Dual system boot problem

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beef1218

Member
I did some research before I installed a windows XP on a windows 7 computer, but something still went wrong.

Now it only loads into XP without any system options. I tried to use EasyBCD and I think the settings are correct.

In EasyBCD, View Settings:

Default: Windows 7 Ultimate
Timeout: 30 seconds
Boot Drive: C:\

Entry #1
Name: Windows 7 Ultimate
BCD ID: {default}
Drive: D:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {d51d1da6-e204-11df-b053-e33a5a2f306c}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path:\NST\ntldr




I also tried to use windows 7 auto startup repair but failed.

Can someone please help?
 
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Mak, thanks for your reply.
I followed the link and tried to recover the Boodloader from DVD but still failed.

I tried all 3 methods: Automated Repair, Manually Repair, and Nuclear Holocaust.

It still loads into windows XP directly.

Now, in windows XP, I run EasyBCD. It gives me these info:

There is one entry in the Windows bootloader.

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 10 seconds
Boot Drive: C:\

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

My old windows 7 was on D drive and windows XP is on C drive. Which one should be the Boot Drive then?
 
Attached are screenshots earlier. It only loaded into windows XP.

I then followed the link and did the manual bootloader repair.

After that, it still only loads into windows XP. I don't have the current screenshot on hand because I'm not at home now. I will upload it later.

Basically now it shows:

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 10 seconds
Boot Drive: C:\

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

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Screenshot of my disk management

Terry, I really appreciate you following up on this issue up. Here is the screenshot of my disk management. I don't see any "flag" in any partition.
 

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That is why your dual boot is not working. The Win7 drive must be the system active drive. This will cause the boot loader to work from there and not just boot to the XP Drive.
 
Not here Mak.
XP is the only primary.

Did you ever "Install Vista/7 boot loader" from EasyBCD > Bootloader Setup ?

When you ran "startup repair" from the W7 DVD, did you do it at least 3 times ?
 
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Terry, Mak,
I'm sorry about the confusing. Let me make it clear what I did.

I just installed XP on partition C, and I had windows7 on partition D.
After I installed XP, I ran EasyBCD in XP to add a windows7 boot loader. Screenshots at #5 were taken at that time. After that, it still only boots to XP.

I then used windows7 DVD to auto repair; however, it attempted to repair at the first time, but it said "fail to repair" from the second time.
I then followed the link Mak provided and did a "Recovering the Vista or Windows 7 Bootloader from the DVD". I tried all 3 methods. At the end, it stills only boots into XP.

Now, screenshots at #6 and #7 are where I am.

Terry and Mak, what should I do now?
Thanks a lot!
 
What do you mean "add a bootloader" ?
Add an entry to the BCD in "add new entry" or restore the Vista bootloader in "bootloader setup" ?
The former will add an entry to the BCD but you'll never see it until the MBR has been replaced with a version that looks for bootmgr instead of NTLDR.
 
I can't see how you can have
" just installed XP on partition C, and I had windows7 on partition D."
You didn't buy a PC with pre-installed W7 in a logical drive, you must have done something to put it there and create all those other partitions.
Was W7 booting before you installed XP, and was it where it is now ?
 
At the beginning, I had XP on partition C and W7 on partition D. They were both working fine.

I wanted to reinstall my XP, so I formatted partition C and installed a new XP there. That's how this mess started. Now it only boots into my newly installed XP, and I want to be able to boot into my W7 on partition D.
 
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A simple "reinstall Vista/7 bootloader" from EasyBCD on XP or "Startup Repair" (x3) from the W7 DVD should be all that's needed.
What messages do you get when you try them ?
 
I tried the "startup repair" with W7 DVD, the first time, it asked if I want to "repair and restart". I clicked "Yes", and it just boots into XP after restarted.

I tried it again, it then says "the OS is not compatible".
 
XP Disk Management doesn't display all the flags like Vista/7, so I'm assuming that your "system" drive is marked "active" too, though it doesn't show, and I don't think that any kind of boot would occur without it, but check that "mark partition as active" is greyed out for C:, and it it isn't, then mark it and try again.
Otherwise, try EasyBCD > BCD Backup/Repair > Recreate Boot files, then
Bootloader Setup > Install Vista/7 bootloader > Write MBR
 
Terry, "mark partition as active" is indeed greyed out for partition C.

I ran BCD Backup/Repair > Recreate Boot files, it said it was only for Vista/7/2008.

I ran Install Vista/7 bootloader > Write MBR, it said "write MBR successfully". Restart, it still boots into XP.

Addendum:

I finally gave up. I couldn't wait any longer, so I reinstalled W7 as well. Now everything is ok.

Terry and Mak, thanks a lot.
 
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Sorry not to have helped.
I can't understand why neither MS nor EasyBCD routes to fixing your problem wouldn't work.
I can only assume that having W7 on a logical drive is the problem.
My advice is always have windows in a primary partition if you can.
As you can see, reinstalling W7 recreated the BCD in the XP primary, which the "startup repair" should have been able to do too, and which I've seen it do thousands of times without problems (for primary partitions at least).
The extended partition is a later invention as HDDs got large, to overcome the restriction of 4 places in the partition table.
It's only necessary if you need 5+ partitions, but the 1st 3 can still be primary, and I'd always use them for Windows OSs.
Since XP, Windows can install in a logical drive but it can't boot from there, and by overwriting everybody's boot files with your XP reinstall, you seem to have created an unrepairable situation which I've not encountered before.
 
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