Solved Cannot dual boot xp and Windows 7 with W7 installed first.

[Kaktussoft]

No, it hangs at 84% when fully formatting (not quick format) if I quick format it completes fully.

So formatting doesn't work.

Do you try to format from within win7 or from winxp install disk?

 

[gazza1988]

No, it hangs at 84% when fully formatting (not quick format) if I quick format it completes fully.

So formatting doesn't work.

Do you try to format from within win7 or from winxp install disk?

Full format works in win7 and easeus partition manager but not from the xp disc.

Quick format works on everything.

 

[Kaktussoft]

No, it hangs at 84% when fully formatting (not quick format) if I quick format it completes fully.

So formatting doesn't work.

Do you try to format from within win7 or from winxp install disk?

Full format works in win7 and easeus partition manager but not from the xp disc.

Quick format works on everything.

Strange! Faulty xp install disk? very unlikely formatting works ... until 84%. Always 84%?

Is winxp partition primary now? formatted? If so..install winxp on that partition without formatting. What happens then?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Did you this when installing winxp? Sony : VPCEB1C5E updates | Updates voor VPCEB1C5E downloaden
Partialy in Dutch... but main part is in english

 

[gazza1988]

So formatting doesn't work.

Do you try to format from within win7 or from winxp install disk?

Full format works in win7 and easeus partition manager but not from the xp disc.

Quick format works on everything.

Strange! Faulty xp install disk? very unlikely formatting works ... until 84%. Always 84%?

Is winxp partition primary now? formatted? If so..install winxp on that partition without formatting. What happens then?

Yes it is a primary one, I will try a repair install of win7 later on.

Also i cannot access the repair console using the xp disc does this matter?

 

[gazza1988]

Oh and I have used the driver given by Sony at the link I pointed to in my opening post.

I've burnt a couple of copies of xp including one I found on the Interne . With all updates and sata drivers included just as a test and that fails in the exact same place as my own created disc. So i doubt it's the cd.

The more I think about it the more convinced I am its the boot sector because it is that that fails and is the only constant variable throughout.

Although why the disc won't let me full format past 84% isn't part of the boot sector.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Full format works in win7 and easeus partition manager but not from the xp disc.

Quick format works on everything.

Strange! Faulty xp install disk? very unlikely formatting works ... until 84%. Always 84%?

Is winxp partition primary now? formatted? If so..install winxp on that partition without formatting. What happens then?

Yes it is a primary one, I will try a repair install of win7 later on.

Also i cannot access the repair console using the xp disc does this matter?

Why do a win7 repair install?? It's a problem with winxp

So pressing R does nothing at all? Is keyboard working in that step? Press F3 there to test

 

[gazza1988]

My hope is that can repair install of windows 7 will fix the boot files for me.

Pressing R on that screen does nothing f3 brings up the quit confirm menu and enter continues the installation.

 

[Kaktussoft]

My hope is that can repair install of windows 7 will fix the boot files for me.

Pressing R on that screen does nothing f3 brings up the quit confirm menu and enter continues the installation.

Maybe I misread the thread.... but win7 is working fine... isn't it?

 

[gazza1988]

Windows 7 is fine.

However after copying files from xp cd ready for install I get an invalid boot.ini and missing/corrupt ntoskrnl.exe errors when the xp cd restarts my computer to finish the installation.

I then insert my win7 recovery cd and run startup repair which restores the easybcd boot menu. Meaning I can now boot into xp to complete the installation (without needing to add the entry using windows 7) which then goes through the xp installation needing product key, location, keyboard layout etc etc.

Once that completes my laptop restarts and if I select xp again the splash screen comes up for 2 seconds and then I get the bsod (7b)

 

[Kaktussoft]

Windows 7 is fine.

However after copying files from xp cd ready for install I get an invalid boot.ini and missing/corrupt ntoskrnl.exe errors when the xp cd restarts my computer to finish the installation.

Don't know why this happens. Boot.ini and ntoskrnl.exe are now on win7 partition or winxp partition? Be sure to show hidden files and system protected files!

I then insert my win7 recovery cd and run startup repair which restores the easybcd boot menu. Meaning I can now boot into xp to complete the installation (without needing to add the entry using windows 7) which then goes through the xp installation needing product key, location, keyboard layout etc etc.

Once that completes my laptop restarts and if I select xp again the splash screen comes up for 2 seconds and then I get the bsod (7b)

It restores the volume boot sector of win7 partition (the active partition). So it uses bootmgr and bcd menu.

