Windows 7: removing VISTA (c:\) with win7 (J:\) - how???

thanks again everyone for the advice!!
i seem to have painted myself into a corner this time at it seems a tough problem to easily solve



since the Windows 7 release is not that far away, i'll wait until i get the retail version and then just install that onto my c:\ drive and that should sort out all problems.....right?

i was hoping to avoid a reinstall but would have had to do it in 2010 anyway so i guess sooner is better than later


ps, for the time being, i've gone back into VISTA and uninstalled EVERYTHING i could to get HDD space back.

Hi NH,

BCDBOOT.exe :

The command is bcdboot c:\windows /l en-us /s F:

There is no \system32 in the bcdboot command.

C:\Windows is the source, and /s F: specifies the target.


7 BOOTSECT.exe:

To be able to run bootsect.exe, you need to get it on your machine. copy it off the dvd (it's in the Boot folder) and into F:\Windows\System 32. Then run the bootsect command.

bootsect /nt60 F: /mbr


[Neither bootsect.exe or bcdboot.exe need to be in system 32 - you can run them from just about anywhere - it is easier to put them in system32 as that is where the cmd prompt opens to.]


Keep us posted as to how it goes.

Hi Liquid,

It is actually quite straightforward.

Boot into 7, Unzip the attached and put bootsect.exe into J:\ Windows\system32

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachmen...w-bootsect.zip

Open an elevated cmd prompt and type:

bcdboot c:\windows /s J:

Then press Enter.

Next, type :

bootsect /nt60 J: /mbr

Then press enter.


That is it really.

Check in Disk Management the 7 partition is marked Active ( rt click it and select Mark as active).

Lastly, make sure 7 is the first Active partition Bios comes across - EITHER change the Boot order in Bios

OR swap the connectors to the motherboard - so the 7 HD is plugged in the socket where Vista is currently.

OR if you have a partition manager, just rt click the Vista partition and select Inactive.

Should take 5 mins. at most


N.B: I made it even easier - dropping the locale parameter /l en-us, it is not necessary.

That was a typo there! Later I ran into the "missing bootmgr" error but still simply need now to rebuild the BCD store.

When trying to mock the host 7 stand alone installation I copied the boot folder over once I had the bootmgr problem taken care of that came up with the "boot\bcd" error.

bcdedit /export F:\Boot\bcd

That will export a copy of the bcd hive currently on the System partition into the F:\Boot folder.



LOL to the typo - easily done.

The bcboot command would have copied all those boot files across to F: for you. Saves doing it by hand.

Which 7 installation should I be booted in? The first host install where the original bcd is found or the present default 7 on the actually 3rd sata drive.

The first host sata being the #1 sata until that gets removed also sees a boot entry there for the present default 7 as well as for the previous Vista and 32bit RC installations on the 3rd OS drive. The BCD store on the first sees 3 entries while the present was a stand alone which would seem to be the better of the two stores for this.

The present host sees the test 7 as H not F as seen with the original triple boot. Then I end up seeing "not a recgnised batch file command"? when simply going to type bcdedit at the elevated command prompt there.

It will copy the bcd from the current System partition - so you will have all the same bcd entries on F:

So, assuming you want to copy bcd from System partition C: to F:
you can be booted into any o/s that sees C: as system.

I think you just missed the update on what comes when entering the bcdedit command. The copy of 7 set as default sees itself as C since it was a stand alone from the start. I can still boot into it however since the first drive still has the entries from the previous installations.

I can't follow your complex drive arrangement from the descriptions - but you should be able do bcdedit /export F:\Boot\bcd when booted into the first 7 host where the original bcd is found.

Perhaps you need a grand tour! The bcd information along with a few screens here should give you a better idea. Note that the WD sata 1 being the first host for the triple is presenly in a close situation to the Vista drive we've been talking about since that will be removed or used as another temp storage device when the cables are swapped around. Sata #2 storage, sata #3 present host/boot, sata #4 destination for bcd store, sata #5 second storage.

Here's the bcd information with Xs substituting for the numbers on things for general reference.

PRESENT BCD STORE ON FIRST HOST:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7100]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\System32>bcdedit /export f:\boot\bcd
The store export operation has failed.
The system cannot find the path specified.
C:\Windows\System32>bcdedit
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
displayorder {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
{current}
{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 5
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
device partition=F:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 RC64 3rd TEST - Sata 4
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=F:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 RC64 Host - Sata 1
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
device partition=E:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 RC64 - 2ND HOST Sata 3
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=E:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
nx OptIn
C:\Windows\System32>