NavyChief Help Please

Terry,

I know for sure I am booting from the XP C: drive. I am not able to boot into the Vista drive at all. All I get is that black background error screen I posted a picture of.

Pete
 
Here is some more information.

I made sure that the "removable drive" was listed first in bios, then HD, then CD/DVD.

I have all FOUR hard drives connected: C, D, E (XP Drives), and J (Vista).

With the XP drives connected, I am able to boot into C and D, but get the following error, if I try to boot into D:

"windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe"

As was the case before, I am not able to boot into the VISTA drive, with or without the xp drives connected.

Thanks.

Pete
 

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Ok, so please post the contents of "boot.ini" which you should find in the root of your (C) partition....:wink: Most likely that is what is configured wrong (in the case of trying to boot into the XP that is on (D) ). Also, when you trying to boot into the Vista drive, did you make sure it came first in the boot sequence in the BIOS?

Cheers,

Jake
 
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Thanks Jake:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="FSX" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Main" /fastdetect/usepmtimer /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="FS9" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
 
retnavycpo said:
Thanks Jake:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="FSX" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Main" /fastdetect/usepmtimer /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="FS9" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
Click to expand...

Ok, so see the numbers I marked in bold? :wink: Notice the line that begins in "default"? It is pointed at "rdisk(2)" which doesn't match with any of the entries below "[operating systems]". So you probably get an error message if you wait 30 seconds at the XP boot menu without selecting any of the entries.

Ok, to determine the actual correct drive and partitions your XP entries need to be pointed at in boot.ini, you need to run the following commands (one at a time) in EasyBCD's Power Console in the "Useful Utilies" section, and post their output:

Code: 
MbrFix /drive 0
bootpart
That is because Disk Management can not be trusted to display the correct drive numbers as related to the BIOS.

Cheers,

Jake

EDIT: You said you get that error screen when booting from Vista's drive, but the screenshot that you just posted from XP shows the Vista drive connected ! What is up with that? Do you mean you get to a boot menu from which you have the options to boot into either XP or Vista with the Vista drive connected, and when you select Vista, you can't boot into it, but when you select the XP entry you get to a new boot menu, namely one that has 3 entries to boot into XP?
 
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Ok, here's what happens.

I have all four drives connected, but I never get a screen which offers to boot into Vista.

The only screen I get lists the XP drives, and IF the Vista drive is connected, then I am only able to boot into TWO of the THREE XP drives; specifically C: and E:, but NOT D:

Now, if I disconnect the Vista drive, then I get the same screen as mentioned above, and can get into D: drive as well.

and whether I am not able to boot into the Vista drive period, but AM able to see the files in it.

Addendum:

I must not be doing things correctly, because am trying to enter the commands you told me to, one at time in BCD, but am getting error msgs.....

Pete
 
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Pete.
You should leave the XP C: HDD as first hard disk in the boot sequence. It's supposed to boot Vista too because it's the "system" drive where Vista put its bootmgr and BCD.
The reason why it's not booting Vista is because the partition boot record is still telling it to boot NTLDR (XP's boot loader) which cannot be made to boot Vista.
The reason why D boots when you disconnect Vista is that NTLDR numbers the disks (the rdisk value) from the what the BIOS calls them, and when you remove Vista the relative disk number of D matches what you've got in boot.ini. When you connect J: the D: disk changes its rdisk value, and no longer matches the value in boot.ini.
You need to change the PBR on the XP partition so that it looks for bootmgr not ntldr.
Then the BCD will take over the boot process and you can use it to chain to ntldr and get your XPs booting through Vista.
To use our repair disk to let it "startup repair" which will fix the PBR, you must go back into the BIOS and put CD before HDD in the boot sequence, not after HDD as you have it at the moment.
Then try booting the recovery disk.
We'll get all the XPs booting correctly after we've fixed the Vista boot first.

Jake - the default in boot.ini does match the 1st entry in the OS list
 
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Terry60 said:
You need to change the PBR on the XP partition so that it looks for bootmgr not ntldr. Then the BCD will take over the boot process and you can use it to chain to ntldr and get your XPs booting through Vista. To use our repair disk to let it "startup repair" which will fix the PBR, you must go back into the BIOS and put CD before HDD in the boot sequence, not after HDD as you have it at the moment. Then try booting the recovery disk.
We'll get all the XPs booting correctly after we've fixed the Vista boot first.

Jake - the default in boot.ini does match the 1st entry in the OS list
Click to expand...

Not really sure how to accomplish what you are saying to do, but will try. Thanks. Pete
 
When you've got the boot sequence right (CD before HDD, then XP HDD 1st in the HDD list), follow the advice in post 19.
The recovery disk repair will replace the PBR with the Vista version instead of the XP version which is there at the moment. (It doesn't matter that it's the XP partition - the important thing is that it carries the "system" flag which means that all Windows boot files must be on there, including Vista's. But Vista won't (can't) boot till the PBR looks for bootmgr instead of NTLDR.)
 