 

[Kaktussoft]

What I advise you to do:

• Format the winxp (primary) again, so make it empty
• delete files boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, ntldr.exe from root of win7 partition. Just to cleanup the mess
• Mark winxp partition as ACTIVE. So don't touch the win7 partition in the install proces
• install winxp from dvd. Install it until it's working without issues.
• mark win7 partition ACTIVE again

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html
Marking a partition active can also be done from win7 repair disc->command prompt

 

[gazza1988]

I shall have to check that later because I now have to look after my 2 young sons. Thanks for the help so far it is greatly appreciated.

 

[gregrocker]

Can we also see another Disk Mgmt screenshot?

 

[gazza1988]

What I advise you to do:

• Format the winxp (primary) again, so make it empty
• delete files boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, ntldr.exe from root of win7 partition. Just to cleanup the mess
• Mark winxp partition as ACTIVE. So don't touch the win7 partition in the install proces
• install winxp from dvd. Install it until it's working without issues.
• mark win7 partition ACTIVE again

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html
Marking a partition active can also be done from win7 repair disc->command prompt

This worked a treat.

I followed what you said and xp said ntldr was missing.

I checked the folder where it was looking and ntldr was missing.

All I did was copy the ntldr file from the root of my xp partition (with protected system files visible) to the /nst folder.

Now I have a successful dual boot.

Thank you all very much

(do you still want me to post a disk management screen shot?)

 

[gregrocker]

After XP install and restarting Win7 to add XP using EasyBCD, were you accepting its offer of XP boot files as it does when you add XP from WIn7 in EasyBCD?

Apparently this was the problem.

Sure we can look over your DIsk Mgmt again to see if anything is awry.

 

[riaz khan]

i do not have win 7 cd as my laptop thoshibe came with recovery media how i startup repair win 7 after win xp installed as dual boot please help me

 

[gregrocker]

Use the installer for your licensed Win7 version provided in step 5 of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start,

First Mark as Active (Method Two) the Win7 partition or it's 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred if you have it),

then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times.

Once Win7 starts install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to add XP on the Add OS Entry tab. Accept any offered boot files, type a label in the box, provide the XP drive letter if it doesn't autocomplete, Save, reboot.

 

[Kaktussoft]

What I advise you to do:

• Format the winxp (primary) again, so make it empty
• delete files boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, ntldr.exe from root of win7 partition. Just to cleanup the mess
• Mark winxp partition as ACTIVE. So don't touch the win7 partition in the install proces
• install winxp from dvd. Install it until it's working without issues.
• mark win7 partition ACTIVE again

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html
Marking a partition active can also be done from win7 repair disc->command prompt

This worked a treat.

I followed what you said and xp said ntldr was missing.

I checked the folder where it was looking and ntldr was missing.

All I did was copy the ntldr file from the root of my xp partition (with protected system files visible) to the /nst folder.

Now I have a successful dual boot.

Thank you all very much

(do you still want me to post a disk management screen shot?)

winxp was working as expected before marking win7 partition active?
After marking win7 partition active, the win7 bootmenu was back again (including winxp in menu)?

I didn't touch the \nst folder, nor did winxp install!! Who did delete \nst\ntldr? I think it was never there..... but you told us you could boot to winxp prior.... strange.

anyway problem solved

 

[gazza1988]

What I advise you to do:

• Format the winxp (primary) again, so make it empty
• delete files boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, ntldr.exe from root of win7 partition. Just to cleanup the mess
• Mark winxp partition as ACTIVE. So don't touch the win7 partition in the install proces
• install winxp from dvd. Install it until it's working without issues.
• mark win7 partition ACTIVE again

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html
Marking a partition active can also be done from win7 repair disc->command prompt

This worked a treat.

I followed what you said and xp said ntldr was missing.

I checked the folder where it was looking and ntldr was missing.

All I did was copy the ntldr file from the root of my xp partition (with protected system files visible) to the /nst folder.

Now I have a successful dual boot.

Thank you all very much

(do you still want me to post a disk management screen shot?)

winxp was working as expected before marking win7 partition active?
After marking win7 partition active, the win7 bootmenu was back again (including winxp in menu)?

I didn't touch the \nst folder, nor did winxp install!! Who did delete \nst\ntldr? I think it was never there..... but you told us you could boot to winxp prior.... strange.

anyway problem solved

I think it was me who deleted it hoping it would be recreated in the nst folder.

I think because a blank partition was active all the xp boot files were stored on my xp partition(bbecause the active partition must have the boot files to work)

Once I switched back all i had to do was insert thecreated ntldr file from the root of the xp partition to thenst ffolder in the root of my windows 7 partition and then job done. Both windows xp and 7 can now boot.

My understanding of the activeflag is it acts as a sort of bios in the way bios cchooses the boot order of hard drives the active flag chooses the boot order of partitions. I think many of the 7b bsod errors people have can be rectified this way as this way it installs the boot for xp on the xp partition and easybcd can point to it