I'm doing development work on an XP machine. I needed three XP systems -- the "existing" system that worked with the existing Lab hardware, a "new" system that would (ultimately) work with the "new" hardware, and a "testing" system that I could use to develop and test. I was able to build
bootable XP systems on partitions of three hard drives in this machine, and EasyBCD handled the Boot chores like a champ.
Because I ultimately hope to migrate to Windows 7, I also installed Windows 7 on this system, and could now boot to one of three XP systems or Windows 7. However, I needed to make the Windows 7 system "temporarily invisible" -- as I couldn't figure out how to do this, I simply removed its EasyBCD entry (thereby making it "out of sight"), intended to add it back in later.
I just tried to do this, but it didn't work. I "followed the directions" -- I ran EasyBCD from the C: drive (having booted the "main" XP system which lives on Disk 0). This is the partition that Disk Management calls "System". When booted here, the partition with Windows 7 (the second partition of Disk 2) is called D:, so that's the Drive Letter I use with EasyBCD.
When I reboot and choose Windows 7, it seems to come up. But shortly after (or during) the Logon process, the keyboard, mouse, and display all freeze, requiring a Power Off to recover.
Here is my disk layout (when booted to what I think, but am not sure, is the "main" XP system):
Disk 0, Partition 1 Windows XP #1, Drive C:, partition marked "System"
Disk 1, Partition 1 Windows XP #2, Drive X:, partition marked "Active"
Partition 2 Data disk, Drive E:
Disk 2, Partition 1 Windows XP #3, Drive Y:, partition marked "Active"
Partition 2 Windows 7, Drive D:
If I look in the EasyBCD entries, they look as follows:
Entry 1, XP #3, default BCD ID, Drive C:, using \NST\easyldr1
Entry 2, XP #1, "real" BCD ID, Drive C:, using \NTLDR
Entry 3, XP #2, "real" BCD ID, Drive C:, using \NST\easyldr2
Entry 4, Windows 7, "real" BCD ID, Drive D:, using \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Writing this, I realize two things. First, I'm not certain I don't have XP #2 and XP #3 mixed up. Second, it is curious that all the EasyBCD entries, except the Windows 7 entry, specify Drive C:. I do remember when Windows 7 "used to" boot, it would assign itself Drive C:.
I'm happy to provide more information, or try things. Incidently, I did try booting Windows 7 in Safe mode -- it froze while I was typing in my password.
Thanks for suggestions and help.
Bob Schor
bootable XP systems on partitions of three hard drives in this machine, and EasyBCD handled the Boot chores like a champ.
Because I ultimately hope to migrate to Windows 7, I also installed Windows 7 on this system, and could now boot to one of three XP systems or Windows 7. However, I needed to make the Windows 7 system "temporarily invisible" -- as I couldn't figure out how to do this, I simply removed its EasyBCD entry (thereby making it "out of sight"), intended to add it back in later.
I just tried to do this, but it didn't work. I "followed the directions" -- I ran EasyBCD from the C: drive (having booted the "main" XP system which lives on Disk 0). This is the partition that Disk Management calls "System". When booted here, the partition with Windows 7 (the second partition of Disk 2) is called D:, so that's the Drive Letter I use with EasyBCD.
When I reboot and choose Windows 7, it seems to come up. But shortly after (or during) the Logon process, the keyboard, mouse, and display all freeze, requiring a Power Off to recover.
Here is my disk layout (when booted to what I think, but am not sure, is the "main" XP system):
Disk 0, Partition 1 Windows XP #1, Drive C:, partition marked "System"
Disk 1, Partition 1 Windows XP #2, Drive X:, partition marked "Active"
Partition 2 Data disk, Drive E:
Disk 2, Partition 1 Windows XP #3, Drive Y:, partition marked "Active"
Partition 2 Windows 7, Drive D:
If I look in the EasyBCD entries, they look as follows:
Entry 1, XP #3, default BCD ID, Drive C:, using \NST\easyldr1
Entry 2, XP #1, "real" BCD ID, Drive C:, using \NTLDR
Entry 3, XP #2, "real" BCD ID, Drive C:, using \NST\easyldr2
Entry 4, Windows 7, "real" BCD ID, Drive D:, using \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Writing this, I realize two things. First, I'm not certain I don't have XP #2 and XP #3 mixed up. Second, it is curious that all the EasyBCD entries, except the Windows 7 entry, specify Drive C:. I do remember when Windows 7 "used to" boot, it would assign itself Drive C:.
I'm happy to provide more information, or try things. Incidently, I did try booting Windows 7 in Safe mode -- it froze while I was typing in my password.
Thanks for suggestions and help.
Bob Schor