Dual Boot XP and Win 7 editing BCD string.

M

Mike8

Active Member
Hello guys, I am new to this forum. I have an urgent request please excuse me if its been covered before. I have been running WinXP Pro SP3 for years on a 2GHz/2Mb ram computer for several years, system disk disk0, data disk disk 1, and just put in a new disk disk 2 (3rd disk) for installing Win7pro. If when in w7 I set up a boot for XP then the bcd program says it cant find the NTLDR file, BUT BCD is looking at disk1 when in fact the win xp is on disk 0. Is there any way of actually editing the string to change the 1 to a 0 so it sees the correct partition. I have a work around by calling my XP system driveZ when booted into Win7, but I really prefer to hide the other system disk by not giving it a drive letter. Basically I want to be able to tell bcd where the actual partition is. (of course I could change my drive cables round but thats a bit drastic). So question is can I actually edit the entry line. I am using ver 1.7 but could upgrade to 2.0 build 100 if it helps. Regards

Mike
 
Hi Mike, welcome to NST.

Update to build 100.
Delete the XP entry.
Add a new XP entry. EasyBCD will generously ask if you want it to do all the hard work and configure everything for you. Say yes.

Reboot and enjoy.
 
Thanks for that, when I opened the new version, it couldnt find previous booting information and when looking at manage/disk management (inW7) the XP system disk had completely dissappeared! I could only do a partial system restore because it wouldnt work properly. After my Xp disk showed up but the disk allocations have changed from winxp(0), Data(1), Win7(2) - the order of the physical wired connections, to Data (0), win7(1) and winXP(2). When opening up version 2 of the program I get the following:
There are a total of 2 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 30 seconds
Boot Drive: Z:\

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

Entry #2
Name: Windows XP SP3
BCD ID: {ce88abad-7c15-11df-b364-c660dac5f08b}
Drive: Z:\
Bootloader Path: \NTLDR

Is this what you expect?
 
my BCD (Boot Configuration Data file) was corrupted using your beta. I have windows 7 + Windows XP pro sp3
Result: windows will not boot
Message: "The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry."

Now i gotta download a iso image of win7 repair disc. the reason im trying your software is because i need to dual boot. but SO FAR NO LUCK!!! HELP ME!!! please...
 
Mike8 said:
Is this what you expect?
Click to expand...
Yes. When EasyBCD adds an XP entry, it always points it at the partition listed as "system" in Disk Management (Z in your case). That is where the XP boot files: (NTLDR, boot.ini, and NTDETECT.COM) need to be in order to boot into XP from the W7 or Vista boot menu. boot.ini is what points at XP on whichever partition it is at, not the BCD.
 
Im having similar problems to the OP but I just noticed my EasyBCD shows Drive Boot for the Win XP in entry #2 instead of drive: X:\ lile the OPs above.. Is this correct
 
Before i installed windows XP pro, i had windows 7. Well now when i installed winXP pro, it boots up automatically:rage:. I need to know how to make boot loader so that it will come up with a menu that allows you to choose what OS you want to boot from.....PLEASE HELP:ldown:
 
Thanks Guru and Coolname 007. I think I understand, and it is dual booting ok. I am leaving the alternative drives as Z:\ although I had hoped to hide them from each other, and use a partition location rather than a drive letter. Now Ive just sorted out the fact that XP deletes the system restore points on Win7 - there is a work around for that for guys who have the same problem. Nice forum. Mike
 
Terry60 said:
@googler
http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3153
Click to expand...
Terry, read the first post he made:
googler said:
my BCD (Boot Configuration Data file) was corrupted using your beta. I have windows 7 + Windows XP pro sp3
Result: windows will not boot
Message: "The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry."

Now i gotta download a iso image of win7 repair disc. the reason im trying your software is because i need to dual boot. but SO FAR NO LUCK!!! HELP ME!!! please...
Click to expand...
He is already aware of the beta EasyBCD, and has tried to use it. Also, he has obviously already put the W7 MBR/PBR back.
@googler: Please post the EasyBCD->View Settings->Debug (Detailed) mode text, and a screenshot of your Disk Management window.
 
I read the 1st post (which is open to various other interpretations), but responded to post #7, which seems to indicate that my response is appropriate.
I didn't mention the Beta anywhere.
 
Terry60 said:
I read the 1st post (which is open to various other interpretations), but responded to post #7, which seems to indicate that my response is appropriate.
I didn't mention the Beta anywhere.
Click to expand...
Right. And I didn't say you did. :tongueout:
But anyway...good. I thought you had failed to read his first post, is all.
 
Just one more bit of help please. In post number 3 above I have copied the text from my bcd prog ver2. And you will see z drive referred to. My winXP is on the only partition of drive 0 (ms manager and physically plugged with sata cable there on mobo) and my Win7 is on the only partition on drive 2, drive 1 is just used for data. Can I re-edit the file to point at partitions rather than drive letters, then I can remove Z so each system drive is effectively hidden on the respective operating system. M
 
HaxGurl said:
my BCD (Boot Configuration Data file) was corrupted using your beta. I have windows 7 + Windows XP pro sp3
Result: windows will not boot
Message: "The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry."

Now i gotta download a iso image of win7 repair disc. the reason im trying your software is because i need to dual boot. but SO FAR NO LUCK!!! HELP ME!!! please...
Click to expand...

Well HaxGurl,
what you wrote is not true, not EBCD have damage your Win7 boot menu.
You have installed WinXP and WinXP has changed your MBR and boot Menu.
In WinXP you have the pleasure to boot WinXP or Win7.
Just jump to Win7, restore the Win7 MBR, add the WinXP OS to the boot menu and test this.

Finaly:
Before every one will changing a running system, a HDD-Total-Backup (HDD-IMAGE-BACKUP) is the first step and the, after a total backup with test of the restore function, the next steps are installing more OSs, or manipulating (tweaking) the system.

Greetings from Germany,
STRUPPI
 
Mike8 said:
Just one more bit of help please. In post number 3 above I have copied the text from my bcd prog ver2. And you will see z drive referred to. My winXP is on the only partition of drive 0 (ms manager and physically plugged with sata cable there on mobo) and my Win7 is on the only partition on drive 2, drive 1 is just used for data. Can I re-edit the file to point at partitions rather than drive letters, then I can remove Z so each system drive is effectively hidden on the respective operating system. M
Click to expand...
Technically, the actual BCD file which the Vista/7 bootmgr uses, doesn't point at drive letters at all. It points at unique UUIDs for each separate entry in the BCD.
You can't remove the Z partition without losing all your boot files (since that's where they're located). You can however use the "Change Boot Drive" feature of EasyBCD 2.0 RC. Just point it at the drive letter of the partition you want to change the "system" (in Disk Management) partition to. And as long as you're using the Microsoft bootloader (and not a 3rd party bootloader) to multiboot, you must have the boot files of every system in the "system" partition (whichever partition that is), and all non-Vista/7 entries in your BCD pointing at the "system" partition. If you want to boot each OS from its respective partition, then you will need to use a 3rd party boot manager.
 
Back
Top