Triple Boot:XP/Win7-64Bit/Win764Bit(ImageofWin7-64bit)

Note All my 3 x OS's are on the same disk but different partitions.

Before BCD:
-XP SP3 Installed (boots as C:
-Win7-64Bit (boots as C:
-Under Win7-64Bit I imaged Win7-64Bit to another partition called (ImageofWin7-64bit) using EasusBackup, no drive letter assigned yet.

EasyBCD:
-Installed this on Win7-64Bit (boots as C:
- Assigned drive letter H: to (ImageofWin7-64bit).
-Launched EasyBCD and added entry to Boot (ImageofWin7-64bit) on H: (I also really would like this to be drive C: when it boots?).

Rebooted system. All systems boot successfully but....
- (ImageofWin7-64bit) boots and changes made on the desktop also change desktop of (Win7-64Bit)
- I haven't tried launching apps on (ImageofWin7-64bit). Looking at the environment I have the following (many entries pointing to C: ) :
C:\>set
ALLUSERSPROFILE=H:\ProgramData
APPDATA=C:\Users\tony\AppData\Roaming
CommonProgramFiles=C:\Program Files\Common Files
CommonProgramFiles(x86)=C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files
CommonProgramW6432=C:\Program Files\Common Files
COMPUTERNAME=OBIWAN
ComSpec=H:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe
DEFLOGDIR=C:\ProgramData\McAfee\DesktopProtection
EMC_AUTOPLAY=C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Roxio Shared\
FP_NO_HOST_CHECK=NO
HOMEDRIVE=C:
HOMEPATH=\Users\tony
LOCALAPPDATA=C:\Users\tony\AppData\Local
LOGONSERVER=\\OBIWAN
NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=4
OS=Windows_NT
Path=H:\Windows\system32;H:\Windows;H:\Windows\System32\Wbem;H:\Windows\System32
\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Roxio Shared\DLLSha
red\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Roxio Shared\10.0\DLLShared\;C:\Program
Files (x86)\Autodesk\Backburner\
PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH;.MSC
PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=AMD64
PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel
PROCESSOR_LEVEL=6
PROCESSOR_REVISION=170a
ProgramData=H:\ProgramData
ProgramFiles=C:\Program Files
ProgramFiles(x86)=C:\Program Files (x86)
ProgramW6432=C:\Program Files
PROMPT=$P$G
PSModulePath=H:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\
PUBLIC=H:\Users\Public
RoxioCentral=C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Roxio Shared\10.0\Roxio Central
36\
SESSIONNAME=Console
SystemDrive=H:
SystemRoot=H:\Windows
TEMP=C:\Users\tony\AppData\Local\Temp
TMP=C:\Users\tony\AppData\Local\Temp
USERDOMAIN=OBIWAN
USERNAME=tony
USERPROFILE=C:\Users\tony
VSEDEFLOGDIR=C:\ProgramData\McAfee\DesktopProtection
windir=H:\Windows

-I guess I can easily change all this going through my environment variables via system properties etc chnging C: to H: to make (ImageofWin7-64bit) work properly and not affect Win7-64Bit partition...however will I encounter issues with reigistry entries and my apps launching/running?
-Is there a way to make my (ImageofWin7-64bit) also boot and reference itself as drive C:? Maybe installing EasyBCD to (ImageofWin7-64bit), change H: to C: and modify the BCD to now reference C:, I hesitate and ask the question now just in case this could be disasterous.

For completeness I will post my BCD dump in the next post.
 
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Check Disk Management flags to see if the OS you think you're running is the correct one.

Disk Management flags have the following meanings


"boot" = "this is the system you're running"
"system" = "this is where I found the boot files for the currently running system"
"active" (on the first HDD in the BIOS boot sequence) = "this is where I started the search for the boot files"
"active" (on subsequent HDDs in the BIOS boot sequence) ="this is where I will look if I don't find something in the MBR on the first HDD"
 
