XP on Partition: Toshiba Satellite

This thread is so jumbled it would be helpful if you tell us exactly where you are right now.

It seemed that during your attempts to install XP, you lost the ability to boot Win7 if I am reading correctly. This is why you were linked to the Win7 Repair CD so you could boot it to run Startup Repair. We would work with you on this single task until it was complete if this was your problem.

However almost immediately there was confusion over whether you might instead make a Recovery DVD from the factory Recovery partition, or a completely different Win7 backup image - both of which can only be made from within Win7, and hardly relate to installing XP in a dual boot using the tutorial I linked in the beginning.

I understand your frustration with not being given a Recovery DVD to reinstall your OS, but most makers require you to make it yourself off of the Recovery partition, or mail it to you for cost. At one point you seemed to be doing this, confusing me as to whether you can or cannot start Win7.

So this is why I ask you where you are right now exactly. If you can't start Win7, then the procedure is to boot the Repair CD to run Startup Repair: System Repair Disc - Create

Boot the Win7 Repair CD, let it find the installation to repair (a good sign) and run any offered repair. If it won't start then boot back in, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 seprate times with reboots until it starts. If it won't start, use the CD Command line to mark Win7 active first: Partition - Mark as Active then run Startup Repair again x3. Startup Repair

If WIn7 still won't start, we next need to help you run the Recovery partition. Look for the key on the first boot screen to run Recovery. Had you posted your Specs we could tell you what that key is. You migth need to look in your Manual located at the maker's Support Downloads webpage for your model.

If Recovery partition will not run, then use free Paragon Rescue CD to copy out your files, after first attempting to Recover the Win7 partition. You can also browse the Recovery partition's files to find the image file which it runs to reimage your HD, which Paragon will mount and run to reimage your HD for you - we can help you do this. SIW2 is an expert on this. We will help you through the steps.

Finally, you never have to buy another Win7 to reinstall when you own a license on that machine which has its Product Key on the COA sticker on side or bottom of machine (under battery in Dell). You can either call your maker to have them send you Recovery disks, or if you can locate any Win7 installer we can help you unlock your version in it to install with your Product Key.

gregrocker said:

This thread is so jumbled it would be helpful if you tell us exactly where you are right now.

Fair enough. Here we go.

gregrocker said:

It seemed that during your attempts to install XP, you lost the ability to boot Win7 if I am reading correctly.

I did try to install XP on a partition, and it did fail, but it didn't affect my 7 installation.

gregrocker said:

This is why you were linked to the Win7 Repair CD so you could boot it to run Startup Repair. We would work with you on this single task until it was complete if this was your problem.

I understood that in order to run XP and 7 on the same machine, you need to somehow install XP first and restore 7 afterward.

gregrocker said:

However almost immediately there was confusion over whether you might instead make a Recovery DVD from the factory Recovery partition, or a completely different Win7 backup image - both of which can only be made from within Win7, and hardly relate to installing XP in a dual boot using the tutorial I linked in the beginning.

I thought all I needed to restore the entire 7 OS from a wiped hard drive was a recovery DVD. It seems that a recovery DVD can repair a damaged installation, but if you mess up so bad that Windows won't boot and you need to format a drive and start over, you need an image for the restore DVD to restore.

(At this point, my image is 30GB. Could there be that much bloatware and garbage on my computer thanks to Toshiba and Office Depot? I'm told Windows 7 can fit on a 4.7GB DVD.)

gregrocker said:

So this is why I ask you where you are right now exactly.

I can start Windows 7 and at the moment, I have to run with it without getting too risky. If I want to experiment with it at all, it will have to wait.

gregrocker said:

Finally, you never have to buy another Win7 to reinstall when you own a license on that machine which has its Product Key on the COA sticker on side or bottom of machine (under battery in Dell). You can either call your maker to have them send you Recovery disks, or if you can locate any Win7 installer we can help you unlock your version in it to install with your Product Key.

I like the sound of that. How big is Windows 7 really? Microsoft doesn't have a Windows 7 download, as far as I can tell, without buying it. If nothing else, I think it would be smart to have an out-of-the-box copy of Windows 7. If I ever need to wipe the hard drive and start over, it would be handy. Would that do it?

Once I'm in the clear with my current project, I might want to wipe the OS and install 7 in a state that's even before Toshiba and Office Depot got their hands on it.

Thanks you and everyone for your help.

Most tech enthusiasts borrow or locate a clean copy DVD of Win7 which is around 2.34 gb. You can even unlock all versions in any other version installer. This allows you to clean reinstall to overcome bloatware which can be corrupting even when uninstalling it.

In the meantime, you can uninstall the bloatware using Revo Uninstaller in Advanced Mode to get all the hidden registry keys and files. Uncheck all the freeloaders on your startup besides AV and gadgets at msconfig>Startup. Clean and order the hard drive with free state-of-the-art CCLeaner and Auslogics defraggers.

Once you have it running as you like, save externally a Win7 Backup Image so you have something to recover to if your OS stops booting. It will also generate a Repair CD which you might need for repairs as well as to Reimage.

You might be confusing that Win7 Backup image which you create of your ideal install with the Recovery Disks which you can make off of the Recovery partition which restore the computer to factory condition with all the bloatware. It is a good idea to make those, too, in case you need to ship the computer back for warranty service. Makers tend to enforce bloatware and disapprove of clean installs (don't tell them) since they get most of their profit margin nowadays from the sponsors' bloatware.

gregrocker said:

Most tech enthusiasts borrow or locate a clean copy DVD of Win7 which is around 2.34 gb.

I did and I burned it to a DVD from an XP machine with Nero Lite. When I put it into my 7 laptop, it acts as if it's not burned.

Wonderful.

Use ImgBurn to verify the DVD: Load ISO, then verify against DVD. If not, burn another at 4x speed.

Make sure ISO says "bootable" in text at left when loaded. If not, you do not have a good ISO file.

Are you attempting to boot the DVD? Does it prompt to "press any key to boot CD/DVD" when you start computer with DVD in drive? If not, enter BIOS setup to set DVD drive first to boot, or use the one-time BIOS Boot menu key given on first screen to boot DVD.
Boot from CD - How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD - Boot to CD