Dualboot

[termikxs]

Ok... This is far beyond my ability to understand...
I have tried classic "fixmbr" and "fixboot" with WinXP recovery console...
So it deleted Win7 boot manager, left the unbootable XP... So me and my dad we run again recovery console... After some time messing with bootcfg we finally restored WinXP Boot Manager with three OS's - boot.ini x 2 and win XP. All are booting to the WORKING XP.

So I guess now I have to restore Win Vista/7 Boot manager and let it boot to this kinda screwed XP boot manager...? Or what should I do now?

Damn it, this is hard.

 

[termikxs]

Here is Disk Managment window by the way (I hope you dont mind it is in czech)

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Try adding the XP boot files to 7 as I have them added to Vista and add the entry with EasyBCD.

You may have things too fouled up now; I hope you can get it sorted.

 

[termikxs]

Well those files are already present on Win7 drive... Now I cant log in on Windows 7 - there is no option in the screwed boot manager from XP.... There is only "boot.ini, boot.ini, win xp" and every choice leads to win xp... should I run EasyBCD on WinXP?...

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Have a look at this tutorial, at the link below to see it it'll resolve the issues.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html?ltr=S

 

[aem]

Trying all these fixes, im not sure if it's the best way to go. If you don't mind dual booting on one physical HD, and provided that HD has enough space, I'd attempt to create two primary partitions, install Xp on one and W7 on the other. The boot manager will be there automatically (at least it turned out that way to mine).

Mine has

Earlier version of windows <==== Xp lives in there.
Win 7 <==== W7 sleeps here.
Receover Console <==== for rent.

Ps. The busines of OS installs should be one that is simple and easy to perform.

 

[patio]

Or you could simply enter the BIOS at boot time to determine which drive you want to boot to...

This works, but only if you have an independent boot record on each drive. To accomplish that you have to physically disconnect drives B and C whilst you are installing on drive A - etc.
I personally like this method of installation and switching the OS via the BIOS boot sequence. No mess with the boot record and when you want to uninstall one system, you need not fumble with the boot record either. But you have to open the box and pull the appropriate wires during the installation of each OS. I guess it is either that or EasyBCD.

The other reason this is a cleaner setup i forgot to mention...it also makes imaging your drives and seperate OS's much easier.
I have XP; Vistax64 and Win7 setup this way.
If one of these installs gets wonked i am 15 minutes away from being back up and running because my images contain only that OS's files and the contents of that HDD...

Try accomplishing that with an image of a dual-boot setup.

But to each his own...there's always more than one way to do things.

 

[patio]

Or you could simply enter the BIOS at boot time to determine which drive you want to boot to...

Go in the bios every time you want to boot the other OS??
I don't see how that would be useful.

Wouldn't dual booting be a more practical solution?

This takes me all of 3 - 4 seconds at boot...

 

[whs]

Or you could simply enter the BIOS at boot time to determine which drive you want to boot to...

Go in the bios every time you want to boot the other OS??
I don't see how that would be useful.

Wouldn't dual booting be a more practical solution?

This takes me all of 3 - 4 seconds at boot...

That is true, it's really no big deal to go via the BIOS. And the independent imaging scenario is a good one too.