Dual boot - 2xWIN7 hidding each other

luckym

Member
Hello,
I have disc partitioned like this:

1st partition - 100 MB created during WINDOWS 7 installation (automaticaly)
2nd partition - 50GB WIN 7 files (created during win. installation
3rd partition - 60GB this is a copy of the 2nd partition (copy and resized) after win7 and SW installing

Now I want to select which WIN to load. But I need to hide the other win (hide partition).
The EasyBoot cannot do this (hide partition), so I've installed NoeGrub but without success.
I can boot both windows with EasyBoot menu. I added the copied win as next menu item and after some registry change it finally start up. So both are working.

For neogrup I created script:

title Win 1
hide (hd0,2)
unhide (hd0,1)
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
boot

title Win 2
hide (hd0,1)
unhide (hd0,2)
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
boot

If I select WIN 1 or WIN2 it stops with bootmgr is missing.

I think I know why this happens, please correct me if I'm wrong.
On the 1st. (100MB) partition there are all the booting files they can load windows and If I select neogrub item
from easyboot menu it starts negrub loader. This loader directs the booting to one of the MBR of win. partition that I select in neogub menu.
The record in the partition MBR (if there is any) direct booting to bootmgr file on the partition. But there is no one. it is on the 100MB partition
So the error message bootmgr is missing.
I think If I add the files to both partitions it will boot. But how to add them? I tried bootrec /fixmbr and it seems it did nothing or fix it on the 100MB partition

Thank You for any help
michal
 
You can put copies of the boot files onto each partition using
Changing the Boot Partition
but I'm not sure if it will work the way you want, though I've never tried it using three boot managers for two systems, and I can't think of a reason why it definitely won't work.
It wouldn't work using two, because you'd eventually end up with the one you needed being inaccessible (hidden).
My experience doing something similar (though not hiding systems from each other, but just from XP) is described here.
Quad boot Vista, XP, W7 and Ubuntu using HnS to protect system restore points from XP
 
You can put copies of the boot files onto each partition using
Changing the Boot Partition

Thank You for reply.
How does this function work? Does it set the destination partition active, write partition MBR and copy files? The previous boot partition stay unchanged (just active flag changes)?
If I change the active flag back again to 100MB partition will it boot from here?
michal
 
Yes.
Just set the 100Mb partition active again after you've copied the boot files to each of the other partitions.
 
but I'm not sure if it will work the way you want, though I've never tried it using three boot managers for two systems, and I can't think of a reason why it definitely won't work.

Now I can say it's working...
1. PC boots from the 1st - 100MB partition. there is EasyBCD + Neogrub. Default menu item is set to NeoGgrub and 0s.
After this Neogrub shows its menu for WIN1 and WIN2.
Selecting one of the items NeoGrub hides and unhides partitions and boots from one of the partitions (2 or 3). There is bootmgr on both partitions. It loads then Windows.
 
Guess you could say I showed cautious optimism. Glad it worked the way you wanted.
 
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