dual boot help

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  1. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #11

    If 7 is already running on it it's a primary and booted into XP would see the volume mounted as a logical drive just as you would see when any other partition other then the OS primary you are booted in at the moment. XP is viewing the 7 volume as a logical drive while 7 sees and list primaries as primaries.

    XP is seen as C being the first primary on the host drive with 7 seen as D in the screen you posted. When looking at two separate drives both OSed in the 7 DM the screen shows how that looks even while two drives not one are involved.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails dual boot help-disk-management-view-w7.jpg  
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
       #12

    Hello tOnnyAyye, welcome to Seven Forums!





    No Windows Operating System (OS) will boot independently from an "Extended/Logical" partition, it must be on a "Primary" partition so that the boot files can be created to that partition; have a look at Option Four in this tutorial to see an out-line on the way to convert a logical to a primary so the boot files can be created to that partition and it will boot independently.

    Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD



    Then after the Windows 7 partition is a primary, use the info in this tutorial to mark that partition as "Active" and do the 3 separate startup repairs so that new boot files will be created to that partition so it will boot; then XP can be removed.

    Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times


    Be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #13

    With 7 on one drive while the boot files are on the other one boot to the repair tools>command prompt is typically all it takes to see a 7 drive made bootable and rebuild the BCD store new at the same time.

    Bootrec.exe options

    The Bootrec.exe tool supports the following options. Use the option that is appropriate for your situation.

    Note If rebuilding the BCD does not resolve the startup issue, you can export and delete the BCD, and then run this option again. By doing this, you make sure that the BCD is completely rebuilt. To do this, type the following commands at the Windows RE command prompt:
    • bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
    • c:
    • cd boot
    • attrib bcd -s -h -r
    • ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
    • bootrec /RebuildBcd
    /FixMbr

    The /FixMbr option writes a Windows 7 or Windows Vista-compatible MBR to the system partition. This option does not overwrite the existing partition table. Use this option when you must resolve MBR corruption issues, or when you have to remove non-standard code from the MBR.
    /FixBoot

    The /FixBoot option writes a new boot sector to the system partition by using a boot sector that is compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Use this option if one of the following conditions is true:
    • The boot sector has been replaced with a non-standard Windows Vista or Windows 7 boot sector.
    • The boot sector is damaged.
    • An earlier Windows operating system has been installed after Windows Vista or Windows 7 was installed. In this scenario, the computer starts by using Windows NT Loader (NTLDR) instead of Windows Boot Manager (Bootmgr.exe).
    /ScanOs

    The /ScanOs option scans all disks for installations that are compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Additionally, this option displays the entries that are currently not in the BCD store. Use this option when there are Windows Vista or Windows 7 installations that the Boot Manager menu does not list.
    /RebuildBcd

    The /RebuildBcd option scans all disks for installations that are compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Additionally, this option lets you select the installations that you want to add to the BCD store. Use this option when you must completely rebuild the BCD.
    That's an extract from the MS support page posted earlier. How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows

    If you have an accident when trying a dual boot setup with a Linux distro and Grub trashes the Windows mbr that will get you back running again. The advantage of this command prompt method is only needing one boot with the 7 dvd rather then repeat trips into the repair tools to run the startup repair sometimes several times.
      My Computers


 
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