BCD Dump:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=E:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {9eff34e4-33ca-11df-b5af-c8cdfcb3430c}
resumeobject {9eff34e3-33ca-11df-b5af-c8cdfcb3430c}
displayorder {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c}
{9eff34e4-33ca-11df-b5af-c8cdfcb3430c}
{3a864255-3a2e-11e1-8566-00241d754366}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30
displaybootmenu Yes
Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c}
device partition=E:
path \ntldr
description Windows XP
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
***Morpheus Comment: This is the Win7-64Bit partition, the source image for my other partition***
identifier {9eff34e4-33ca-11df-b5af-c8cdfcb3430c}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {9eff34e5-33ca-11df-b5af-c8cdfcb3430c}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {9eff34e3-33ca-11df-b5af-c8cdfcb3430c}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
***Morpheus Comment: This is the (ImageofWin7-64bit) partition, the destination for my image of my other Win764Bit partition to this one, I wish to also boot this as C: if possible***
identifier {3a864255-3a2e-11e1-8566-00241d754366}
device partition=H:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 - AUTODESK
locale en-US
osdevice partition=H:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6dc8fbb1-3a34-11e1-a5de-806e6f6e6963}


Addendum:


Check Disk Management flags to see if the OS you think you're running is the correct one.

Disk Management flags have the following meanings


"boot" = "this is the system you're running"
"system" = "this is where I found the boot files for the currently running system"
"active" (on the first HDD in the BIOS boot sequence) = "this is where I started the search for the boot files"
"active" (on subsequent HDDs in the BIOS boot sequence) ="this is where I will look if I don't find something in the MBR on the first HDD"
---
If smileys show below they should be colons : ie C : ....arrrrrg
Note (I have other physical disks but they are irrelevant and I've renamed the partition names below from actuals to make sense to readers)

When booted to Win7-64Bit:
Disk0 <WinxP (E: *System, Active, Primary Partition> <Video (F: *Primary Partition, Win7-64Bit> <(C: *Boot,Page File,Crash Dump, Primary Partition> <H:Win7-64BitImageOfWin7-64Bit) *Primary Partition>

When booted to (Win7-64Bit-ImageOf-Win764BitAbove):
Disk0 <WinxP (E: *System, Active, Primary Partition> <Video (F: *Primary Partition, Win7-64Bit> <(C: *Primary Partition> <H:Win7-64BitImageOfWin7-64Bit) *Boot,Page File,Crash Dump, Primary Partition>

Ok so this shows we're really booting the H: drive as expected from the EasyBCD edit of BCD, also for my booted H: (The Imaged partition of Win7-64Bit) to STOP modifying settings of the imaged C: (Win7-64Bit), simply modifying the environment variables in Control Panel, System, Advanced System Settings, Click Environment Variables Button <Change anything referencing C: to H:> would likely resolve the problem. This is because some of the environment variables in booted H: are pointing to the C: profile, so changing screen saver and desktop image on booted H: also changes the source C: Win7-64Bit OS.

Now the key question is can my imaged copy of Win7 which boots as H: be made so that it works as C:. WinXP is seen as E: from the original Win7-64Bit partition both in disk manager and EasyBCD, however when we boot WinXP is references itself as C:, Ditto Win764Bit but not (Win7-64BitImageOfWin7-64Bit) which references itself as H:.

As mentioned previosuly I had thoughts that we could boot to H:, install another copy of EasyBCD, go into disk manager, Change H: to C: now it sees itself as C:, go into EasyBCD and now chnage the entry for (Win7-64BitImageOfWin7-64Bit) to boot C:.

I don't particulary want to do this unless someone has done this before as it could screw up something. My hpes from this would be:

WinXP (first OS installed) boots as C: as it always has.
Win7-64Bit Boots as C: as it always has (incidentaly this will be seen as another drive letter from WinXP as per other OS's and drives)
Win7-64BitImageOfWin7-64Bit should now also boot as C:

Also if I wiped Win7-64BitImageOfWin7-64Bit and installed a fresh copy of Win7 into that partition would that boot as C:? However I'd still prefer fudge my existing config as it would be quicker as all apps are in the imaged partition.

Sorry for the long windedness....but this could help some other peeps trying the same as me. It's a quick way to get multiple similar OS's for different things all working at optimum performance.
 
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The problem probably lies with the software you used to copy W7, or the option within it.
A true "clone" of a longhorn OS, i.e. a bit-for-bit identical copy, is not actually bootable.
That's because the BCD consists of UIDs (not letters as you see in an EasyBCD translation of the data), which are composed of the disk signature and the partition offset, which in the clone will be pointing to the original copy.
To make a "true clone" bootable, you need to run "startup repair" from your installation DVD several times and let it reconfigure the cloned BCD to match its current HDD and location.
To overcome this problem, some "clever" partition managers don't make a genuine clone, but a reconfigured copy with all the BCD entries fixed, but also a bulk-edit of the registry to change the C references to the next unused letter on the cloning OS.
You need to use an option like backup rather than copy, or an older, less "clever" partition manager, so that the C references in the registry aren't altered, then possibly repair the clone or even delete the boot files if you don't intend it to be bootable other than through the BCD of the original system, in which case you can add a menu entry with EasyBCD. Check the small print in the PM documentation.
I notice that XP is "system", so the duplicate BCD shouldn't be your problem, as W7 put its boot files with XP anyway, so they don't exist to be cloned.
 
