Quad Boot problems

A

anteup711

Member
Had dual boot win7 32bit&XP. 2 XP os on same hhd. All 3 worked well. Added SSD with win7 64bit. Used easybcd but now it's a quad boot with 7-64 7-32 & 2 Xp's.
2 win 7's boot fine but both xp's say nst\ntldr missing or corrupt. Could sure use some help fixing this problem. Thanks
 
Sounds like you've switched to booting via the newest OS on the SSD ?
XP boot files have to be on the "active" "system" partition (no matter where the OS is located).
EasyBCD does that for you by placing copies of the necessary files in the correct location.
You will have done that previously on what was then your controlling OS.
That's no longer the correct place.
If you delete the XP entry(ies) from the BCD and add them again, EasyBCD should recreate the necessary stuff in the new correct location.
I say entry(ies) because you may or may not be aware that there is no need to have a two-tier boot menu (select XP from the bootmgr menu, then select an individual XP from the subsequent NTLDR menu) if you use EasyBCD.
Though that is an architectural feature of NTLDR (only one per BCD), Neosmart has created a smarter NTLDR clone (EasyLDR) which will allow multiple XPs to appear in the BCD. giving you a single menu at boot-up.
Read all about it here
Windows XP
 
Terry--can't thank you enough. Totally fixed my problem. Well, almost lol. I'm able to boot into one of my XP os but not the other. It starts to load and then reboots. I try it again, window pops up load normally or safe mode--tried safe mode-starts to load and then reboots but this time doesn't give me the boot menu. Just freezes there until I reboot. It used to work fine. Can see you're busy but any ideas would be appreciated. Not all that knowledgeable about computers--learned what I know by trial and error. Am an old (75) man and my memory isn't what it used to be. Wish I could buy you a beer. Seems you've done so much for so many people. Thanks again for your help.
 
Can you post a screenshot of your Disk Management and copy/paste the contents of EasyBCD "view settings" (detailed mode)
 
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {a8150081-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
resumeobject {a8150080-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
displayorder {a8150081-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
{a8150084-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
{a815008e-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
{a815008f-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {a8150081-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 64bit
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {a8150082-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {a8150080-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
nx OptIn
bootmenupolicy Standard

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {a8150084-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
device partition=F:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 32bit
locale en-US
osdevice partition=F:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {bd571a15-2e3a-11e9-8858-806e6f6e6963}
bootmenupolicy Standard

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {a815008e-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
device partition=C:
path \NST\ntldr
description Microsoft Windows XP
custom:250000c2 1

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {a815008f-2d90-11e9-b171-9d1f1aec125c}
device partition=C:
path \NST\ntldr
description Microsoft Windows XP
custom:250000c2 1
Couldn't figure out how to attach the Disk Management screenshot but did figure out how to attach the EasyBCD info you asked for. When everything worked, there were only 2 items in boot menu-Win7 and XP. When I'd click on XP, it would bring up both of my XP option I guess because they were on different partitions on the same hhd. Now when I boot, it shows both win7's and 2 XP's. One won't load-the other is fine.
Info on Disk Management= Disk0-New Volume C
Disk1-Win7 F-L-M
Disk2-OS2(G)-OS1(N)-H-I-J-K
Thanks again Terry for your help.
 
I have 1 SSD hhd with win7 64bit----1 WD hhd with win7 32bit----1 Max hhd with 2 XP's
Disk MGMT shows Disk 2-OS2 G Healthy Active Primary----OS1 N Healthy Primary
When setting everything up on EasyBCD originally, I set the two XP's as G & N and couldn't boot into either. Kept getting NTLDR error. Deleted both XP's and added XP again and let EasyBCE assign drive letters which is why they are both on C: Now I can boot into the N partition but not the G partition. At least I can get into one of them now. Are you saying I should change them to N and G again?
 
You can't have 2 different OS's on the same partition, that's why one of the OS's is always inaccessible.
EasyBCD can only see what Disk Management sees so while signed into that OS, note the disk lettering for each system and then check what EasyBCD says. Edit accordinly and make sure you back the BCD up once fixed.
 
Actually the 2 XP OS's are on 2 different partitions. Partitions G & N. Before I added the SSD drive with win7 64bit, I was able to access both XP OS's with Win7 32 bit as first boot option. 2nd boot option was XP and when I'd click on the XP, 2 XP options would appear and I could click on either and they both worked. Adding the SSD drive changed all the drive letters. Thanks for telling be about the back up for BCD. Didn't know that was possible.
 
I meant you can't have two OS's showing up on the same drive letter in EasyBCD, you need to go to the Edit Boot Menu section and make sure the drives are allocated the same drive letters as the ones you see they are on when viewing from that OS. I think you may have to override what EasyBCD is allocating automatically in your case.
 
Both of you guys are way smarter then I am for sure. Would love to sit around in some lounge in Vegas, have a few drinks and talk puter stuff lol.
 
Read the link I gave you in my first reply.
You can't have two NTLDRs in one BCD because NTLDR must be on the "system" partition.
You need to delete your XP entries and add them manually as described in the link.
That will then use EasyLDR, which can appear in the BCD twice.
 
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