Changing boot drive (7 & XP)

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Xsever

Member
Hello everyone,

I have a 1 TB hard drive partitioned into 3. The 1st for Windows 7 (C:], the 2nd for XP 32-bit (D:], and the 3rd for XP 64-bit (E:]. I have another 750 GB HD that I use for storage (F:].

I had XP 32 & 64 installed first, then I installed 7. I had to add both XPs to the 7 bootloader by using EasyBCD 2.0 build 63. I did this by going into Add/Remove Entries, slecting Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 and then clicking Add Entry and then Save. The drive is greyed out to C:, but when I go to View Settings, the XP entry's drive is F:, which is my secondary drive.

I changed the drive letter to C: from Change Settings, and copied the boot files from F: to C:. That did not help and I was not able to boot XP.

I would like the boot files to be on C: because I move my F: drive sometimes and I do not want the boot process to depend on it.

Thank you for helping in advance,
 
Tools -> Autoconfigure boot.ini.

Than try disconnecting the other drive and booting XP after you've confirmed its working.
 
I did Tools -> Autoconfigure boot.ini, then shutdown the PC, disconnect the 750 HD, and boot back. XP 32 and 64 loaded perfectly but not Windows 7. I get an error which is attached at the end.

Here are the contents of what EasyBCD is displaying:

Code: 
Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 5 seconds.
Boot Drive: F:\

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

Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {4b75ab06-8ab4-11de-82aa-895d19501919}
Drive: F:\
Bootloader Path: \NTLDR
On top, it says that windows 7 boot drive is F: How can I change this into C: ?

 
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When you installed W7, it put its boot files on your 750Gb drive and that became "system".
You must boot the W7 DVD whilst the 750Gb drive is disconnected, and run "repair your computer" / "startup repair". Do this 3 times and W7 will recreate the boot environment on the 1Tb HDD.
Then you'll need to run EasyBCD, add the XP entry again and let it auto-configure and the XP entry will be created again in the new BCD.
Then you can put your smaller HDD back, making sure it's not first in the BIOS boot sequence, otherwise it will control the boot again.
Remember that multiple XP entries cannot be created in the BCD. The design of the Windows Legacy boot support is that the BCD chains to XP's NTLDR and the multiple entries for XP are all contained in its data repository (boot.ini). This means there will be 2 boot menus, first to choose between W7 and XP, and the second to choose which XP.
This is a MS design feature and cannot be circumvented except by using a third party boot manager.
 
Hello Terry,

Thank you for your clear answer.

I just want to make sure that doing the startup repair process will not change anything in windows but the boot file. I just do not want it to slow me down in a way. I know it won't but I just want your opinion since you have clearly tested it.

As for the way the XP entries work, I understand it. I have no problem with having 2 main options (7 and Earlier Versions of XP) and then sub-options.

What I would like to know is what you exactly mean by " let it auto-configure". Do you mean adding the XP entry through Add/Remove Entries, Save, and then Tools -> Autoconfigure boot.ini ??

Please let me know and thank you. Much appreciated.
 
Repair startup won't do anything else to your system except reconstruct the bootmgr/BCD.
When you add a new XP entry, it will offer to auto-configure for you. It's exactly the same process if you select it from the tools menu yourself later.
 
I will try it and report back.

Thanks,

Addendum:

Hey Terry,

Your method worked perfectly. Thanks a lot.

I was just wondering how should should I remove the boot files from the 750 drive. Just delete those hidden system files that gets dumped there?
 
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You can delete the surplus boot folder and bootmgr file from the other disk if WIndows will let you.
Chances are it'll decline to let you because of the permissions and ownerships associated.
You could go to a great deal of trouble trying to get the proper authorisation, but it's a lot quicker and simpler to get yourself a live copy of Linux, burn it to a CD, boot it in "run from the CD" mode and clean up your surplus files. It doesn't give a fig for Windows permisssions. A file's a file to Linux.
(It's a handy tool to have in your geek's toolbox anyway. If you ever really break your PC and need to rescue your user data before formatting and reinstalling, it can copy files off your broken HDD to safe external storage)
 
Thanks a lot Terry. I have lots of Live CDs and I have worked with them quite intensively.

I just wanted to see what the best method was.

Thanks a lot again,
 
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