XP install on a Win7 HDD: can't boot into win7

V

vsrawat

Member
NOTE: forum description read "This is for all versions of Windows that aren't Vista/Longhorn." as I want to ask about xp and win7, I thought it qualifies for this forum. If not, pl. direct me to correct place.

I have two hdds. In one disk (main boot disk), partition C, I have windows 7 that was working well. As I found difficulties in tuning to it, I decided to also install xp for quick work as I am quite familiar to it> I got xp installed into E drive of same HDD having windows7 at C drive. D drive is for first partition of the other HDD (2) that also has xp but that is not the main boot disk so not relevant to my question.

Now I have windows7 in C and XP2009 in E, but only Xp boots and I am not able to boot into windows7 even after putting proper entries into boot.ini file.

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 250 GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 250 GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 40 GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I read at net that windows7 dosn't use boot.ini at all and some bootmgr or ntloader or something needs to be tweaked in. How to do that. I have downloaded and installed Easy BSD latest beta. As I can't boot into win7 and can boot into only xp, can I do the tweaking required for win7 from xp os? how?

Thanks.

Addendum:

Add:
I don't use any third party tool for booting. ONly using OS defaults. It is presenting the above three options at the time of booting. If I select XP boot (second option), it boots fine. If I select win7 boot (first option), it proceeds to a blank screen and then hangs.

Thanks.
 
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in the above link: -- 4) If you've just added XP to your Vista PC and now you can only boot XP, Follow the advice in the wiki to repair the Vista boot. -- but that link http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Repairing+the+Windows+Vista+Bootloader is showing -- Service temporary unavailable! The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime -- for 2-3 hours. waiting for it to come up. btw, in the meantime, I ran Easy BCd and used the option Manage Bootloader ticked Reinstall the Windows Vista/7 Bootloader Write MBR It did something and said it is done and I should boot. Well, I am doing other work in XP OS, and slightly apprehensive whether it was the right thing, so not yet booting till I finish my work. Shall report back if that corrects or exacerbates the issue. If you know that I have done a wrong thing by doing above, please guide. Thanks.
 
Yes, that was good that you did that.
Now W7 will boot, but XP wont.
That can be fixed easily by using EasybCD 2.0 to add an XP entry to the BCD, and let it auto-configure.

Then you'll have a dual-boot.

Cheers.

Jake

P.S. You can't boot W7 from the XP bootloader (it is not forward compatible), so that is why the option in the boot.ini does not work when you try to boot it.
 
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Repairing+the+Windows+Vista+Bootloader is still coming unavailable due to maintenance. It has been more that 10 hours I guess. Seems it is not maintenance issue and could be something else. Please check what could be causing such an extended unavailability. Thanks.

Addendum:

No, it did not work. I had used EasyBSD to write MBR and it said that is done, but then when I rebooted, it reported problem in booting and when I selected automatic repair, it kept on running various diagnostics, but at the end reported that this can't be repaired. I had not set any restore point. The boot.ini file is still coming intact in C:, but now it is booting to neither c: (windows 7) nor E: (xp2009). The boot menu (os options) is just not appearing. Luckily I have already put the similar boot.ini having 3 OS boot option to my other HDD, where the boot menu is still appearing and from there I could boot into E: (xp2009). firstly, how can I rectify the appearance of boot menu from c so that I can at least boot into E: (xp2009) normally, and then, how to repair to make it dual boot win7/xp2009. Thanks a lot.
 
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You cannot boot W7 through boot.ini

XPs boot manager/loader is not forward compatible,

You must repair the W7 boot process first.
Then you add the ability to boot XP to W7s BCD.

Please read the sticky thread.
 
sticky thread mentioned that above link that is coming "unavailable for maintenance" for more than 24 hours. Something is wrong there. It can't be maintenance issue. I have visited that link for dozens of times only to find it not yet available. if that link is working from your place, could you please do me a favor and quote the windows 7 relevant portion from there to here just for me to read. or direct me to some other method of accessing it. Thanks a gig.

Addendum:

btw, I just ran easybsd again, and now it is not starting, and saying "Error opening BCD registry - the boot config data store could not be opened. the system cannot find the file specified. would you like to manually load a bcd registry for easybcd to manage." whooshhh! it is all greek and latin to me. Thanks.

Addendum:

Further: I had saved easybcd settings before running it yesterday, EasyBCD View Settings is showing "there is one entry in the windows vista bootloader. default windows 7, timeout 30 seconds, easybcd boot device: f:\, entry#1, name: windows 7, bcd id: {default} drive: c:\, bootloader path: \windows\system32\winload.exe. That is it. Hope it is promising.
 
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Boot the W7 DVD, select "repair your computer", then "startup repair"
Do the above line 3 times.
You should then be able to boot into W7
Install EasyBCD 2.0 latest build on W7
Add an entry for XP, let it auto-configure.
 
Hi Terry, I wasn't able to boot into w7 so I ran easybcd as above in xp, and did some tweaking. Whatever had happened, my current feeble boot method also stopped working and I wasn't able to boot into any of the three os (win7 on c, xp2009 on d, xp2009 on e). Was not left with any option but to reinstall w7. When it booted properly, googled to found tweaking of bcdedit and did this in command prompt:

bcdedit /create {ntldr} /d "Windows XP 2009"

bcdedit /set {ntldr} device partition=H:

bcdedit /set {ntldr} path \ntldr

bcdedit /displayorder {ntldr} /addlast

bcdedit /default {ntldr}

bcdedit /timeout 5

t booted, showed the w7 and xp os options but refused to boot into xp saying "ntldr not found". Then, booted to w7 again, installed easybcd on it. and let it create boot.ini. Also copied ntdetect.com and ntldr from w7 partition to xp on D: and xp on H: (that was previously E:smile:.

Now, it is properly showing the boot option and booting into win7 and xp. My problem solved. Hope this write up would come handy for someone facing similar problem in future, hence elaborating. Thanks for all the help and morale support you provided.
 
Glad that you've finally got it working. Sorry about the server problems. That's CG making problems for himself by making available such wildly popular software that the demand overwhelms the supply.
EasyBCD 2.0 will avoid the need to do any issuing of error-prone BCDedit commands, or any copying of XP files. It does it all for you.
But if it's working now, take a well earned rest.
 
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