Remove XP from XP/Vista Dual Boot System

O

orgbrat

Member
I have a dual boot setup - XP and Vista - on two separate SATA internal drives.
According to the Vista Disk Management utility the XP drive is Disk 0 and the Vista drive is Disk 1.

I dowloaded your BCD tool and here is it's interpertation of the boot loader.

Code: 
[SIZE=1]Windows Boot Manager[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]--------------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]device partition=D:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]description Windows Boot Manager[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]locale en-US[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]default {60382d57-916a-11db-9c1d-ee341cc2d54a}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]resumeobject {60382d58-916a-11db-9c1d-ee341cc2d54a}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]displayorder {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]{60382d57-916a-11db-9c1d-ee341cc2d54a}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]timeout 30[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Windows Legacy OS Loader[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]------------------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]identifier {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]device partition=D:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]path \ntldr[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]description Earlier Version of Windows[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Windows Boot Loader[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]-------------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]identifier {60382d57-916a-11db-9c1d-ee341cc2d54a}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]device partition=C:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]path \Windows\system32\winload.exe[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]description Microsoft Windows Vista[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]locale en-US[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]osdevice partition=C:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]systemroot \Windows[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]resumeobject {60382d58-916a-11db-9c1d-ee341cc2d54a}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]nx OptIn[/SIZE]

Vista reports that Drive D:\ the XP drive is having major problems and may be failing. I would like to remove XP from the boot loader and just try to format the XP ( D:\ ) drive for a data drive. So maybe this will fix my disk errors or if needed, I would be able to just replace the failed drive. How can I accomplish this or what other information can I supply to this post that will let some one lead me down the path of this process.

Your assistance would be very much appreciated. Thanks...

Orgbrat
 
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Hello Orgbrat and Welcome to NeoSmart Technologies!!

Well my first suggestion is to open Computer and right click on the XP Drive. From there go under Tools and run Check Disk on the XP Drive to see if that can fix any of the errors. If so then you should be good to go. If not the drive is fully failing and using it as a data drive will not benefit you as you will lose hte data you store on it. :wink:

The easiest way to accomplish what you want is to just open EasyBCD and remove the XP entries. Save the BCD and restart. From there go into Disk Management. Start Orb>Right click Computer>Manage>Disk Management. Right click the XP Drive and format it. That should clear it up to use as a data drive.
 
Does it matter that the XP drive is Disk 0? Is there anything on the XP disk such as Master Boot Record that would be lost and cause the Boot process a problem if the drive failed and I had to remove it?

Orgbrat
 
In the disk management screen it will tell you which disk is the active system disk. That is the disk that contains the boot info. So if that is the XP Disk then i would definately suggest you make the Vista disk the active system disk and use EasyBCD to put the boot info on there. Before you get rid of XP that way you have something to boot into after you get rid of XP.

The other thing you can do is go into the Folder Options and unhide all the files, system files included. From there go to the XP drive and copy over all boot files and folders. That way both disks have a copy of them and you will be able to boot after you make the Vista disk the active system disk.

I may be wrong on my take of how this works. But i dont think i am. Mahmoud should be able to clarify if i am correct on my line of thinking.
 
Well, the EasyBCD log you posted above actually gives us the information you need to proceed.

According to that log, Windows XP is the boot drive (and so it has the important MBR and the boot files).

You probably will not be allowed to copy and paste the BOOT folder to the Vista drive thanks to Vista's myraid of "access denied" errors (even if you're the uber-administrator and UAC is disabled).

Just remove the XP drive, plug the Vista drive in its place, and boot from the Vista DVD, the perform an automated startup recovery.
 
Ahh now i see it.

device partition=D:
description Earlier Version of Windows
device partition=C:
description Microsoft Windows Vista
Click to expand...

That is where you got that info right? It says that D: is hte boot drive which makes it the XP Drive. Which means that C: is the Vista drive and will crash upon formatting the XP Drive and that the Vista DVD will be required to boot again.

What if the files are copied over from XP where you wont get UAC or permission denied problem's copying over the files? Would it work then?
 
Actually it's this that gives the definite answer:
Code: 
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=D:

And D: happens to be the partition he'd like to remove.

As for copying the files from within XP - never tried it, so I can't vouch for it or recommend it.... It's worth a try, but it isn't too difficult to use the automated repair thanks to the recovery disc and other stuff - it's probably not worth the risk of trying some other way.
 
Okay. Still trying to figure out how you read those logs from EasyBCD. I think i am getting the hang of it.
 
