Windows 7 Dualboot XP

gotyou

Member
I am running windows 7, i wante to dualboot XP so i created a partition for it.

Code:
G:/

I then installed XP to that partition, it wiped my windows 7 mbr so i used a fix for it

Code:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot

using the windows 7 DVD this fixed the win7 bootrecord but it wiped XP boot record so, i found this application EasyBCD 2.0, and added a new entry

There are a total of 2 entries listed in the bootloader.

Code:
Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 5 seconds.
Boot Drive: G:\

Entry #1
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {7d7fcf5f-e458-11dd-8967-f2598c1dff16}
Drive: G:\
Bootloader Path: \NTLDR

when i go to boot into XP it says an error pointing to /NTLDR

At this point i am lost :|
 
Hi Gotyou, welcome to NST.
Have you read the sticky thread and followed the link to the XP troubleshooter.
2.0 should automate all aspects of dual-booting XP. Did you reply "yes" when it offered to auto-configure the XP boot.ini for you ?
 
You need to use the latest version of 2.0 Beta, which is currently Build 63. Builds earlier than that will not automatically copy over NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM into the "system" partition.

Jake
 
Hi, I have read thsoe stickies before posting, and read other similar problems for some reason it is not creating those files automatically and i am using the new easyBCD, but i will uninstall it and try again.
 
Hi, I have read thsoe stickies before posting, and read other similar problems for some reason it is not creating those files automatically and i am using the new easyBCD, but i will uninstall it and try again.
Check Disk Management. :wink: You may get a small surprise when you see which partition is "system", and it wont be any partition you see in "Computer"...
It is a hidden partition (because no drive letter has been assigned to it by default), and that is where EasyBCD created the files (NOT your Win 7 partition if that's what you're thinking of where it should have been created). You will need to give it a drive letter before you can check its contents for those files.
 
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diskmanagement.jpg


Code:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device                  partition=G:
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default                 {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
displayorder            {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
                        {7d7fcf61-e458-11dd-8967-f2598c1dff16}
bootsequence            {7d7fcf5d-e458-11dd-8967-f2598c1dff16}
toolsdisplayorder       {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout                 5

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {e8709fb6-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {e8709fb7-fa5f-11db-be4d-e219ece5282e}
nx                      OptOut

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier              {7d7fcf61-e458-11dd-8967-f2598c1dff16}
device                  partition=G:
path                    \NTLDR
description             Microsoft Windows XP

Thanks for your reply, this is what i am seeing.

And in my XP partition,

97232146.jpg


98225762.jpg
 
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Ok, so it appears the 200 MB hidden "system" partition that Win 7 sometimes automatically creates was not created in your case...apparently because you must have installed Win 7 to a partition created beforehand, which changes that behavior. You also appear to have Vista installed to the C: partition, which is also "system"...
So check the root of the C: partition instead, and you should find the files NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, and BOOT.INI in the root of that partition. You will need to delete, and re-add the XP entry in the BCD, with 2.0 Beta Build 63, since it is pointed at the wrong partition (i.e. your XP partition instead of Vista's, which is "system"). You either used Change Settings to point the entry at the wrong partition, or possibly created that XP entry with the 1.7 release which sometimes pointed itself at the wrong partition in certain circumstances.
 
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Have you been manually setting the "active" flag at some point ?
Your system is very confused.
Your boot files are all installed to the XP G:\ partition (which is confirmed by the BCD settings), but your C:\ partition is flagged as "system" "active" which will be pointing the auto-configurator to that partition.
You appear to have installed W7 (is that it - labelled Vista ?) which adopted the G:\ space you'd created as its boot partition, then installed XP and then you altered the status to make C: "active" and then ran fixmbr and fixboot ?

If I'm correct that that's what you did, then by your intervention you've managed to confuse where everything is, which is causing EasyBCD to be as confused.

