Help required with MBR whilst dualbooting

Hope this isn't annoying, I just wanted to be thorough.

I've researched the best I could and could not come up with anything. I tried using a recovery disc which seems to do nothing, so now I am asking here.

My name is Kevin. I am working on a laptop for my Grandmother which she purched off of HSN. It's an Acer Aspire 7551G MS2310. It came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium x86 bit. Thus, I do not have the installation disc to help me work through this problem. Now, the problem.

She wanted to be able to use her program for her sewing machine which after installing, realized it doesn't work. Tried installing it to both the Program Files folder and the Program Files x86 folder. Now, obviously that means there's an incompatibility. It worked fine on her old Vista machine, but I figured since I still had the disc handy that I'd set her up to dual boot with Windows XP since I'm sure the program is compatible with XP. So I do just that. I install create a new partition on the drive using a live linux disc to repartition the drive. Everything still works fine. I move on to installing. The installation is successful, but it automatically boots Windows XP now. So I try to look into Rewriting the MBR. My knowledge in computers is vast but this is one of the things I'm not too familiar with messing with. I've repaired them a couple of times with tools I have when other people's computers BSOD, but that's about it. So, I tried another method I found, editing the boot.ini file. The file originally looks like this:

Code:

[boot loader]
timeout=60
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /noexecute=alwaysoff

From what I have read and think I understand (of course I backed it up first), I can just add the line:

Code:

multi(0)disk(0)rdick(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Windows 7"

to add the entry to Windows 7 pointing to the third partition, where it is installed (checked via diskmgmt.msc)

I don't know if that's wrong and that's why it won't work, or what, but when I reboot and try to select the newly added "Windows 7" option, I get the following error with no options:

Code:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.

Now, I thought of researching to find a copy of that file to replace it with. I don't have a 7 disc, (it's factory-installed remember?) So I looked around and the only one I really found, I compared to the original and the one I downloaded is smaller. So now I am lost and I don't know what to do. I am unsure if the MBR fix tool on Ahsu's Multiboot LIVE OS Tools and Recovery disc is really the best option to solve the problem. I've had it mess me over on a different computer, so that will be a last resort. Any help anyone can give is greatly appreciated.

Thanx in advance,
-Kevin F. Laliberte Jr.

Hello Kevin, welcome to Seven Forums!


You said the program she uses worked in Vista, have a look at this tutorial linked below to see if it will work in compatibility mode for your situation.

How to Run a Program in Compatibility Mode in Windows 7

The Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. XP error is a serious issue you may not be able to overcome without much struggle, if at all; perhaps after you have copied out or made back-ups of any data you need to save to external media, you could start over with a clean install of Windows 7, have a good look at this tutorial and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

Clean Install : Factory COA Activation Key

wilywombat said:

Hi Kevin Chaos, welcome to sevenforums. I think you have not edited your boot.ini correctly. You need to amend the "
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS" line to "default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS" as well as the addition you have made of the "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Windows 7" to the [operating systems]
This link explains in more detail:- How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP

Adding quotations, results in an extra option called "Windows Default" to appear on the bootscreen. Selecting "Windwos 7" gives me a different error now.

Code:

Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.
 Could not read from the selected boot disk.  Check boot path and disk hardware.
 Please check the Windows documentation about hardware disk configuration  and your hardware reference manuals for additional information

If I select the "Windows Default" option I get the same old error.

Now I have to use a live disc to repair the MBR to it's old errors. I don't think I understood you in what you said as now I can't boot into XP. I'm using a Live Disc to rewrite it again now.

Additionally, I found that page in my search but don't understand everything at initial glance. I've never worked with MBR before and I want to get this done as quickly and easily as possible.

______________

theog said:

Use EasyBCD is best used in Windows 7.

How to dual Windodws 7 & Win XP:
Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

Use EasyBCD 2.0 in Win 7.
Download EasyBCD 2.1 - NeoSmart Technologies

Boot up using the Startup disk CD or Windows 7 DVD. (not the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disk) If you have a Netbook, you will need a CD/DVD drive.
Make sure no USB drives are plugged in.

