Multiboot XP and Windows 7

P

printit

Member
Hi all,
I have read 100 threads from many different forums and I have yet to resolve my problem. My friend's machine, my build, has Windows XP home edition installed. I installed a new HD and installed Windows 7 professional on it. I am unable to boot Windows 7.
I have been through the repair process; I have gone to the System tab in Control Panel; I have attempted to boot that disc from the boot command; all to no avail.
I have read many references to the BCD tool but I don't know how to install it using only XP.
XP has been her OS for 2 years and she wants that preserved intact as some software on that drive has not been updated for 7.
Where do I start? I've tried every workaround possible. According to Microsoft the second installation should show up in the boot menu and allow me to choose but it's not happening.
Thanks!
 
Terry thanks. I've done that by hitting F8 and selecting the drive and hitting enter. "Disk Boot failure. Insert system disc and hit enter."
I've inserted the Win7 disc and XP starts.
View attachment screen capture.bmp

full screen capture.JPG
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Can you set folder options like this, then post a screenshot of the root of the W7 and XP partitions (as attached) so we can see what got installed, and where.
 

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Terry here's a response to a similar problem:
get the dvd. when you get to the second screen (after you choose your language) go to repair your computer.
go to command prompt and type this in without the quotes (") :
"bootrec /fixmbr"
press enter.
Type this in without the quotes (") :
"bootrec /FixBoot"
press enter.
Restart.

It appears the OS is there. I haven't removed the cable to the XP drive. XP boots up even with the 7 DVD in the tray. I first installed 7 with the cable to the XP HDD disconnected. That didn't work so I formatted the drive for 7 and loaded it again. That takes us to where we are now.
I can at any time format the HDD with 7. There are no other programs installed nor files to save.
 
Ok, obviously, whatever HDD you have first in the boot sequence (probably XP's) does not have W7's MBR and PBR, but is instead still using the XP version, which is why you're still booting into XP.

To solve this problem:

Boot into XP.
Install the latest version of EasyBCD.
Run it.
Go to the "Manage Bootloader" section (might be phrased differently now; I haven't been keeping up with all the latest versions of Easy for a while), select "Reinstall the Vista/7 Bootloader" (or something which basically means the same thing), hit "Write MBR". You should have a Vista/7 MBR and PBR. So, now, go to a different page of EasyBCD, hit the "Recreate Boot Files" button or something to that effect, go to the boot entries page, add a W7 entry, pointing it at the drive letter of the W7 system (I'm guessing that's probably E:smile:, click Add Entry, then next add an XP entry, letting it auto-configure when it offers to.

Now, reboot, and you should have a dual-boot.
 
That sounds "Cool". I will give it a try a little later today. While it seems so simple I have had to keep in mind that I don't want to create problems for her XP installation. As you might guess then she would be out of a computer and it would not be a happy dance!
 
My screenshot is fuzzy ?
Did you click on it to see the proper version, not the thumbnail ?
Your screenshots however don't get big enough to read, so I can't really see them, but just from the general size and the "faded" nature of the hidden files, it appears that there is no W7 \boot folder anywhere.
Did you install with other devices attached ?
Can you locate a \boot folder anywhere on your PC ?
did the W7 install finish properly ?

Jake's instructions will let EasyBCD fix the problem for you, if that's the only problem, but first you need to determine why a perfectly normal W7 install did not work properly.
Bootmgr and the \boot\BCD stuff should all have been installed on the "system" drive, which will vary depending on how you installed W7 (empty space or preformatted partition, other system(s) visible or not), but in any case it should be somewhere.
If it isn't you need to investigate what else might be wrong with the install.
 
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Terry it is much clearer now. What you require is not what I gave you. Since I'm working remotely on this problem it might be tomorrow before I can take another screen shot. The previous shots had to be resized in order to upload them.
Thanks for getting back. I'm not sure if 7 loaded completely or correctly as I didn't do the latest install. I'll be sure to read what you have here and see what I have. I don't have a lot of experience getting into OS files or commands.
 
Have you checked your H:/ drive for the "boot" folder, BCD, and bootmgr?
I'm guessing that's probably where they ended up when you installed W7.
Most likely the reason it did so is because you must have had the H:/ HDD first in the boot sequence of the BIOS, during the installation, and then you later must have put the XP HDD first.

