I've just installed Windows 7 and I want to be able to dual boot it alongside my older Windows XP installed on a separate partition. However, when I start my computer, I don't get to the boot menu with the option between "Windows 7" and "Earlier version of Windows" – instead the system boots directly into Win 7.
Before I installed Windows 7 I had one instance of Windows XP on my C: partition and another Win XP on my E: partition. My C: drive was set to be the System/Boot partition. I also had yet another partition, where I tried out Windows 7 for a while before deciding upon installing it "permanently".
At this point there were no problems dual booting (triple booting?) the operating systems - when starting the computer, the boot menu displayed "Windows 7" and "Earlier version of Windows" and under the "Earlier version...", there were the both instances of Win XP.
Then I removed the temporary partition with Windows 7 and formatted my C: drive and installed Windows 7 there instead. And - as mentioned - now I can’t dual boot my second Win XP (E: ) anymore.
When I open up the Startup and Recovery/Settings... (under the Advanced tab in the Control panel/Advanced system settings) in Windows 7, I see “Windows 7” as the Default operating system, but in the dropdown menu there is no “Earlier version of Windows”.
I have also tried running EasyBCD 2.0, but here only Windows 7 is shown as well:
There is one entry in the Windows Vista bootloader.
Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 30 seconds.
EasyBCD Boot Device: C:\
Entry #1
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
I tried to add a new entry and that makes the boot menu show when I restart my computer, but when I choose the “newly created” operating system, it doesn’t work to start it.
Does anyone know what the problem might be and how I can fix this?
/J
Before I installed Windows 7 I had one instance of Windows XP on my C: partition and another Win XP on my E: partition. My C: drive was set to be the System/Boot partition. I also had yet another partition, where I tried out Windows 7 for a while before deciding upon installing it "permanently".
At this point there were no problems dual booting (triple booting?) the operating systems - when starting the computer, the boot menu displayed "Windows 7" and "Earlier version of Windows" and under the "Earlier version...", there were the both instances of Win XP.
Then I removed the temporary partition with Windows 7 and formatted my C: drive and installed Windows 7 there instead. And - as mentioned - now I can’t dual boot my second Win XP (E: ) anymore.
When I open up the Startup and Recovery/Settings... (under the Advanced tab in the Control panel/Advanced system settings) in Windows 7, I see “Windows 7” as the Default operating system, but in the dropdown menu there is no “Earlier version of Windows”.
I have also tried running EasyBCD 2.0, but here only Windows 7 is shown as well:
There is one entry in the Windows Vista bootloader.
Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 30 seconds.
EasyBCD Boot Device: C:\
Entry #1
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
I tried to add a new entry and that makes the boot menu show when I restart my computer, but when I choose the “newly created” operating system, it doesn’t work to start it.
Does anyone know what the problem might be and how I can fix this?
/J
