Dual-Boot: Windows only showing One OS Installed! HELP!


  1. Posts : 4
    Windows 7/XP
       #1

    Dual-Boot: Windows only showing One OS Installed! HELP!


    Hello I'm new here.

    I had Windows 7 on my hard drive and I partitioned it using the partition tool built into windows. I installed Windows XP afterwards and now when I got to My Computer > Properties > Advanced > Startup and Recovery > Settings (while I'm in Windows XP) under default operating system it only shows Windows XP.

    After I partitioned the drive for 7GB I installed Windows XP on the new partitioned drive known as E drive, I still see C drive in my computer, and all the files and programs I had on Windows 7!!

    How do I get back to Windows 7!!
    Please please tell me I didn't installed over it!!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 185
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit
       #2

    If you use the windows partition tool it deletes the hard drive... so I don't understand what happened here.

    Assuming then that you used a partition tool that doesn't delete the hard drive then check your disc drive. Does it have a disc in it?

    A third thing is this: you partitioned it but the drive you intended to install xp on was too small, so the installer by default selected the bigger one and you accidently installed xp over windows 7.

    I really don't understand what you are saying. Those are three posibilities from what I get out of this post. please rewrite it so we can narrow down what happened.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 4
    Windows 7/XP
    Thread Starter
       #3

    No I dont think it was too small, I partitioned the drive from allocated space and not the unallocated space, cause unallocated space was only 101MB, and I did 7000MB its only taking up 4000 right now.

    If it installed over it, I still have my Windows 7 files and folder and that I can access through C drive while running Windows XP.

    I'm just trying to get back to Windows 7 and I cant figure out how since it only shows one windows under the settings in my computer.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 31
    Windows 7
       #4

    Wow, I got a very different meaning from the OP.
    It looks like he (or she?) made a new partition (maybe shrunk the system partition first to make some space),
    Then installed XP into the new partition.

    Result:
    Only XP boots and it shows its own Windows folder on E:
    It also shows the Win7 partition as C:
    (They are lettered that way in XP because he forgot to set the new partition Active before installing XP onto it)
    Also, by installing XP that way, it has overwritten Win7's boot files on C: (which was the active partition when he installed XP) so Win7 cannot boot any more.

    This tangle can be fixed by booting the Win7 DVD and doing a boot repair.

    If you want XP to show its own system partition as C: and Win7's partition some other letter (only while XP is running) then you have to set the target partition Active before installing XP onto it.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 31
    Windows 7
       #5

    Sorry Sahil, I posted my reply (above) before i noticed your second message.

    Windows 7 can make a dual boot menu offering XP and itself
    but XP cannot dual boot Win 7

    So when you repair Windows 7 booting, by using the Win7 DVD, you can then edit Win7's startup so it will make a menu for both systems at every boot.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4
    Windows 7/XP
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thank you guys so much!! I'm back on Windows 7!

    I used the startup repair, and it fixed it!!

    Thanks so much again :)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 31
    Windows 7
       #7

    Great news :)
    Thanks for letting us know.
      My Computer

  8.    #8

    If you installed XP to a second partition to Win7, then it requires adding it to boot menu using EasyBCD 2.0 Add/Remove tab: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

    However, EasyBCD requires Net Framework 2.0 to run from XP, so you are better off adding XP now from Win7 anyway, since you recovered the MBR back to Win7 from XP.

    Install EasyBCD 2.0 after doing quick registration to use beta, Add XP, accept offered boot files, Save, restart to Dual Boot Menu.

    If you have any problems, please post back a screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu, attach file using paper clip in reply box. Include the front panel listings from EasyBCD
      My Computer


 

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