Help required with MBR whilst dualbooting

theog · 06 Aug 2011

Most likely a bad install of Win XP.

Bare Foot Kid · 06 Aug 2011

I just want to make sure you see post #10 above.

gregrocker · 06 Aug 2011

Would you like to attempt to repair Win7 so that you can add XP from Win7 which is easier?

Find a Win7 computer and make a Repair CD of the same bit-version in Backup Center. Boot it to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times following the steps included in the tutorial to make sure Win7 partition is still marked Active, which most likely it isn't if XP was installed last. Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two)

You can also do this with a GUI (picture) using free Partition Wizard bootable CD. After marking 7 Active, click on the HD to highlight it, then from Disk tab Rebuild MBR. This may preclude the need to run 3 Repairs.

Once Win7 starts, you can run a Repair Install which should correctly configure the Dual boot like Win7 does when installed last.

If you've already moved on to reinstall, follow Method One here: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

Here are tips to get a perfect Win7 install - use the ones which apply: Reinstalling Windows 7

Kevin Chaos · 09 Aug 2011

Bare Foot Kid said:

Sorry mate.

As you seem to have the ability to do this the correct way, here's what I would suggest.

I would boot the Windows 7 installation media to secure erase the entire HDD and then boot the XP media to install it to the first created partition of the HDD so it would get the C: drive letter, which it won't get if it's not installed to the first physical partition of the HDD.

Once XP is installed, use the Partition Wizard boot CD to create a partition to the front of the installed XP partition and install Windows 7 to that created partition; this method can be used to copy out any data you need to first.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Clean Install Windows 7 : Ahead of XP

I thought that may be the best method. Thank you and everyone else who volunteered their time to help me out. Though I haven't done this yet, it will obviously work, so I'm marking the thread as solved. Thanx again everyone.

Bare Foot Kid · 10 Aug 2011

Hello again Kevin.

Good we could help and be sure to post back here with updates.