[EBCD-416] Auto-configuration of Boot.ini fails on FAT32 boot partition

H

Hoss212

Member
Hello,
I am have various issues dual booting both windows 7 and xp pro (both 32 bit fyi). Okay so I already have 7 installed and stuff right, I wanted to start dual booting with xp so I can run certain programs or games and so forth in xp that 7 won't run. So I followed a tutorial on how to do so and did everything correctly, granted the tutorial included EasyBCD as a dual boot program for me to use so therefore I did so.. I created the partition of 40gb and installed xp on it, while in EBCD I wrote the MBR for windows 7 again otherwise it just shows up as windows xp in the boot manager (wierd). So anyways when I try to add XP to the boot screen it tells me it can't be found.. I currently own 2 geniune windows xp pro discs and I've tried both and it says the same thing. I believe EBCD is reading some of the files wrong? I'm unsure and confused, so my last resort was here.

Just some information on drives.

When on windows 7 I created the extra partition, all drives showing up as..
Windows 7 installed on the C:\
RECOVERY D:\
and the newly installed XP would be F:\

Implying that's how windows 7 would read it. But when in XP it reads the C:\ as recovery and D:\ as windows 7 (vice versa). Don't think this really matters but just wanted to throw it out there.

One last thing I would like to add is that in the boot manager on startup its saying there is an unidentified operating system installed on C:\. Random?

This has just gotten to be really stressful and i've spent almost 2 days trying to get this working correctly. If anyone could help me out that would be awesome and all help is greatly appreciated ahead of time.
 
Are you using EasyBCD 2 ?
Disk letters are just virtual.
They only exist in the registry of the running system, that's why the 2 OSs don't need to agree on what any individual partition or device is lettered.
When you install XP after Vista/7, it is not forward compatible, knows nothing about any newer OS and therefore cannot boot it. That's why you only see XP, until you use EasyBCD (or the DVD "repair" function) to put the Vista/7 boot manager back in control.
If you are using EasyBCD 1.7, it is not W7 compatible, so the W7 startup will look like Vista, and it has no auto-configure facilities, so you will need to know what and how to do the additional manual tasks to get Vista/7 to boot XP.
Version 2 will do it all for you.
Delete the XP entry from the BCD, add it again, let Easy2 auto-configure and don't alter the disk it points to.
 
I am using BCD 2.0. Attempted to add XP to the boot manager with it from 7 and still says it cannot detect it. Any other options?
 
Is there a Windows (or WinNT) folder on the XP partition ?
Inside it, in the system32 sub-folder, the kernel32.dll properties should show file version 5.x.
They are what EasyBCD detects as an XP installation.
see this thread.
 
Yes there is a windows folder. It's all caps so I don't know if that matters? Most likely not I reckon.

kernel32.dll is showing a file version of 5.1.2600.5781
 
What's in "view settings" of EasyBCD.
I notice you have both OSs in logical drives. That might be the root of the problem .
(why ? you only need to use logical partitions if you need 5 or more. You only have 3. They can all be primaries.)
 
Last edited:
Code: 
There is one entry in the Windows bootloader.

Default: Microsoft Windows 7
Timeout: 10 seconds
EasyBCD Boot Device: D:\

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

And yeah I was thinking about that but was'nt quite sure..
 
Use Partition Wizard to convert the logical partitions to primary, try re-adding the entry for XP. If you're unsure of where you should be pointing the entry to let it automatically configure for you.
 
Can you please post the output of

EasyBCD | Useful Utilities | Power Console

Code: 
BootGrabber.exe /tlist

And paste it here? Thanks :smile:
 
@kairozamorro : Tried what you said but it somewhat failed. I changed the partition(s) to primary and it detected XP manually however not automatically. But, when I tried to boot it, I get this black error screen saying I'm missing(or corrupt) winload.exe and just has me restart.


@Computer Guru : Sure, all of it is below.
Code: 
C:\Program Files\NeoSmart Technologies\EasyBCD\bin>BootGrabber.exe /tlist

BootGrabber utility.
Copyright NeoSmart Technologies 2009-2010 <http://neosmart.net/>

Unable to get volume information for \\?\Volume{14304a83-aea6-11df-99aa-806e6f6e
6963}\
Unable to get volume information for \\?\Volume{8bc4b7b5-aec1-11df-9b47-000b6a8c
fee8}\
Unable to get volume information for \\?\Volume{21127c63-aebf-11df-9ee3-000b6a8c
fee8}\
D0,3,3,0,200049647616,0
P1,D:\,11,4367591424,1278177280,Yes,multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1),Yes,FAT3
2
P2,C:\,7,153728113664,99789430784,Yes,multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2),No,NTF
S
P3,F:\,7,41940670464,36662898688,Yes,multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3),No,NTFS


C:\Program Files\NeoSmart Technologies\EasyBCD\bin>
 
Winload.exe is a the Vista/7 loader, not XP.
Are you sure you're picking XP from the dropdown, not Vista ?
paste the "view settings" text.
 
I'm definitely picking the XP installation disc.

There are a total of 2 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Microsoft Windows 7
Timeout: 10 seconds
EasyBCD Boot Device: D:\

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

Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {c5b20408-b00a-11df-b174-000b6a8cfee8}
Drive: F:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
 
I don't mean the "drive" dropdown, but the "type"
winload in the bootloader path indicates you're using Vista/7 as the OS type entry to add.
 
I am still having issues. I followed that post exactly on what to do, as well as replaced the BootManager.exe file provided Comp. Guru and the same thing happens, no XP detection auto/manual. Here is my /tlist command output if this helps..

Code: 
C:\Program Files\NeoSmart Technologies\EasyBCD\bin>bootgrabber.exe /tlist

BootGrabber utility.
Copyright NeoSmart Technologies 2009-2010 <http://neosmart.net/>

Unable to get volume information for \\?\Volume{14304a83-aea6-11df99aa-806e6f6e6963}\
Unable to get volume information for \\?\Volume{8bc4b7b5-aec1-11df-9b47-000b6a8cfee8}\
Unable to get volume information for \\?\Volume{21127c63-aebf-11df-9ee3-000b6a8cfee8}\
D0,3,3,0,200049647616,0
P1,D:\,11,4367591424,1278177280,Yes,multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1),Yes,FAT32
P2,C:\,7,153728113664,96614756352,Yes,multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2),No,NTFS
P3,F:\,7,41940670464,36662960128,Yes,multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3),No,NTFS


C:\Program Files\NeoSmart Technologies\EasyBCD\bin>
 
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