Dual boot with Vista & XP Errors

abcat

Distinguished Member
Hi,

My current setup is Vista as main boot partition and XP is the 2nd OS. D: is the backup partition.

Recently, I reformatted my Windows XP partition and the bootloader won't work any more. I guess it overwrite the MBR thingy? and it boot straight to XP.

However, I restore the image of Windows Vista using Acronis and restore the sector 0 thingy and the OS, after that, the boot loader works back as last time the configuration file set by other people still works.

But now I have some issues, hope someone can correct my menu.lst error if there is. I want to setup it like when booting to either OS, C: will be the OS I've selected and D: will be the backup partition and the other OS drive will be hidden. Currently this setup below only works for my Vista. If I boot into XP, I've no C:. Instead, it show F: and D:frowning:Backup) still remain intact.

default 0
timeout 5
unhide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,1)

title Windows XP
find --set-root /bootmgrv
hide
find --set-root /ntldr
chainloader /ntldr
boot

title Windows Vista
find --set-root /ntldr
hide
find --set-root /bootmgrv
chainloader /bootmgrv
boot

And also, sometimes after the reformatting, I encountered BSOD on Windows XP and it waste a lot of time on chkdsk to Replacing invalid security ID with default security id on no thingy.. Wonder is this problem link with the above issue?

Pls advise. Thanks in advanced :smile:

Addendum:

I've some more question for addon, how can I constantly have full access on the D: with both OS without keep adding security permission to my account?
 
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Hi abcat, welcome to NeoSmart Technologies.

I'm not clear on why you're using NeoGrub/GRUB to boot into Vista and XP?
You should be able to accomplish that by sticking the Vista bootloader in the MBR and configuring your XP partition as shown in the documentation: Windows XP - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

As for "full permissions" I'm not sure I know what you mean.... probably disabling UAC would do the trick, but I'm not sure you'd want to do that.
 
Hi Computer Guru, thanks for replying :smile:

First of all, I need to clear some doubts as I'm not so professional on doing dual booting especially with some special configuration which I have request.. Anyway, the previous setting is not done by me :wink:

The problem occurs when I reinstall the Win XP @ the partition. As I have backup on the vista os image and also MBR thingy. My question for now that is MBR the thing that holds the bootloader screen for me to choose OS to boot from?

I think I use some sort of live cd to do some partition and test out with various setting on partition like c: active boot d: nothing, e: primary hidden attributes etc. I think I have corrupted their attributes, thus my XP shows other drive letter instead of c:

Hope someone can enlighten me on what show I do in order to achieve the below result and also points to take note to reset my MBR or other partition attributes:

Boot screen during startup
Win Vista
Win XP

When choose either one of them, it boot to that particular OS, once open my computer, it shows C: on the OS I have boot from and D: is always the extra partition and the other OS is hidden which disk management do show but I can't do anything about it from there.

Pls advise. Thanks :smile:

Addendum:

anyway, with regard to the 2nd qns on the 1st post, I already turn off the UAC before I post. I wonder can this site help How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP ?

anyway I open a new thread in the vista category..
 
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Well Conputer Guru gave all teh info needed to do what you want in the Wiki that he linked to. That has all the info for oyu to get your system dual boot. I dont see how much more we can answer this for you.

You have to add XP to the Vista bootloader. You have to make sure that the files for the XP Boot are on teh Vista drive. The NTLDR and the NTDETECT have to be on the Vista drive.

After that just add XP thru the Add/Remove Entries and it should work. I mean if you are using a LiveCD to change the attritubes of your partitions then this should be pretty easy to do.:wink:
 
Hi,

thanks for the reply :smile: I guess I really need to read up the whole tutorial. If I encountered any problem I will update again.

Thanks both for ur great help :smile:
 
I've install XP and it boot straight to XP.

Now I follow the 5 points instruction

Setting up the Dual-Boot

Once Windows XP setup has finished, it'll automatically boot you into the newly installed copy of Windows XP – note that you will not be able to boot into Vista at this point, nor will you see a boot menu option for it.
  1. Once in Windows XP, download and install the Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework.
  2. Download and install the latest version of EasyBCD.
  3. Once in EasyBCD, go to the "Manage Bootloader" page, and select "Reinstall the Vista Bootloader" then "Write MBR" to get the Vista bootloader back.
  4. Once that's done, head on to the "Add/Remove Entries" page and select "Windows NT/2k/XP/2003" from the drop-down list, give it a name, then press "Add Entry" to finish.
  5. Reboot.
and it doesn't seems to work for me :frowning: It still boot straight to windows xp. What's could possibility wrong?
 
