Is it possible to change default OS at boot?

I don't see anything you list that might be relevant.

There are several BIOS makers, so it's hard to say what your choices are. You'd have to do your own inspection, which is OK as long as you can do the basic navigation and know how to restore to defaults, save, and exit if you should make a bad choice.

Really, I think this is an easy fix. But I do not run multiple OS and do not use boot menus and do not know the finer points of Windows Repair function. I'd be quite surprised if you were beyond repair, but I don't have the necessary knowledge.

I do know that having multiple operating systems on one disk is a recipe for trouble, as you are finding out. You can select which DRIVE to boot from in the BIOS, but you cannot select which OS per se or which partition.

Wait for more help.

I don't know if bootable Partition Wizard can make the changes you need.
You could try it, or maybe someone here knows.
Partition Wizard Bootable CD allows user to manage partition directly with partition manager bootable CD.

NeoSmart (EasyBCD) has a bootable EasyRE utility that may work.

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David:

Definitely good ideas, but this is his only PC and he can't download anything. Can't boot.

Only obvious tool is the Windows 7 install disc.

Yea, he would need to download on another PC

If he has a bootable Windows DVD, can that be booted to a Command prompt ?
I'm sure there is a manual BCD command that can be entered to change the default startup OS.

Put the WIn7 disk in the drive, reboot and tap the Boot Menu key, choose DVD drive to boot. Press Any Key when prompted.

After files load, at first screen press Shift + F10 or access System Recovery Options to open a Command Line, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK

Post back the list, then for each disk type:

SELECT DISK # (replace the # with the number of each disk)
LIST Partition

Post back the partition list for each disk, then working from the list type:

Select Partition # (replace # with each partition number)
Detail Partition

Post back the output for each partition on each disk. From this we can determine where both Win7 and XP are installed, which is booting the system, how to repair Win7 so it starts and then how to add XP to a Dual Boot menu if you still want it.

Ok. I am trying out your suggestions. I will reply in few minutes.

Hi,
I get some options when I try to boot from CD. I am attaching the same.
Not sure how this would work since I use a phone for responding.

Attaching few more as requested.

Another snap- partition info