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The problem probably lies with the software you used to copy W7, or the option within it.
A true "clone" of a longhorn OS, i.e. a bit-for-bit identical copy, is not actually bootable.
That's because the BCD consists of UIDs (not letters as you see in an EasyBCD translation of the data), which are composed of the disk signature and the partition offset, which in the clone will be pointing to the original copy.
To make a "true clone" bootable, you need to run "startup repair" from your installation DVD several times and let it reconfigure the cloned BCD to match its current HDD and location.
To overcome this problem, some "clever" partition managers don't make a genuine clone, but a reconfigured copy with all the BCD entries fixed, but also a bulk-edit of the registry to change the C references to the next unused letter on the cloning OS.
You need to use an option like backup rather than copy, or an older, less "clever" partition manager, so that the C references in the registry aren't altered, then possibly repair the clone or even delete the boot files if you don't intend it to be bootable other than through the BCD of the original system, in which case you can add a menu entry with EasyBCD. Check the small print in the PM documentation.
I notice that XP is "system", so the duplicate BCD shouldn't be your problem, as W7 put its boot files with XP anyway, so they don't exist to be cloned.

When you say (That's because the BCD consists of UID's (not letters as you see in EasyBCD)....with that statement as my cloned Win7 boots as H:, I should therefore perhaps be able to change the drive letter in the clone from H: to C:, would I need to install EasyBCD to the clone and get it to look at the BCD and make sure it either says C: post my disk letter change or change this if it does not. My thought here would now be XP boots as C: (no change), Win7-64Bit boots as C: (no change) and Win7-64BitCloneofWin764Bit now boots as C: (not H: as I've changed the drive letter) and EasyBCD has changed the boot UID accordingly (if needed).

Where you say run the startup repair to make the clone boot, I don't think I need to do this as the clone does boot but just refs itself as H: post the boot, as per the disk manager config. I guess each configuration of disk letters in each OS is independent of each booted OS (that's why XP sees itself as C: and also the source Win7-64Bit OS). So me switching the clone to C: whilst booted into the clone should have no effect on the source Win7-64Bit partition which also boots as C:?
 
My point is that if it boots referring to itself as H, then it's not a clone. It's a copy which has been manipulated by a 3rd party, otherwise it would still be C.
If you want it to be C, then don't use that particular software/command combination which modified it. Pick one which leaves it alone.
The letters in EasyBCD entries are just translations of the UIDs into the letter scheme as seen from the OS running EasyBCD.
If One is C and Two is H, and whichever one is booted agrees on that, then it doesn't matter which system runs EasyBCD it will translate the same way.
If both One and Two are C when booted, then EasyBCD will show 1=C and 2=something else when you run it on One, and the same BCD will show 1=something else and 2=C when you run EasyBCD on Two
 
Ok. The Easus software used to clone was using a file by file clone, as the destination partition had no drive letter, Easus auto assigned drive B:. When the clone finished I changed that to H: and installed EasyBCD and did the stuff and had the booting as H: problem.

Last night I dropped the partition with the clone on and used the same Easus software to do a sector by sector copy, it even copies the blank space so I had to change the partition sizes beforehand to allow the clone to proceed (destination too small). During the sector by sector clone it again picked drive B:. This time I will not change the drive letter. I'll run up EasyBCD and and do the stuff and see what happens. Incidentally someone advised me to buy Arconis Premium something or other package to perform the clone and it will also do something with the MBR. For the mo I'll just keep fiddling till it hopefully comes good. My final thing to try is what I've already posted by booting to the clone and assuming it's still not using C. I'll use disk manager to move the existing C (which in the clone is the source Win7) and force the clone to C and see whether EasyBCD can configure it.

I did initially try this last night but the existing C had open files on it as H: clone is looking at because some environment variables are set to C. I decided at that point to try your recommended sector by sector copy.......I'll update on the result of this.
 
Try booting the Partition Manager, not running it from the existing W7. As long as it's running on something called C, it can't create another.
Or use its backup facility to image the current W7, but restore it, not on top of the current OS but onto a fresh disk.
 
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