Vista - Xp Dual Boot. Boot.ini Question

Following your advice, I did a fresh install. This time I deleted the boot.ini and ntldr from C:\ before the install, to force Windows to make a fresh boot.ini.
The new boot.ini, after fresh start, is :
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

The EasyBCD 'debugMode'

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
path \bootmgr
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {b78c570c-d2ac-11dc-aca7-e608095aa759}
resumeobject {b78c570d-d2ac-11dc-aca7-e608095aa759}
displayorder {b78c570c-d2ac-11dc-aca7-e608095aa759}
{48ce1b85-6271-11dd-bb38-fdaf693f6e83}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {b78c570c-d2ac-11dc-aca7-e608095aa759}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {b78c570d-d2ac-11dc-aca7-e608095aa759}
nx OptIn
Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {48ce1b85-6271-11dd-bb38-fdaf693f6e83}
device partition=C:
path \NTLDR
description Microsoft Windows XP
One observation I made during the installation was, during XP set-up, the following appeared:
-: partition1 63MB (I believe this is where EISA is)
E: partition2 15,000 MB (I believe this RECOVERY
C: partition3 131,000 MB (I believe this where Vista ) is
D; partition 4 329,000 MB (NTFS) Unpartitioned
Like I did before, I deleted D: and fast formatted and followed the install process.
Sadly, same old story.
When I clicked on the Win XP option, I got the "We are sorry.... and the options
Safe mode
Safe with Network
etc.
After clicking on Normal startup, the fleeting "stop-error" came and quickly went back to restart.
We now have the new boot.ini, and nltdr in C:\ .
I wonder if the EasyBCD's Diagnostic Centre could do anything to help resolve this mystery.
I never thought this could be such a tedious process, but I keep saying to myself "Never say die"!
Vajra
 
Last edited:
have you tried PF8 after selecting XP to find out what the error message is by using the "disable ......" mode ?
 
Look at both the root of XP and Vista's partition with hidden and os files shown in folder options and whichever one does not contain ntdetect.com, copy it over from the one that does. Does that fix the problem?
 
Dear Justin

I did that. Now both C:\ and E:\ have the ntdetect.com file.
Restarted, but no change.

Is there any tool in the Can Easy to diagnose the problem?
Vaj


Addendum:


ADMIN PASSWORD

I was waiting for the admin password to get into the Recovery Console.
They found it was blank. I did not add any password.
"Your password list for this order:

StatusUsernamePasswordsuccess (100%)Administrator [BLANK] success (100%)peace [BLANK] "


Should I try Recovery Console?
 
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im having dual boot issues too. vista is on C, the 1st hdd and xp is on E, the 2nd hdd. vista boots fine but i think im not configuring the boot.ini correctly. i have that file along with ntldr and ntdetect.com on C. i assume i only need xp listed in the boot.ini to boot to it. the default and the line below OS is what i need help on. the multi, disk, rdisk and partition i need clarification on. well partition should be 1 since the 2nd hdd is only 1 partition. vista disk management sees the 2nd hdd as disk 1, i guess that means disk(1)? multi would be 0 i guess but how about rdisk? i also have easybcd and vistabootpro installed. i added the entry for xp so i have a vista boot menu. when i add the entry should xp be pointing to the drive its installed on (E) or where the boot files are (C)?
 
cisko, welcome to NST.
the parameters of boot.ini are described here in the wiki.
If you have any problems they're all described with fixes, also in the wiki.
 
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