Dual Boot Vista/Win 7 - Can't Boot to Win 7 After Vista Reinstall

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Actually it's a quad boot but I am sure the principle is the same.

I formatted and reinstalled my main Vista default system and now, although I can access the 2 Win 7 partitions OK, I can't boot into them.

I get a black screen with a lot of writing and...

windows\system32\winload.exe

status 0xC0000428

Windows cannot verify digital signature for this file.

Am using EasyBCD 2.0 and none of it's repair functions have helped.

I vaguely remember this happening a while back with XP/Win 7 dual boot on my netbook and I did something with the Win 7 DVD if I recall correctly....the trouble is I can't remember what.

Orbital Shark · Apr 23, 2011

Hi,

You may want to try Command Prompt @ Startup (option 2) and typing FIXMBR generally tends to FIX the Master Boot Record.

Note

Doing this could reduce functionality of your Vista partition but has worked in similar situations in the past

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Hmm, not sure I like that 'Doing this could reduce functionality of your Vista partition' as that is my default/boot OS. I could end up with no access to any OS. Also don't forget I can't get into the Windows 7 partition at all except to look at its contents, so I can't do anything IN Win 7.

Let me think about it...

Orbital Shark · Apr 23, 2011

If you have a Win7 boot DVD you can then access the Startup Recovery Console

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

I do have that but not sure what to do with it...and I don't want to lose access to my Vista. Vista Main is where all the boot records are kept. I can access Vista Main and Vista Test, it's just the Win 7's that I can look at but not boot into even though I added them correctly in EasyBCD..

Orbital Shark · Apr 23, 2011

As I don't dual boot I can't really comment much more than...The startup repair should detect all OS's and perform the repair based on the information gathered.

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Thanks, I'll take a look at it when I get a few moments spare.

theog · Apr 23, 2011

Which OS is on Disk 0, Partition 1?

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Vista. 2 HDD's, 2 partitions each, Vista Main, Vista Test, Win 7 Main and Win 7 Test in that order.

theog · Apr 23, 2011

If you remove Disk 0, will both Windows 7 installs on Disk1 boot?

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

No. I get a black screen bootmgr missing or words to that effect. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to continue.

Bare Foot Kid · Apr 23, 2011

Hello.

If you exchange the HDD data cables for Disk 0 and Disk 1 so Windows 7 is connected to the #1 SATA port, running at least 3 separate startup repairs with separate restarts should move/recreate the "System" boot files to the Windows 7 partition and auto-configure the Windows managed dual/multi boot.

That is the preferred position for the "System" boot files anyway.

How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Exchanging DATA cables unfortunately is out of the question. If you knew Alienware machines, the cables are all hidden except for the very extremities and there is not enough play/slack to start swapping drives. I would have to physically dismount all drives and rearrange them and I'm not doing that, sorry.

I had looked at that repair the startup option and am just a little concerned that I'll lose Vista from the startup menu in the process

Orbital Shark · Apr 23, 2011

You may want to look at the following

startup repair on a partition - windows 7/Vista dual boot - Microsoft Answers

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Unfortunately I'm a bit leery about following those instructions (which I had already looked at by the way) and they seem to all refer to the situation where Vista has either been added or removed AFTER Windows 7 was installed. I suppose my case falls more or less under that category but I'm just afraid of finding myself in a situation where I lose my Vista altogether and can only boot into Windows 7, the exact opposite of my current situation.

I wish I could remember what I did on my netbook ages ago, it was XP/Win 7 and the same situation, Win 7 wouldn't boot even though it was on the menu. I seem to remember using command prompt rather than Startup Repair from the Win 7 recovery console but what I did has been forgotten.

Bare Foot Kid · Apr 23, 2011

You can't reach the mobo SATA ports so you can change positions with port #1 and #2 data cables?

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

I could but I would have to remove a stack of stuff to get at them, that's out.

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Thanks everyone for your help. I finally plucked up the courage, inserted my Win 7 SP1 DVD and restarted and using the Repair option Windows repaired some things on its own, but I couldn't yet boot into Windows 7, so restarted and this time waited until the automatic scan for installed Windows versions had finished and chose Startup Repair, it fixed something and said the I should return to that menu after a reboot so did it all again and hey presto, I now have my quad boot back safe and sound.

This is what my EasyBCD menu looks like now and I noticed an immediate change in the BCD ID numbers which previously were all the same (hence my problem):

There are a total of 4 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Vista Ult SP2 Main
Timeout: 30 seconds
Boot Drive: C:\

Entry #1
Name: Vista Ult SP2 Main
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #2
Name: Vista Ult SP2 Test
BCD ID: {4246d21d-6dac-11e0-a583-002618086fdb}
Drive: D:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #3
Name: Win 7 Ult SP1 Main
BCD ID: {4246d21e-6dac-11e0-a583-002618086fdb}
Drive: L:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #4
Name: Win 7 Ult SP1 Test
BCD ID: {4246d21f-6dac-11e0-a583-002618086fdb}
Drive: M:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Orbital Shark · Apr 23, 2011

That's good to hear

Ex_Brit · Apr 23, 2011

Thanks

Dual Boot Vista/Win 7 - Can't Boot to Win 7 After Vista Reinstall

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