Dual boot help needed

S

skybooks

Member
Hi there,

I had vista installed on my laptop (320gb). I then needed XP for a vista incompatible program so I used partition magic to create a logical partition of 40 gb where I proceeded to install XP. I then also set myself a backup partition for backups.

My system now looks like this:
c: Primary act. 117 Gb
d: Logical 40 Gb
e: logical 140 Gb

I then discovered the issue of XP deleting and corrupting Vista files, so I tried to research partition hiding when I came across this great site.

I already had EBCD, as that was the softwrae I originally used to create the dual boot, so I followed the guide on here by deleting the xp boot line and adding the Neogrub script.

I read the drive letters page and as far as I could make out my system was a basic configuration, so I did not need to edit the script, and I pasted it in as is.

I then discovered that my Vista was not bootale anymore - it would start the windows but then say dskchk not found and then have a BSOD. When I tried to boot into the XP, it would return a boot error after running the Neogrub and I would then be given the option to unhide Vista and only then did it boot into XP.

I managed to get vista back by uninstalling the neo grub via XP and unhiding the partition with a 3rd party partition manager.

Please can someone advise what I am doing wrong.

I can think of one thing that is probably a problem. The XP boot.ini etc are located on the C:, hence the error booting XP when Vista partition is hidden.
 
Hi skybooks, welcome to NST.
Using neogrub to hide Vista is no longer the preferred NST method. That's old fashioned, and results in a 2 stage boot.
Vista Hide 'n Seek (HnS) has been written to automate this whole process, and will give you a simple single boot menu.
 
Terry, thank you very much.

Addendum:

Ok, it seems I've messed the partitions up.
I would like to start from fresh. Please could someone review what I am about to do and advise.

1) Delete all partitions using norton Partition Magic.
2) Create 1 Primary drive
3) Create 1 Logic

Here is question 1: is there any prefferable way regarding which system should be installe dfirst, Vista or XP?
4)Install OS 1 in C
5)Install OS 2 to d:
6) install Vista Hide'n'seek

Thanks in advance.
 
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Firstly, Install both systems on primary partitions. HnS uses "makeactive" commands as it passes control to the optional systems, and you cannot make a logical disk active !
Microsoft's preferred method is to install old before new for compatibility reasons, but if you do, XP will be C: and Vista will be something else, with the possible problems described here.
If you install Vista first as C:\ and XP second, you will avoid those 3rd party problems.
The only extra step needed is to repair the Vista bootloader after XP completes installing (it will have overwritten the Vista bootmgr with NTLDR, which cannot boot Vista)
The repair is done automatically for you by booting the Vista DVD and selecting "repair my computer" /"repair startup" (probably twice ) until Vista boots again.
Then just run the HnS UI and it will set up all the boot files for you.
 
Thanks so much Terry. I had already installed XP on the logical drive. Is it possible to just convert it to an active one via partition magic, or is it too late to do it after installation?
 
I believe it's possible using 3rd party partition managers, but I've never done it, and I don't know whether partition magic is one that has that capability.
 
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