Your active flag is telling the mbr to look for bootmgr on C:, the fixboot you did will have restored the PBR on C:, but everything should have been done to G:\ which is what W7 adopted as its boot partition, and you subsequently used to install XP.
Try setting G: active again and repeating the fixboot (or let W7 auto-repair the boot process for you with "repair startup")
 
Have you been manually setting the "active" flag at some point ?
Your system is very confused.
Your boot files are all installed to the XP G:\ partition (which is confirmed by the BCD settings), but your C:\ partition is flagged as "system" "active" which will be pointing the auto-configurator to that partition.
You appear to have installed W7 (is that it - labelled Vista ?) which adopted the G:\ space you'd created as its boot partition, then installed XP and then you altered the status to make C: "active" and then ran fixmbr and fixboot ?

If I'm correct that that's what you did, then by your intervention you've managed to confuse where everything is, which is causing EasyBCD to be as confused.

Your active flag is telling the mbr to look for bootmgr on C:, the fixboot you did will have restored the PBR on C:, but everything should have been done to G:\ which is what W7 adopted as its boot partition, and you subsequently used to install XP.
Try setting G: active again and repeating the fixboot (or let W7 auto-repair the boot process for you with "repair startup")
That's an interesting theory, Terry, and may be partially correct...
But he can boot into Win 7, just can't boot into XP (not the other way around)...:wink:
So that would seem to indicate that he must also have a copy of BOOTMGR and BCD on the C: partition, since it is "active", and he can still boot into Win 7 (and remember the XP boot files were not seen in the screenshots of the root of the XP partition). And another thing, if his Win 7 "system" partition was originally G:, but he changed the "active" status to C: instead before installing XP, his XP boot files would have got installed to the C: partition, and so his only real problem at this point is that his BCD entry for XP is pointing at the wrong partition, i.e. G: instead of C. So, it would seem like he could just point the BCD entry at C:, and his problem would be solved without doing the extra steps. :smile:

Cheers.

Jake
 
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It's not just the XP entry though, it's the boot manager entry too. The BCD is saying that bootmgr is on G:\ too. (i.e. G:\ was system, and therefore presumably active, and therefore presumably altered) The fixboot he did will have put it back on C: , but he never rebuilt the BCD (at least he didn't mention it), so it's still using the BCD on G:, but EasyBCD sees the "active" flag on C: and tries to place everything there during auto-config.
That's the theory, but no matter how it happened, the boot manager entry and the system flag are in conflict, which explains why the Easy auto-config won't work.
It still needs G: to be set back "active", or for the boot files on G: to be completely removed and the boot repaired on C:
 
Thanks for the replys, these are the steps i am taking

1. Change G: to active
s24rdd.jpg


2. Reboot and run Win7 DVD to fix mbr

Code:
Bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
Now i am into Win7, and i am running easyBCD

Code:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device                  partition=G:
path                    \bootmgr
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
default                 {ed085b43-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
displayorder            {ed085b43-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
timeout                 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {ed085b43-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 Ultimate (recovered) 
locale                  en-US
recoverysequence        {ed085b44-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {22a26461-5691-11de-840c-806e6f6e6963}
3. In win7 run easyBCD 2.0 add back the XP entry

Code:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device                  partition=G:
path                    \bootmgr
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
default                 {ed085b43-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
displayorder            {ed085b43-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
                        {ed085b46-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
timeout                 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {ed085b43-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 Ultimate (recovered) 
locale                  en-US
recoverysequence        {ed085b44-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {22a26461-5691-11de-840c-806e6f6e6963}

Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier              {ed085b46-5727-11de-b6be-ac2f041a6b5a}
device                  partition=G:
path                    \NTLDR
description             Microsoft Windows XP

3. I rebooted into XP, and it went to a black screen with no errors, i rebooted back into win7 and pointed XP to C:/ partition. Then booted back into XP this time it showed Safe mode, Start windows with a 30 second timer, When i enter it locks up and doesn't let me in.
 
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If you get the menu for XP there with safe mode, start windows normally, etc than there are additional problems with XP itself and not with trying to boot XP. You should attempt a repair install of XP and than repair the mbr again after you've got it booting correctly on its own.
 
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