Windows 7 + XP dual boot problems - Boot possibile only from XP

R

rob-66

Member
Hello. After almost two days of fight, I still cannot get the dual boot Windows 7 + Xp working: so I must surrender and ask your help.
The situation is the following:
1.In my Toshiba L670 notebook I had windows 7 professional 64 bit pre-installed on the C partition. No bootable DVD of windows 7. On the partition D (not sure about the letter) there were the files installed by Thoshiba for the HDD recover.
2.I resized the C partition using the apposite tool in computer managment to make a new partition for installing XP; I formatted this new partition as a NTFS with system files.
3.I restarted the pc and installed from CD windows XP professional 32 bit SP2 in the new partition.
4.Windows XP worked perfectly and I installed all the missing drivers.
5.I installed Net Framework 2.0 SP 1
6.I installed EasyBCD 2.0.2.
7.In the bootloader setup I choosed the option "Install the Windows Vista/7 bootloader to MBR" and pressed Write MBR (no error messages).
8.I pressed Add New Entry, choosing Windows NT/2k etc, leaving the checkbox on "Automatically detect" correct drive, Add Entry and I was getting this error message: "An error occurred while attempting the specified create operation" - "Risorse di sistema insufficienti per completare il servizio richiesto" (that is: insufficient system resources to complete the required service).
9.I pressed "BCD Backup Repair" and reset BCD configuration, then Perform Action.
10.Again step 7 and 8, but again the same error.
11.I tried to change something in the procedure (ehm... I also tried to choose manually the letter of the XP boot...) and maybe I made something wrong, but suddenly I could have the Add New Entry working: I added XP and 7. In the "View Settings" of EasyBCD I could see the correct list of SO, but still the system was only booting from XP.
12.I tried again with the reset etc, and again I got "An error occurred while attempting the specified create operation".
13.In the View settings now the list is now empty.
14.If I now press on the "Edit Legacy entries" under the tools menu of EasyBCD I get this:

; This boot.ini was automatically generated by NeoSmart Technologies' BootGrabber.exe
; Use EasyBCD from Download EasyBCD 2.0.2 - NeoSmart Technologies to manage your bootloader

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Windows XP on D:\" /fastdetect

In disk Managment this is the situation:
partition1 (primary) - System 400 MB NTFS - (Unknown Partition)
partition2 (primary) - Windows (C 213 GB (System): this is the partition with Win 7
partition3 (logic) - XP (D 19 GBB NTFS (boot): this is the partition where I installed XP
partition4 (primary) - Data (F 232 GB: this is the partition where there are the HDD recovery files; maybe the letter of this partition was automatically changed when I risized the C partition

About Net framework I have these entries in "install applications":
Microsoft. NET framework 1.1
Microsoft. NET framework 2.0 - language pack (italian)
Microsoft. NET framework 2.0 Service pack 1

I really don't know what to do: at the moment XP works perfectly but I need to start with Windows 7 at least once again to create a recovery DVD ... It's not a problem if I must then reinstall XP.

I hope someone can help me. Thanks in advance.

Rob
 
There is a known Windows "insufficient system resource...." problem (not EasyBCD).
You don't need to boot W7 to create a repair disc, we've made one available for just this sort of occasion.
 
Repair procedure failed.

Hello Terry, thank you very much for your answer and your help. I dowloaded the Iso file with torrent and I created a CD from the image: after 2 or 3 restart + automatic repair now the pc boot from windows 7 !!! I am right now creating the DVD's for a full recover... in case of future disasters :smile:
Tomorrow I'll try to set the dual boot with EasyBCD inside windows 7... I hope this time all will be ok, even if probably it's not a good idea to have windows XP installed on a Logical Unit...
By the way: the first, small partition on the HD that was before called "System- unknown partition", when the pc boot with XP, now is called " (no name) - recover partition"... My question is: was this small partition created by EasyBCD or somehow changed as I was trying to create the dual boot setup?

So thank you very much again, you really helped me after two days of @#€€5££!!&&!! .... !!
Thanks!!!

Rob
 
EasyBCD doesn't create partitions.
Where is this
"System- unknown partition", when the pc boot with XP, now is called " (no name) - recover partition"...
part of the Disk Management status information ? or the Volume label ? (bold type before the disk letter).
If the latter, I've no idea how it could change without your input. If the former, I guess it's just a difference in how the OS describes it, and the "recover" part probably from the W7 "startup repair".
There's no problem with XP being logical, as long as the boot files have a primary to use (W7 here).
You shouldn't have any difficulty adding XP to your BCD now it's been repaired. Just let EasyBCD auto-configure it for you.
The unknown partition is probably part of the Toshiba recovery facility, possibly a customized version of the 100Mb "System Reserved" boot partition which W7 will allocate if you install it to an empty HDD without doing your own formatting first.
 
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Dual boot Windows 7 + XP now working perfectly

Hello Terry, now the dual boot set-up is working perfectly! EasyBCD did all perfectly - in Windows 7 - in a matter of a second. I already tried to reboot from XP or from 7 and everything works fine! The boot menu with the choice between XP and 7 now appears regularly even if i did nothing in XP anymore.
Now that all is working so fine, maybe I'll hurt myself adding a new partition with ubuntu :smile:)) .....
The small (400MB) partition without name and signed as "recovery partition" is visible in Disk Management status information, without a partition letter: I cannot see the content of this partition but probably it was installed by Toshiba as a part of the HDD recovery, as you said in your last reply. In fact in XP is still called "System - Unknown Partition", whilst in 7 is now identified as a "recovery partition" (and without name).

Terry I really can say you have been my savior! Thanks a lot again!!! :smile:
 
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