reply, just to see, I added Dos 6 (which I already have on my system drive (L), did the autoconfigure and it boots with no trouble. When I select Windows XP, it then brings up the text from the boot.ini file on L "
;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
c:\="Other systems"

so I click on "Microsoft Windows XP Pro" and that is when I get the blank screen. So I presume this means that easybcd does look in the L drive for ntldr and boot.ini. Note that I see that the ntldr file still has its original date stamp (2004), as does boot.ini so they are not getting replaced in any way by easybcd. Is this info of any help ? I am not at my own computer at the moment, so if necessary I can post the latest easybcd info later if you need to see it. I mean, since I added Dos 6 !

Cheers

Errol
 
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The format and reinstall of W7 probably isn't fixing the BCD because a new install will reuse an existing BCD, not create a new one. (I've never been in your precise circumstances, so can't be definite).
Try the repair (might need more than one run), then delete/add XP again.
 
When I boot from the install cd, it gives me 2 choices - Upgrade or new install. If I select new install (which is what I've been doing each time to a blank partition) it only offers to put the existing win7 into a folder called win7 old (something like that), no offer to repair. I will try to run the upgrade from within win7 which looks for updates from the web to see if that makes a difference. Is there some other way to select "repair" ?
 
If it's a Microsoft installation DVD, it has a link (bottom left) "repair your computer".
If it's something provided by an OEM, and doesn't have the capability, you can create one from the control program/backup and restore/create repair disk, or download one from here.
 
Hi Terry

I booted from the Win7 install DVD and this time I did see the "repair..." and selected the "startup repair" which duly ran. However, I'm sorry to say my problem remains. The interesting thing is that after rebooting (hardware button) into Win7 it asks to do a "startup repair". If I select this, it runs for a very long time and the onl;y suggestion it gives is to restore to a previous date. This does nothing to fix the problem. The "startup repair" from the install DVD on the other hand runs through very quickly.

So I'm wondering whether theire is any way to get the BCD back to a point where it has never heard of Win 7, ie to "reset it" somehow ? Notice below that the bootmanager IS now on the L Boot system drive, but the bootloader is on the Win7 C drive ??. This data below I have just run from a CMD window in Win7, capturing to a file and opening it with Notepad and pasting here. Does this help ? I see the

All the other systems, Dos, Vista, Ubuntu and of course Win7 all come up perfectly. If I now delete the Win7 partition from inside Vista, and do NOTHING else except reboot, I can guarantee that XP will boot up. I have done this excersize about 6 times by now !

Cheers

Errol


Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=L:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {8b92435f-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
displayorder {current}
{389789c0-5d6c-11de-ade2-8c5e2e46ee8d}
{8b924348-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
{8b924364-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
{8b924365-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {8b924361-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {8b92435f-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {389789c0-5d6c-11de-ade2-8c5e2e46ee8d}
device partition=I:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=I:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {389789c1-5d6c-11de-ade2-8c5e2e46ee8d}
nx OptIn
Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {8b924348-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
device partition=L:
path \NST\NeoGrub.mbr
description Ubuntu 9.04
Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {8b924364-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
device partition=L:
path \NST\nst_dos.mbr
description Microsoft DOS
Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {8b924365-0c67-11df-9119-a2c5303c00cb}
device boot
path \NTLDR
description Microsoft Windows XP
 
NTLDR was a boot manager/loader which lived on "system"
Bootmgr is a boot manager, also on "system", and it uses the BCD to locate the loader (winload.exe), which lives inside the OS, not on the "system" partition.
It's correct when your "system" is not with the OS for the BCD to reflect that. L chains to C for W7, L chains to I for Vista.
Now the BCD is repaired, have you deleted the XP entry and added it again ?
 
Yes, I did that. Sorry I didn't make that clear - see text from previous post.

"I booted from the Win7 install DVD and this time I did see the "repair..." and selected the "startup repair" which duly ran. However, I'm sorry to say my problem remains. "
 
I see you posted at 12:15am "today" but I don't see any text ??

Addendum:

Sorry - I see it now !

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
c:\="Other systems"

Addendum:

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
c:\="Other systems"
 
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OK.
I think, if that's working with W7 deleted, then the 1st logical drive is partition 3, but when you put W7 on it must be inserting itself (as the 3rd primary) making the partition for XP incorrect.
However, that is not a boot.ini created by Easy2. The format is different.
Are you quite sure that you deleted the XP entry from the BCD in W7, then added a new one and let Easy2 reconfigure ?
If so what happened ? It obviously hasn't done it so what did it say or do ?
Was there a hang or a crash ?
 
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Yes I deleted the XP entry each time and then added a new one and did the autoconfugure. When I reboot and select XP, it comes up with the text in boot.ini and I choose "Microsoft Windows XP Pro". it then gives a black screen and hangs until I press the reset key or switch off and restart. But without Win7 on the computer, it brings up Xp normally - using the same text from boot.ini. Should I edit boot.ini with a different number instead of 3 ?
 
No error mesage? no hang? no crash from bootgrabber? no communication of any sort ?
That's not Easy2's boot.ini, so I'd have thought you'd see something.
change (3) to (4) in both places and try booting XP again. If that doesn't work try all the other numbers between 1 and 10, till one works.
(that's the old manual method - pre Easy2. You can only really find the partition by trial and error, since it depends on the place in the MBR partition table, not where the partition is placed on the HDD)

Can you follow the instructions in this post in another thread and paste the result here
 
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