Relocate System Files on a Dual Boot

I'm not sure why you copied boot files manually since that wasn't included in steps given and is performed by Startup Repair.

It was just like when we save the registry before making chinges in it, but it wasn’t really necessary, I agree.

Can you unplug all other HD's besides Disk1, make sure it is set first to boot in BIOS setup, mark Windows 7 partition active and run Startup Repair three times again to see if it will repair?

I had already done this, as I wrote, but I repeated, passed to the next step (fixmbr and fixboot) and did it again, same result. Unfortunately booting results didn’t change since my last post.


Disk 1. After the previous proceedings the configuration changed from what I posted. Disk 1 became Disk 0 (C: Windows 7) as you can see from the updated information at the end of this post. I think the difference depends on what booting data is read. Probably, Computer Management reads the latest data and Diskpart the old one. This difference between them happens only when I plug in the SATA disk after booting, of course, because if the SATA is not plugged in (where all boot files used to be) they show both the same information.

Yes, Windows 7 has always been active on Partition Wizard, Computer Management and Diskpart.

Still doesn't boot with the SATA disk connected. Message: \boot\bcdedit.

On the disk with B: (Basic) and E: (Windows XP) the first is active but not the second. Should I invert them? XP is on second partition and had its boot directory and files on the first, which I deleted right at the beginning of this fix.

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Previous system configuration (Windows 7 alone or SATA disk plugged minutes after booting booting and using Search for hardware changes):

Disk # . . . . Size. . . . . . Type . . . .[Names]
------- . . . . -------- . . . ----- . . . .-----------------------------------
Disk 0 . . . . 112 GB . . . SCSI . . . C: Windows 7 /64-bit
Disk 1 . . . . . 72 GB . . . SCSI . . . D: Backup (No OS, no root files)
Disk 2 . . . . 963 GB . . . ATA . . . . E: Windows XP /32-bit & B: Basic



Present system configuration (SATA disk plugged while booting the OS):

Disk # . . . . Size. . . . . . Type . . . .[Names]
------- . . . . -------- . . . ----- . . . .-----------------------------------
Disk 0 . . . . 963 GB . . . ATA . . . . E: Windows XP /32-bit & B: Basic
Disk 1 . . . . 112 GB . . . SCSI . . . C: Windows 7 /64-bit
Disk 2 . . . . . 72 GB . . . SCSI . . . D: Backup (No OS, no root files)




Diskpart information.
Diskpart and Bcdedit
Disk Mgmt snapshot at the bottom.

DISKPART

Detail Disk 0

WDC WD1002FAEX-00Z3A0 ATA Device
Disk ID: 47257801
Type : ATA
Status : Online
Path : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : PCIROOT(0)#PCI(1100)#ATA(C00T00L00)
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only : No
Boot Disk : No
Pagefile Disk : No
Hibernation File Disk : No
Crashdump Disk : No
Clustered Disk : No

Volume ## Ltr Label . . . . . Fs . . .Type. . . . Size . . . Status . Info
---------- --- ----- ------------ ------ ------------- ---------- --------- ------
Volume 2 . B . Basic . . . . . NTFS . Partition . 891 GB . Healthy
Volume 3 . E . Windows XP .NTFS . Partition . .39 GB . Healthy



Detail Disk 1

ST312002 2A SCSI Disk Device
Disk ID: 0ADF0ADF
Type : SCSI
Status : Online
Path : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : PCIROOT(0)#PCI(1404)#PCI(0600)#SCSI(P00T00L00)
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only : No
Boot Disk : Yes
Pagefile Disk : Yes
Hibernation File Disk : No
Crashdump Disk : Yes
Clustered Disk : No

Volume ## Ltr Label . . . . Fs . . . Type. . . . .Size . . . Status . . Info
--------- --- --- -------------- -------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ---------
Volume 4 . C . Windows 7 . NTFS . Partition . 111 GB . Healthy . System


Detail Disk 1, Partition 1 seen when booted with Win7 DVD:

Partition 1
Type : 07
Hidden: No
Active: Yes
Offset in Bytes: 32256

Volume ## . Ltr Label . . . . . Fs . . .Type . . . .Size . . . Status . Info
---------- --- ---- -------------- -------- ------------ ---------- --------- -----
* Volume 3 . F . Windows 7 . NTFS . Partition . 111 GB . Healthy



Detail Disk 2

WDC WD80 0BB-00JHA0 SCSI Disk Device
Disk ID: D0465FA8
Type : SCSI
Status : Online
Path : 0
Target : 1
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : PCIROOT(0)#PCI(1404)#PCI(0600)#SCSI(P00T01L00)
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only : No
Boot Disk : No
Pagefile Disk : No
Hibernation File Disk : No
Crashdump Disk : No
Clustered Disk : No

Volume ## Ltr Label. . .Fs . . . Type. . . . Size . . Status . Info
--------- --- -------------- -------- ----------- --------- --------- -----
Volume 5 . D . Backup . NTFS . Partition . 71 GB . Healthy



BCDEDIT shows only this (booted with other disks disconnected):

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
path \bootmgr
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-us
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {eb076f0c-3081-11e0-8797-000272a472e7}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-us
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \windows
resumeobject {eb076f0c-3081-11e0-8797-000272a472e7}
nx OptIn
detecthal Yes



Disk Mgmt Snapshot

Eureka! That was it. Working now. Well, nearly.