Do a Strartup Repair to get Windows 7 booting:
Startup Repair
Note: You may need to do startup repair 3 to 4 times.
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times


If you have not made your Startup Repair
System Repair Disc - Create
Do you have a mate with Windows 7 & CD/DVD RW Drive, how could burn one off.

A bit more reading.
System Restore Points - Stop XP Dual Boot Delete - Vista Forums
Windows XP Mode - Install and Setup

EasyBCD is no longer freeware, thus it costs money, which I don't have a job at the moment. And as for the startup disc. I tried burning one using 7's options, I tried torrenting one, neither helped and I don't have an installation disc. Furthermore, IDK what you've read from my post, how do you expect me to create one from within 7 if I am locked out of 7?

____________________

Bare Foot Kid said:

Hello Kevin, welcome to Seven Forums!


You said the program she uses worked in Vista, have a look at this tutorial linked below to see if it will work in compatibility mode for your situation.

How to Run a Program in Compatibility Mode in Windows 7

The Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. XP error is a serious issue you may not be able to overcome without much struggle, if at all; perhaps after you have copied out or made back-ups of any data you need to save to external media, you could start over with a clean install of Windows 7, have a good look at this tutorial and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

Clean Install : Factory COA Activation Key

Tried compatibility mode, didn't work. Just like WINE under linux doesn't run all programs, Windows 7 doesn't perfect emulate earlier operating systems, just majority things.

People keep assuming I have this disc. I do NOT have the disc. It was factory-installed. The only way to obtain one is with money I don't have or illegally downloading a torrent. As for the ntoskrnl.exe error, I would assume it's really a 7 error considering it didn't exist until installing XP and XP was still bootable but 7 was not. And yes, if I HAD the discs, I would just do a complete re-installation of both OS's. From tutorials I've seen online after researching this problem, everyone who successfully did this, had XP first, then installed 7 which automatically rewrote the MBR. If I could, I would, but I can't so I won't. Even that last method of constructing discs requires access to the 7 partition. I don't know anyone with a 7 disc that can help me out.

I will continue to try with this problem. If anyone can be of further assistance, I will also continue monitoring this thread, and when resolved, let everyone know.

MUCH THANX TO ALL THE FRIENDLY WELCOMES.

Whether you choose to believe me or not, the ntoskrnl error is directly associated with a HAL "Hardware Abstraction Layer" error with XP.

click to enlarge

I said "I would assume". Don't have to word your repsponse that way. So... whta do I do? Re-install XP again? Wouldn't I get the same problem with it rewriting the MBR to not include Vista? Or should I acquire a 7 disc, Install XP first, then install 7 which is how I see most tutorials on the web dual boot the two?

theog said:

We assuming you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD
If you have not made your Startup Repair
System Repair Disc - Create
Do you have a mate with Windows 7 & CD/DVD RW Drive, how could burn one off.

As for the ntoskrnl.exe error, I would Reinstall Win XP.

Consequently, I don't even know why XP would have such an error after zero usage. All I did was install it, it succesfully boots, but 7 no longer does without that error. I'm trying to convince a buddy of mine to bring over a copy he has now. With any luck I can just re-do the whole thing.

XP, then 7 is how I See the tutorials online. Should that be how it's done? Will I have the same problem to look forward to? I don't understand why what happened, happened.

Sorry mate.


As you seem to have the ability to do this the correct way, here's what I would suggest.

I would boot the Windows 7 installation media to secure erase the entire HDD and then boot the XP media to install it to the first created partition of the HDD so it would get the C: drive letter, which it won't get if it's not installed to the first physical partition of the HDD.

Once XP is installed, use the Partition Wizard boot CD to create a partition to the front of the installed XP partition and install Windows 7 to that created partition; this method can be used to copy out any data you need to first.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Clean Install Windows 7 : Ahead of XP