Quick question:
Have you tried putting H:/'s drive back as first in the boot sequence? Though obviously you would not want W7 booting all the time from an HDD which you use to store videos on, it should at least be able to get you into W7.
And then, you could always use EasyBCD's "Change Boot Drive" function to make your XP HDD the drive all OSes are booting from, and then just add an XP entry to the BCD, letting it auto-configure, reboot, put your XP HDD back as first in the boot sequence, continue with my earlier instructions, reboot again, and your system will be dual-booting like it should.
 
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Here's the log: Originally I disconnected the XP (C) drive and installed 7 on the E drive. 7 booted but we couldn't get back to XP, which she needs to have to operate since all of her embroidery software is on there. I was under the impression that MS would detect the 2 OS and display a boot screen from which to choose which OS to run. I didn't know about BCD or how to use it and thus consulted as many forums as I could find. I then formatted the E drive and she had XP to work with. I installed 7 on the E drive and couldn't get it to boot even after attempting to repair the startup. I went into the BIOS many times, changing the boot sequence and the HDD boot sequence. XP would boot, 7 just gave me a boot error. Further investigation took me here, but I couldn't figure out how to install the software (some instructions said to install it on the XP drive before you install 7; some the other way around, etc.). I was also confused with all of the GRUB files.......not knowing which were the boot files.
So, at this point I have both OS installed, XP on C and 7 on E. I can easily format E since the OS is all that is on there. I'll try anything you can suggest!
Thanks for the help. I can't wait to do this again........
 
Since W7 is brand-new and uncustomized, and takes so little time to install compared to previous Windows, I'd advise
Format the E: drive again with the partition layout of your choice. (don't leave it as empty space and let the W7 install format it for you - that causes it to create a "secret" boot partition and no-end of unnecessary complication, only of relevance to users who wish to encrypt the entire OS)
Disconnect the XP drive and install W7 to the partition you've chosen for it.
Reconnect the XP drive, keep W7 first in the BIOS boot sequence
Boot W7, install EasyBCD 2.0 latest build.
"Add New Entry"
Windows Tab - XP dropdown
Add Entry
EasyBCD will offer to auto-configure your XP dual boot
Say Yes.

Your XP HDD will be untouched, and should you ever need to, you could always boot XP natively in future ( if the W7 exploded e.g.) by just putting it first in the BIOS.

When your dual boot is working, go into XP and apply this hack.
If you don't, every time XP is booted for the needlework software (or anything else) it will destroy W7's restore points.
Set system restore on both XP and W7, on for its own partition, off for every other partition. That way SR should work properly on both OSs without cross-system interference.
 
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Dang that was easy! I don't know why or how I got into an endless circle but following your instructions step by step were succinct and successful! I'll leave it here.....and she thanks you also........that anyone should follow these steps.....including the partitioning......and it is so easy.
One thing that was weird: Even though I had formatted the drive the startup showed 3 "windows 7". There again the software deleted the ones I did not need (after CAREFULLY making sure which ones were false) and deleted them. Now it's very kewl.
Thank you all!
 
printit said:
Here's the log: Originally I disconnected the XP (C) drive and installed 7 on the E drive. 7 booted but we couldn't get back to XP, which she needs to have to operate since all of her embroidery software is on there. I was under the impression that MS would detect the 2 OS and display a boot screen from which to choose which OS to run.
Click to expand...
It would have if you had left XP's HDD connected when installing 7. But if you wanted the dual-boot controlled from W7's HDD, you would have needed to have W7'S HDD as first in the boot sequence of the BIOS.
I didn't know about BCD or how to use it and thus consulted as many forums as I could find. I then formatted the E drive and she had XP to work with. I installed 7 on the E drive and couldn't get it to boot even after attempting to repair the startup. I went into the BIOS many times, changing the boot sequence and the HDD boot sequence. XP would boot, 7 just gave me a boot error. Further investigation took me here, but I couldn't figure out how to install the software (some instructions said to install it on the XP drive before you install 7; some the other way around, etc.).
Click to expand...
EasyBCD can work from either XP or W7. It does not matter really, as long as .Net Framework is installed in the OS you're attempting to run Easy from. The only exception to this is if EasyBCD can't find the BCD from XP (which is sometimes the case).
I was also confused with all of the GRUB files.......not knowing which were the boot files.
So, at this point I have both OS installed, XP on C and 7 on E. I can easily format E since the OS is all that is on there. I'll try anything you can suggest!
Thanks for the help. I can't wait to do this again........
Click to expand...
Unless you want to keep formatting and reinstalling W7 every time you have a problem, it is generally best to leave it as it is, and just fix the boot once and for all. :wink:

EDIT: Nevermind...I see you already reformatted, as per Terry's instructions.
Congratulations on fixing W7 by reinstalling...
 
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