I forgot that my motherboard mixes up the boot drives order every time I plug or unplug anything, even a USB flash drive. They have to be reordered every time a change is made.

I have entered XP in the C: Windows 7 bootmanager.
I made B: Basic drive inactive and E: XP active.
The system configuration is different again.
Both Windows 7 and XP installations work.
I made a boot menus for both Windows 7 and XP.
Both boot OK from their respective menus or from BIOS menu, but not from the other one’s menu.
I can make a backup and a system image.

Boot settings were applied with the other HDs disconnected.

Nearly everything solved thanks to your help, but something still needs a touch. A few things are not behaving as expected. This is what happens when booting from BIOS menu.

When I boot from Win7 HD, and pick Windows 7 from the menu or just let the time pass and it goes on by itself, works marvellously. But when I choose XP from this menu, instead of starting gives this message and stops:
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\System32\ntoskrnl.exe.
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

Strange because of what follows.

When I boot from the Win XP HD and pick Windows XP from the menu all is well. But when I choose Windows 7 from the menu, instead of starting it gives this message and reboots:
Invalid boot.ini file
Booting from c:\windows\

Also strange because of what follows.

At the beginning, there was no boot.ini. I deleted too early the backup you mentioned. I had to make a new one, a lot of work and wasted time. XP’s CD recovery didn’t find an OS! I Installation did’t show the XP Repair Install either, no luck. This temporarily missing boot.ini corrupted XP’s ntoskrnl.exe file (was posted at booting and didn’t boot), and I had to replaced it from the XP CD, so it was corrected: there was a boot.ini and ntoskrnl.exe was replaced. Nevertheless, the boot problem persists. I checked both disks and Chkdsk found no errors, but I didn’t replace the file ntoskrnl.exe on Win7 because I couldn’t find it on the DVD as I did on XP’s CD.

What is wrong?


I just didn't find an EasyBCD tutorial or description of the app functions. I know some but not all, but give up EasyBCD because it makes special folders on the system and I find it abusive, may bring consequences if the program fails, and probably we can’t make any repair if needed. Anyway, I’m not sure if I’m right, but I give it up.

Just to make a point clear about an SIW2's comment above.
On my other thread mentioned here, I did have problems booting with the DVD and loading the SCSI adapter drivers is still time consuming. However, if I can do nothing to quicken driver installation, the trouble I had before was because of the previous installation. This is a new one and that issue didn't show up... until now. I use a USB flash drive now to boot from Win7 DVD, somewhat quicker.

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Edited

Present settings


Boot.ini on Disk 0, Partition 2, E: Windows XP

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows 7 Ultimate" /fastdetect



Present system configuration (all disks plugged in)

Disk # . . . Size. . . . Type. . .[Names and partitions]
------- . . . -------- . . ------ . . ---------------------------------------------------
Disk 0 . . . 963 GB . . ATA. . . Part1 (B: Basic) – Part2 (E: Win XP 32-bit)
Disk 1 . . . 112 GB . . SCSI . . Part1 (C: Windows 7 /64-bit)
Disk 2 . . . . 72 GB . . SCSI . . Part1 (D: Backup (No OS, no root files))



Bcdedit

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier . . . . . . . {bootmgr}
device . . . . . . . . . partition=C:
path . . . . . . . . . . .\bootmgr
description . . . . . . Windows Boot Manager
locale . . . . . . . . . .en-us
inherit . . . . . . . . . {globalsettings}
default . . . . . . . . .{current}
resumeobject . . . . {eb076f0c-3081-11e0-8797-000272a472e7}
displayorder . . . . . {current}
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . {ntldr}
toolsdisplayorder . . {memdiag}
timeout . . . . . . . . .4
displaybootmenu . . Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier . . . . . . . . {current}
device . . . . . . . . . . partition=C:
path . . . . . . . . . . . \windows\system32\winload.exe
description . . . . . . . Windows 7
locale . . . . . . . . . . .en-us
inherit . . . . . . . . . . {bootloadersettings}
osdevice . . . . . . . . .partition=C:
systemroot . . . . . . .\windows
resumeobject . . . . . {eb076f0c-3081-11e0-8797-000272a472e7}
nx OptIn
detecthal Yes

Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier . . . . . . . . . {ntldr}
device . . . . . . . . . . . partition=E:
path . . . . . . . . . . . . \ntldr
description . . . . . . . .Windows XP



Root files on Windows 7

bootmgr
bootsqm.dat
hiberfil.sys
pagefile.sys


Root files on Windows XP

boot.ini
hiberfil.sys
ntdetect.com
ntldr
pagefile.sys

Hello Neophile.



Have a look at this tutorial at the link below to see of running the sfc /scan this way will repair the files and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.


SFC /SCANNOW : Run in Command Prompt at Boot

Since you are dual booting did you try Method Two of the tutorial?


Greg's suggestion for a repair install is the better idea at this point.