Hi,

the add/remove entries shows Microsoft Windows Vista and below shows Windows XP I have added.
Currently my computer can show c: d: e: which c: consist of vista, d: backup partition and e: xp when I boot into XP.

My disk management show e: is the boot partition.


Before I use EasyBCD, I heard that it can hide partiition right, is it by using neogrub features in the add/remove entries? Wonder what's the difference with the add an entry for Windows and entry for Neogrub.

Btw, any temp solution for me to boot into vista now as I try some way, it hit either BSOD or profile can't load.

Pls advise :smile:
 
Don't use NeoGrub just yet, first get this problem out of the way.

Try Diagnostics | Reset BCD Data
 
I really feel like redo everything and follow nicely to the tutorial but the tutorial seems not to design for me unless I have everything that is required.

The problem I think I can't follow and get regular BSOD for both XP and Vista maybe is because I do not have the Vista DVD but the image. However, I do have the XP CD.

First of all, after troubleshooting for so many different methods, I think that the vista image is loaded with the neogrub thingy boot sector, thus making me unable to configure it correctly. I wonder how can I remove the thingy and restore to normal vista boot loader that allows me to boot into vista first?

Now the problem is both my OS can't load now, need to redo everything again but I'm not sure how should I start from with my Vista image?

Or should I install XP on C drive first, I think it will autowrite the MBR thingy so tat I can boot normally then dual boot with vista or the other way is better. Whichever is better, which one does not need Vista DVD, as I think I saw some of the tutorial when some parts need Vista DVD.

Please advise me :frowning:
 
Okay i dont know what thingy's you keep talking about. But if you have a ISO Image of the Vista DVD use ImgBurn to burn it to DVD.

The Official ImgBurn Website

Free and easy to use. That will get you your Vista DVD. As for all this thingy's you are talking about. Huh? Are you talking about the bootloader?
 
Hi, sorry for making it so unclear. Cos quite frustrated over this days to settle this stuff.

The image I mention is create by Acronis True Image that I think can't be into a DVD like the normal Vista DVD.

The bootloader I mean is last time before I start up, I am able to choose which OS to let me choose from, I think that thingy is related to grubloader or neogrub which I'm not really sure about it..
 
I don't think so.

EasyBCD never installs NeoGrub to the MBR - it leaves the Vista bootloader there. So unless you installed GRUB to the MBR when installing a Linux distro, it should still be the Vista bootloader that comes up.

AT any rate, downloading & burning the vista recovery dvd image on our site then following the recovery instructions should reset all that for you so you don't have to worry about it.
 
Well the Vista bootloader would be before teh NeoGRUB. The GRUB would be before the Vista bootloader. It would be GRUB then Vista then NeoGRUB.

Grub looks like this:

12066_070310004118.jpg


That is a older version but it looks close to the same. then comes the Vista bootlaoder which looks like this:

Vista%20Final%20-0037.jpg


So where does your problem fall? The Acronis Image no that cant be used like a Vista DVD. But Acronis should have allowed you to burn it to DVD.
 
This few hour, installing XP to the partition and boot with XP and install EasyBCD, tried all the method and can't recreate Vista BCD as it is system and read only permission even live CD also can't let me remove. However, the Vista CD recommend by Computer Guru works very well :smile: Now I'm boot straight to Vista.

I guess it was really my Vista Acronis Image with the Grubloader problem.

Addendum:

Well the Vista bootloader would be before teh NeoGRUB. The GRUB would be before the Vista bootloader. It would be GRUB then Vista then NeoGRUB.

Grub looks like this:

12066_070310004118.jpg


That is a older version but it looks close to the same. then comes the Vista bootlaoder which looks like this:

Vista%20Final%20-0037.jpg


So where does your problem fall? The Acronis Image no that cant be used like a Vista DVD. But Acronis should have allowed you to burn it to DVD.

Yea, it was the grub loader screen that looks about the same. Btw, now I'm on Vista should I install neogrub later or just use the normal add/remove entries?

I wonder any major difference between this two? If i'm not wrong, I saw some articles said that Vista Boot Manager if doing the dual booting, system restore points will gone etc. So some websites recommend to use easyBCD as it can hide the other partition?

But how should I go about doing that?
 
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Oh, that seems cool and also seems like what I want.. Anyway, Thanks u and Makaveli213 for the great help :smile: Really appreciated it and also this easyBCD program rocks :smile:
 
Just glad we can help out. Isnt that what we are here for? CG does all the hard work. I just help him out trying to answer all the questions. :tongueout:
 
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