Relocate System Files on a Dual Boot

Neophile · 09 Feb 2011

Probably because it is the wrong bit version.

It wasn't the wrong bit version if we believe on Control Panel >> System.

I am falling from a small hole into a bigger and deeper one.

I followed that tutorial. To be sure and not to make mistakes, I copied the commands from there to a text file which I opened when using the DVD (or USB flash) to prepare the installation.

I started installing and all went well until the first of the several automatic reboots during the installation. There, it was lost. it booted OK, but while loading Windows, right after the growing and shrinking logo there was a fast blue screen and rebooted. I tried a couple of time more, but as I can't set the OS not to reboot at a blue screen or even with the break button, it is impossible to reed.

I tried several times to install from the USB flash and from the DVD. Always the same. This is the first time I fail to install any OS. Then I even tried something really uncommon. I extracted the DVD to folders and files on the Backup HD (disk 1) and booted from there after starting with the DVD. No change. between trials I deleted the 200MB system reserved partition to change and because I thought it was too small to contain System Volume Information. All trials came to same result: after the first reboot the blue screen followed the Windows logo.

Trying to repair with the Windows installer DVD produces the same result as before: no compatibility between the recovery and the OS. Cant all this be because the system is on XP? If so, can it be moved to Windows 7?

- - - - - - - - - - / / / / / - - - - - - - - - - / / / / / - - - - - - - - - -

Here is the configuration, now as seen from XP. I hope it will help to understand the problem.

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

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier . . . . . . . {bootmgr}
device . . . . . . . . . .partition=I:
description . . . . . . .Windows Boot Manager
locale . . . . . . . . . . en-US
inherit. . . . . . . . . . {globalsettings}
default . . . . . . . . . {default}
resumeobject . . . . .{4d9053eb-3451-11e0-bc64-b316d04564c7}
displayorder . . . . . .{default}
toolsdisplayorder . . {memdiag}
timeout . . . . . . . . .3

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier . . . . . . . .{default}
device . . . . . . . . . .partition=I:
path . . . . . . . . . . .\Windows\system32\winload.exe
description . . . . . . Windows 7
locale . . . . . . . . . .en-US
inherit . . . . . . . . . {bootloadersettings}
osdevice . . . . . . . .partition=I:
systemroot . . . . . . \Windows
resumeobject . . . . {4d9053eb-3451-11e0-bc64-b316d04564c7}
nx . . . . . . . . . . . . OptIn
detecthal . . . . . . . .Yes

Disk Mgmt Snapshot

gregrocker · 09 Feb 2011

Only the System drive should be marked Active. Use free partition Wizard bootable CD or Diskpart to mark all drives except XP Inactive then mark XP Active.
Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software - Partition Wizard Online
Partition - Mark as Active

Try install again using Custom>Drive Options to delete, repartition and format before install.

If this fails, try wiping the HD again and use Step 2.2 in tutorial to partition and mark Active to try install.

Next try unplugging all other HD's to try install.

Please don't leave the listings off the top fo the disk mgmt screenshots as these are important..

Neophile · 09 Feb 2011

I have tried many times as you said and not only once each, also combining the procedures. Some times it didn't even boot, but it often does. The problem is that it stops with a blue screen while loading the OS just when the shrinking/growing logo should be followed by the "Please Waite" screen. I remembered that I could stop the blue screen with the OS F8 boot menu option. It shows always the same code no matter the way I installed as above. This is it:
0x0000007B (0xFFEFF880009A99428, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000034, 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000)

On the installations that didn't reboot I tried to recover with the DVD, but same notice about the OS compatibility with the recover version is always there. some times no OS is found after loading the SCSI adapter drivers, other times it founds 2, but the HDs show up always on the window to find the drivers and also on the command line window.

Some times I tried to rebuild the bootmanager. The command bootsect /fixbmbr worked, but fixboot gave an error Element not found. RebuildBCD answered Add (drive):\windows to bcd? and after the yes it gave the same error Element not found.

After so many installations I have made with the previous OSs through years without a single problem, this one now is driving me crazy because I can't find a reason. It seems unreal. I've tried all I know. So how can I do it? I can't see a way to get rid of this issue.

Sorry for forgetting to post the list before.

gregrocker · 09 Feb 2011

If your install ends in bluescreen, try accessing Device manager to uninstall drivers in error, especially Display driver, so that the OS can start up. Device Manager - Access During Windows 7 Installation

Then update the drivers from optional Windows Updates or the Support Downloads webpage for the device model.

You can also move the HD to another computer, install Win7, then SysPrep the HD to remove all drivers and prepare it to start on new hardware. Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer

Sometimes we have to get creative.

Neophile · 09 Feb 2011

Thanks again.

I can't do the second option. With the first, to be sure it would start with right HD (because it does't always happens at that point of the installation) when it rebooted I guided it with the BIOS menu. After loading the files in Safe Mode it stopped for a while and then the blue screen again.

Crazy! Maybe you have another idea to work around, please.

gregrocker · 10 Feb 2011

Let's start over: Verify you have the latest BIOS version, install from XP with only XP and target HD plugged in.

Now try running the Win7 installer from XP to install to it's target HD.

If this fails, Unplug all other HD's. Plug target HD into Disk0 only.

Reset the CMOS: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

Set target HD as first to boot in BIOS setup.

Check the SATA controller setting, if it is in IDE mode leave it to try install. If install fails, try AHCI mode.

Now boot the Win7 DVD to wipe the HD: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

After Cleaning HD, close CMD box and click Install Now, use Custom>Drive Options to create 100gb install partition, format it and Install.

Please post back result of each step and any error messages that result. If you get a blue screen try to get a camera snap of it to post back, if not get at least the first identifying number.

Neophile · 16 Feb 2011

I'm back. Sorry if I couldn't post before because of the troubles I had as I explained below.

At some point of this thread I started having problems using my original installation DVD which I did not experiment before and had nothing to do with the subject of the thread. The results of many trials made me think that my DVD had gone bad. I tried to reinstall the OS, freshly installed just a couple of weeks ago, but always failed.

Then, I found a link to download a new ISO of the Windows 7 image to replace mine. It wasn't the version I had a license for, but I learned how to change it in a comment on a German site. After this I just had to follow the provided help on this thread to do what I needed and solved my issue. It is all there,

Thank you so much for the help from everyone and sorry for the difficulty after a certain point because of the failure of my DVD. I couldn't believe it failed just after a so recent and successful installation. I just wanted to change a little thing and it became a headache.

Bare Foot Kid · 16 Feb 2011

We're just glad you found a solution and thanks for the update.