Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

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  1. Posts : 16,129
    7 X64
       #80

    OK. If that doesn't work , try booting the XP install cd:

    At the first screen select SETUP WINDOWS XP

    At the second screen press R to repair your XP install.

    If still no joy, use this:

    bootsect.zip

    Extract it from the zip and copy it onto a cd

    OR, if you have PowerIso ( the free , unregistered version will be fine) open the downloaded Vista recovery disc .iso and paste bootsect.exe into the Boot folder. Then hit Save. The new .iso will contain bootsect.exe. Burn it to cd.


    Try the bootrec commands first.

    If it isn't working:

    To run bootsect, Boot the Vista recovery cd to command prompt,

    ( if bootsect is on a separate cd, take Vista rec cd out, put bootsect cd in )

    Type :

    Dvdriveletter:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All /mbr {enter}

    [ Obviously if it on a separate cd , and not inside the boot folder, the command is: Dvdriveletter:Bootsect.exe /NT60 All /mbr {enter} ]

    To find dvddriveletter, type:

    Diskpart {enter}

    lis vol {enter}

    to leave diskpart, type :

    exit {enter}
    Last edited by Brink; 05 Aug 2009 at 21:43.
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 3
    Windows 7
       #81

    Fantastic! Bootsect fixed it immediately. Now I'm just fixing the entries in EasyBcd. Thanks a bunch!
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,129
    7 X64
       #82

    Great, glad it's working for you.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 23
    WinXPPro32SP3, WinXPPro64SP2, Win7Ult32SP1, Win7Ult64SP1
       #83

    Hello folks,
    I would like to refer back to the problem Luciak described back on page 1, which almost made my eyes roll straight out of my skull...
    I've never used a dual boot system before, but my friend told me he had one and that one Windows claimed to be on C and the other on D, just like he installed them.
    So wherever I install Win7, it will claim being located on C? Isn't that a mess? Maybe my understanding of partition letters is completely wrong, but I thought they should appear the same on every Windows in a dual boot. However here I see that on Win7 G became C while it's still G on XP.
    I mean, how do I now tell for sure what is what? Let's say I make two partitions of the same size and install Win7 on both, so that i can make risky experiments on one of them. Both would be installed on C? If one broke or I just decided I didn't want it anymore, how would I know which partition letter I need to concentrate on?
    I was planning to try out an XP + 7 dual boot, but this issue left me utterly confused and I don't think I can proceed before this is sorted out in my head.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 16,129
    7 X64
       #84

    You could use a different drive label.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 4,573
       #85

    madhatter said:
    ...I was planning to try out an XP + 7 dual boot, but this issue left me utterly confused and I don't think I can proceed before this is sorted out in my head.
    SIW is correct - just label the drive (rename via right click). C, D, E etc are relative to the individual OS. In XP, for legacy reasons, I have a drive R and in 7 it is Drive G (no legacy to satisfy). The label itself remains visible in all OS - as the label is physically on the drive.

    Also, From within Win7, it may be wise to use diskmgmt.msc to remove the drive letter assignment for the XP volume; vice versa from within XP - remove the drive letter assignmet for the Win7 volume. "Confusion not enabled."
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 23
    WinXPPro32SP3, WinXPPro64SP2, Win7Ult32SP1, Win7Ult64SP1
       #86

    K, thanks a lot.
    So labels, which are in fact much easier to change (I always forget where the letters are managed from), are always absolutely reliable in every systems environment?
    Good, second question: I read that boot.ini, responsible for the booting of every NT-based multi boot system, is always located on "C:\", which means that formatting this partition dooms the entire multi boot system. If C is no magical letter which keeps the world together, then I would like to inquire what determines which partition will carry this duty. I also read that Vista and Win7 booting works differently, but I assume there's a key boot.ini-esque file there too. So which one is it and where can it be found?
    I'm sure I'll grow tired of one of the systems sooner or later, so I would like to avoid losing them all with the formatting of one partition.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 9,582
    Windows 8.1 Pro RTM x64
       #87

    Hi madhatter,

    On my system (see my specs), I installed Vista 32-bit first, followed by the 64-bit version. I then installed W7 32-bit and finally 64-bit. The main boot partition is that on which you installed your first OS on, in my case Vista 32-bit.