This is exactly the situation I have. I've tried most of the suggestions from the forum and I cant help thinking I'm nealry there. The last hurdle I think is that my Vista drive is not marked as "System" in Computer management. If I remove the XP drive from the system then I cannot boot at all even after the Vista Recovery DVD has done what it thinks it needs to do.

Any ideas on how to mark the Vista drive as System?

Thanks
 
Drive Failed completely..

Well I guessI wanted until the drive failed. The XP drive failed completely. I am trying to do what you suggested. I removed the XP drive and plugged the SATA cable to the Vista drive. I can run bootrec.exe /ScanOs and I get the following:

Sucessfully scanned Windows Installations
Total identified Windows Installations: 1
[1] C:/Windows
The operation completed successfully.

I then ran bootrec.exe /fixmbr
Result : The operation completed sucessfully

If I run bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force
Result : bootsect.exe is not regonized error

So, I found that "bootrec.exe /fixboot" was same thing
I tried that and I get "Element not found." error

I am down, can someone please help...

Orgbrat
 
Hi org,
If you've just got the Vista system in the PC but it won't boot, you should be able to boot from the Vista installation DVD and just request a repair rather than an install. Vista should recognise the broken boot and fix it automatically. It warns that you may need to do the repair more than once, but if you check the optional log file, it will say if and when it's repaired the boot.
 
This was a dual boot that the XP drive failed. See first post at top for details.

I have been searching the internet for a possible solution to the "Element not found." error when using the "bootrec.exe /fixboot" command. Several forums make note that the Vista drive's partition needs to be made active. Since you can only have one active partion and that was on the XP drive that failed. It would make sense that the Vista drive needs to be active. But how do I do this at this point in time? Anyone got any solutions?

Orgbart
 
The solution is what Terry had already suggested. Your boot drive was the XP Drive. That is where all your boot info was stored. This was the discussion between me and Mahmoud from post 5 on. We noted that your Boot drive was the XP Drive and by removing it would cause the failure of Vista to boot.

You will have to restore the Vista bootlaoder as Terry suggested. Either via the Vista DVD or the Vista Recovery CD. This was also noted by myself and Mahmoud. You can have more than one active drive. If you have several drives. You can have only 1 active partition per drive. Since you had 2 drives this was not a issue.

If you feel that the Vista drive is not active downlaod and burn GParted and sue that to make the Vista drive active and boot drive. then use the Vista DVD to restore the Vista bootloader.
 
Ok, the "Element not found error." did seem to be that the Vista drive partition was not set to active. I had a copy of Partition Magic, so started the PC into that program and set the Vista disc partion to active. That fixed the "Element not found." error.

The system will now try to boot to the Vista disc but gets a "BootMngr Missing" error.

So, I decided it was time for "Step Four: Nuclear Holocaust"

Action : bootrec.exe /fixmbr
Result : Completed successfully

Action : bootrec.exe /fixboot
Result : Completed successfully

Action : ren C:\boot\bcd bcd.bak
Result : Completed

Action : bcdedit.exe /createstore C:\boot\bcd
Result : Completed Successfully

Action : bcdedit.exe /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager"
Result : Failed
Error : The boot configuration data store could not be opened. The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid.

On a side note, now that I marked the partition active when I boot with the Vista DVD and go to recovery. The recovery screen actually finds the Vista OS, knows it is Vista Ultimate and knows where it is. Just a side note...

I am really, really open for suggestions....

Orgbrat

Addendum:

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you very much......

Vista is up and running. Oh, I am so glad to see that Vista desktop!!!!

You folks and this forum were a tremendous help....

It is very much appreciated....

Orgbrat
 
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It is great to hear that you got Vista back. Just a heads up what did you do to fix it? That way if another user stops by with this error we can give them info on how to fix it. Much Appreciated.
 
After setting the Vista drive to active with Partition magic. And then So, deciding it was time for "Step Four: Nuclear Holocaust" where the bcdedit.exe /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager" command failed.

I then went back into recovery screen from Vista DVD for the hundreth time and told Vista to do the "Startup Repair" which I had already tried numerous times. But this time it was magic, when the system restarted it booted right into windows as nothing had been wrong. The installed Vista did find the new active partion, made some changes and asked for another reboot. we were then up and running with no errors after that reboot.

The "Element not found error." was the Vista drive not having an active partition.

I want to thank you very much again. Your help was the absolute difference in saving the Vista install and a reformat. Since this was a developer's machine, it takes days to get everything loaded and set up to build .Net projects again. You know everything has to benn just right. So I thought it was worth a few hours to save. Thanks...

Steve Graddy MCP, MCPS, MCNPS, MCAD
Orgbrat Consulting ( Microsoft Certified Partner )
orgbrat@orgbrat.com
 
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