Terry60 said:
Jake - the default in boot.ini does match the 1st entry in the OS list
Click to expand...
Oh...you're right. :S I'm sorry. I could have sworn I saw a different value there the first time...I guess I misread.

Terry60 said:
When you've got the boot sequence right (CD before HDD, then XP HDD 1st in the HDD list), follow the advice in post 19.
The recovery disk repair will replace the PBR with the Vista version instead of the XP version which is there at the moment. (It doesn't matter that it's the XP partition - the important thing is that it carries the "system" flag which means that all Windows boot files must be on there, including Vista's. But Vista won't (can't) boot till the PBR looks for bootmgr instead of NTLDR.)
Click to expand...

@ Pete: And if that doesn't work for some reason, from EasyBCD's Power Console in XP, run:

Code: 
bootsect.exe nt60 /force C:
That will replace XP's PBR with Vista's instead, which looks for bootmgr, and you should then be able to boot into Vista. :wink:

Cheers,

Jake

Addendum:

retnavycpo said:
Addendum:

I must not be doing things correctly, because am trying to enter the commands you told me to, one at time in BCD, but am getting error msgs.....

Pete
Click to expand...

Are you trying it from the Power Console in the "Useful Utilities" section of EasyBCD? :wink: And if so, at what point are you getting the error messages? And could you please describe in detail what they say?
 
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I'm just hanging on the ledge Pete to see this thing work......

Now...You goyya remember what you did so if you loose a HDD and format, you'll be able to get it going again...LOL:??
 
Not sure what to do next.

When I execute BCD, I am not sure what to select at the opening screen. If I do nothing, then I get the error screen.

Pete
 

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Ok, enter the drive letter your "system" partition has in Disk Management, and push Ok. :wink: BTW, what version of EasyBCD are you currently using?
 
I am using 1.7.2.

If I choose "C" drive, which is the System drive, then I get the error msg I posted. Then the BCD console screen comes up.

Pete
 
retnavycpo said:
I am using 1.7.2.

If I choose "C" drive, which is the System drive, then I get the error msg I posted. Then the BCD console screen comes up.

Pete
Click to expand...

You need to go into the Disk Management in the OS you are in currently, and look at the partitions again. You may find that the drive letter of the "system" partition has changed from a C: to something else...:wink:

Your Disk Management screenshots do not match with each other. I'm thinking that all the posted screenshots were not taken from the XP OS that is on the partition named "XP Media" (which is your "system" partition). :smile:

Cheers,

Jake
 
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Thanks for all your help. Harleyman, I think I will pay the computer repair shop up in Murphy, NC (closest one) some bucks before I go through the reinstall process. Damn, this is maddening. I am positive it's something I did, and correctable by someone with more knowledge than I (which isn't saying much, but I know enough about computers to be dangerous).
 
Sorry Pete. I guess I spoke a little too hastily in my last post...probably due to the fact that I was in a hurry, and had to get to work. :wink: Ok, so let's start out with basic things first. First of all, have you got past that latest error message from EasyBCD yet? And was "C" indeed the "system" partition in the Disk Management from whatever OS you were running in those latest screenshots you posted?
Actually, an easy solution to your problem is one I mentioned previously, but for whatever reason did not follow up on it before when you failed to do it. Ok, so from XP (at this point it doesn't really matter which XP it is, I don't think) download and install the latest beta version of EasyBCD. Verify that the Vista drive is connected. Next, open up EasyBCD, and go the "Manage bootloader" section. Select "Reinstall the Vista bootloader" option if not already selected, and click on "Write MBR". Be aware that this will likely write Vista's bootloader to the MBR instead of XP's, so that means you will need two entries in your BCD file, one to boot XP and the other to boot Vista. Not only that, but you need to first make sure that the "boot.ini" file is pointed at the correct partitions that the XPs are installed to, before you reboot (otherwise you would likely get a horrible error message when booting, and you wouldn't be able to boot at all). Now, in EasyBCD, add the two entries in the Add/Remove Entries section, under the Windows tab, making sure to select the "XP" option in the "Type" menu for the XP entry (and to hit Yes when you get to the prompt asking you if you want EasyBCD to automatically configure boot.ini for you), and to select the "Vista Longhorn loader" option for the Vista entry.

Now hopefully when you reboot, you will be able to boot into Vista, as well as all the XPs.

Cheers,

Jake

EDIT: And when you got that latest error message with EasyBCD 1.7.2., was the Vista drive connected at that point?
 
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