Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

  1.    #2030

    Mark Partition Active the Win7 100mb System Reserved boot partition (preferred if you have it) or Win7 partition.

    Run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times.

    If it hasn't been too messed up then it should start Win7 and add XP to the Boot Menu. If not add XP using EasyBCD from Win7.

    If Win7 won't start with SysReserved marked Active, move the Active flag to C to try repairs again.

    If that fails, use Easy BCD from XP to transfer the System boot to Win7: Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD - Windows 7 Help Forums. But this may not rewrite the Repair My Computer link to F8 Advanced Boot Options, so if not run Startup Repair a few times until the link appears.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64, trying to get WinXP dual boot
       #2031

    Hi.
    First post on here :)

    I tried the tutorial stated, but I can't boot Win XP.

    Firstly, I had Win7 Ult x64 installed. (C:)
    I then used a WinXP installation disk to boot from it and install it on another drive. (D:)
    After Windows XP install, when it reboots for the last time to get into Windows XP itself (and not the installation process screens)
    it keeps restarting the computer.
    For a split second I see the choice of TWO Windows XPs, in a black screen bootloader,
    then for another split second a BSOD, then the computer reboots. (repeats over and over)

    I then proceeded to use my Win 7 CD to boot, then go to command prompt and fix the booting issue via command prompt as stated in the tutorial.

    I boot into Windows 7, use Easy BCD 2.2, Add New entry.
    When I first did this, it directed the bootloader path to C:\
    which didn't work.

    So I manually switched it to D:\ , the drive Winxp was installed in.

    Now when I boot, I do get the bootloader menu between Win 7 and Win XP.

    However, when I select Windows XP, I get the error 0xc000000f
    stating that the bootloader path \NST\easyldr2 is missing of corrupt, and I cannot boot Win XP.


    Any ideas why I can't boot into Win XP?



    Oh, FYI
    my main reason for the dual boot is to play some DRM video and music files I got from way back.
    Win7 and WMP seems to have an inherent problem where after a certain amount of plays,
    you have to restart the damn computer to play any more files....
    Last edited by thel0st; 11 Jan 2014 at 23:16. Reason: FYI
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 8
    Windows 8.1 Pro with classic shell.
       #2032

    Thank you so much this was a easy to follow guide
      My Computer

  4.    #2033

    thel0st said:
    Hi.
    First post on here :)

    I tried the tutorial stated, but I can't boot Win XP.

    Firstly, I had Win7 Ult x64 installed. (C:)
    I then used a WinXP installation disk to boot from it and install it on another drive. (D:)
    After Windows XP install, when it reboots for the last time to get into Windows XP itself (and not the installation process screens)
    it keeps restarting the computer.
    For a split second I see the choice of TWO Windows XPs, in a black screen bootloader,
    then for another split second a BSOD, then the computer reboots. (repeats over and over)

    I then proceeded to use my Win 7 CD to boot, then go to command prompt and fix the booting issue via command prompt as stated in the tutorial.

    I boot into Windows 7, use Easy BCD 2.2, Add New entry.
    When I first did this, it directed the bootloader path to C:\
    which didn't work.

    So I manually switched it to D:\ , the drive Winxp was installed in.

    Now when I boot, I do get the bootloader menu between Win 7 and Win XP.

    However, when I select Windows XP, I get the error 0xc000000f
    stating that the bootloader path \NST\easyldr2 is missing of corrupt, and I cannot boot Win XP.


    Any ideas why I can't boot into Win XP?



    Oh, FYI
    my main reason for the dual boot is to play some DRM video and music files I got from way back.
    Win7 and WMP seems to have an inherent problem where after a certain amount of plays,
    you have to restart the damn computer to play any more files....
    Since XP never started we can assume it never started correctly. You can boot into the disk to run bootrec /fixboot and bootrec /fixmbr to see if it can be started the old fashioned way, but there is much complication Dual Booting XP so it may be permanently fouled.

    Do you have a UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS - YouTube ? XP does not support UEFI although we've seen it installed to UEFI once here.

    You can try running Win7 Startup Repair to see if it will sort the Dual Boot for you. You can also try deleting the XP listing in EasyBCD and then adding it back. You can try to reinstall while doing a full format of the XP partition to see if that helps.

    What I would do is virtualize XP from within Win7 which is much less work, using freeware like VirtualBox, VMWare, or XP Mode available in Ultimate.
    Last edited by gregrocker; 25 Jan 2014 at 12:47.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate x64
       #2034

    I just want to say thank you very much for this thread because I have finally successfully installed a dual boot Windows XP and Windows 7 on my laptop.
    And I want to say I am very sorry for the very late thank you and my last post for help was this:
    Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional 32 Bit
       #2035

    Back again, with more problems . So I installed the dual boot using method 2 of this tutorial (7 installed first) Everything was working fine. I had to do a fresh install of 7 only. I re-installed 7 and it booted up the first time and is working fine, like new again. However, Now when I try to boot into XP I get a black screen that says windows failed to start.
    file: \NST\ntldr
    status: 0xc000000f
    Any idea how to fix this so XP will boot again? Thanks.
    Last edited by President Kush; 25 Feb 2014 at 13:07.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 71,975
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2036

    Hello Kush, and welcome to Seven Forums.

    When you reinstalled Windows 7, it removed or corrupted the boot manager for XP. See if doing step 6 in OPTION TWO for now may be able to help.

    If not, then open a command prompt, type bcdedit, press Enter, and post back with a screenshot showing all of the results to see if it may show the problem. :)

    Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional 32 Bit
       #2037

    Even though it says to do step 6 in option 2 says when 7 doesn't load (in my case 7 loads fine, but XP does not) I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it. I already did that before I asked the question and unfortunately it didn't fix it.

    Here is a Screenshot. Thanks for the help.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP-bcdedit.png  
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 71,975
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2038

    In that case try step 8 on in OPTION TWO to add XP to the MBR.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional 32 Bit
       #2039

    Thank you Brink. Got it working. Weird thing is, it was already showing up in easybcd, as well as in windows boot manager upon turning on PC. I first deleted the other 2 in easybcd, then proceeded to re-add XP and then it booted up fine.
      My Computer


 

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