    Unless you are deleting the first OS installed, you should have no problems in deleting any of the others. If you delete the first OS, you might need to perform a repair install on the remaining OSes. The first OS that you repair will then contain the main boot partition.

    Here is my layout as an example. As you can see, I am currently running W7 64-bit (the partition that is currently C). The main boot partition, where the boot manager resides, is D because that is Vista 32-bit and it is the first OS that I installed on my system. If I choose to run a different OS, the running OS will always be C and the boot manager will be on the partition containing Vista 32-bit even though the drive letters dynamically change between OSes.

    Code:
    Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7229]
    Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
    C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit
    Windows Boot Manager
    --------------------
    identifier              {bootmgr}
    device                  partition=D:
    description             Windows Boot Manager
    locale                  en-US
    inherit                 {globalsettings}
    default                 {current}
    resumeobject            {427d3eb0-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
    displayorder            {current}
                            {427d3ead-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
                            {04e874fd-4cc5-11de-a4b6-9306ff4e7520}
                            {0db4c38a-4bf4-11de-8a82-d3a442d052a3}
    toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
    timeout                 10
    Windows Boot Loader
    -------------------
    identifier              {current}
    device                  partition=C:
    path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
    description             Windows 7 RC 7229 64-bit
    locale                  en-US
    inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
    recoverysequence        {427d3eb2-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
    recoveryenabled         Yes
    osdevice                partition=C:
    systemroot              \Windows
    resumeobject            {427d3eb0-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
    nx                      OptIn
    Windows Boot Loader
    -------------------
    identifier              {427d3ead-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
    device                  partition=F:
    path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
    description             Windows 7 RC 7229 32-bit
    locale                  en-US
    inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
    recoverysequence        {427d3eae-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
    recoveryenabled         Yes
    osdevice                partition=F:
    systemroot              \Windows
    resumeobject            {427d3eac-4d34-11de-af38-d2fd5eee9bdb}
    nx                      OptIn
    Windows Boot Loader
    -------------------
    identifier              {04e874fd-4cc5-11de-a4b6-9306ff4e7520}
    device                  partition=E:
    path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
    description             Windows Vista Ultimate SP2 64-bit
    locale                  en-US
    inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
    osdevice                partition=E:
    systemroot              \Windows
    resumeobject            {04e874fe-4cc5-11de-a4b6-9306ff4e7520}
    nx                      OptIn
    Windows Boot Loader
    -------------------
    identifier              {0db4c38a-4bf4-11de-8a82-d3a442d052a3}
    device                  partition=D:
    path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
    description             Windows Vista Home Premium SP2 32-bit
    locale                  en-US
    inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
    osdevice                partition=D:
    systemroot              \Windows
    resumeobject            {0db4c38b-4bf4-11de-8a82-d3a442d052a3}
    nx                      OptIn
    C:\Windows\system32>
    If you wish to change any of these settings, have a look here BCDEDIT - How to Use
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 23
    WinXPPro32SP3, WinXPPro64SP2, Win7Ult32SP1, Win7Ult64SP1
       #88

    Ah, finally I think I'm getting the hang of it.
    Thanks Dwarf.
    Still, looking at the contents of that file, I see heavy use of drive letters. Since drive letters have been said to be rather meaningless, there must be another file which translates the letters into concrete partitions. What and where is that file?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 716
    XP Pro & Vista Home Premium (x86); Windows Ultimate 7600 x64 Retail
       #89

    madhatter said:
    Ah, finally I think I'm getting the hang of it.
    Thanks Dwarf.
    Still, looking at the contents of that file, I see heavy use of drive letters. Since drive letters have been said to be rather meaningless, there must be another file which translates the letters into concrete partitions. What and where is that file?
    Secondary drive letters can be specified for each boot. The volume labels remain consistent. Nontheless the drive letters ARE NOT "meaningless" as the applications refer to the drive letters not the Volume label.

    IE: All my personal "USER" folders for Windows 7 Windows 7 7232 and Vista (soon to be restored over W7 7232 in that partition after migration to Windows 7 RTM) reside on W7_Data.

    See below. Guess what happens to drive letters when I boot to XP Pro or Windows 7 7232? Drive letters are reassigned in a consistent fashion but they cannot be changed arbitrarily.

    Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP-capture-11.jpg
      My Computer


 
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