dual boot windows 7/xp problem developed after been working for a year

Setup a dual boot win7/xp both 32bit about a year ago and the system had been working fine. Used EasyBCD initially to configure.

Just very recently after powering up the system displays the loading operating system and it just hangs there. If I select to chose which device to use for boot from at start up, then the system would boot and load the booloader for me to chose between win7 or xp. It just got worse, that trick stopped working. So I tried to load the optimized defaults in bios and then safe defaults and it did not help. At this booted the system with win7 install disk and tried to do a repair system no go. Then I discovered by dum luck that if I have the install disk in system and when it's time to hit any key to boot from the disk I did not do anything then it would eventually revert to the bootloader dual setup for win7 or xp shows up again and I 'm able to boot into win7 but not XP.

Tried to use easybcd again but now I have two winxp options in the bootloader setup to chose from and only one works but it is an older install that is bear empty.

I'm not sure where the problem or problems exactly at.

Your input and help is appreciated

Try marking WIn7 partition Active first then run Startup Repair 3 Separate Times
with reboots in between each, to write or repair the System Boot files upon the WIn7 partition.

Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two)

Once Win7 starts, install EasyBCD 2.02 to add XP, accept boot files, let it autocomplete drive letter, Save, Reboot to Dual Boot screen. If necessary remove an existing XP listing if it's failing to add it again using Easy.

gregrocker,

Thanks for your reply and help.
I did what you had suggested but still the only way I can get windows7 to boot is to have the CD Rom drive set as the first boot drive in bios and then have an installer CD or DVD in it. The system tries to boot off the CD drive expecting any keyboard key strike when it does not get one it starts booting windows 7 and comes up and works fine.
I had made all partitions on all drive inactive per instructions on this site except the windows7 source primary partition.

I'm wondering if my mother board bios has an issue. I have a gigabyte MB #790FXTA-UD5 and bios rev.F1.
Also my Hard Drive LED on the front of the tower has been constantly lit for a couple of weeks now. It used to operate normally coming on and off randomly.

Only had this system for about a year.

I would Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic

Try booting into Win7 DVD or Repair CD System Recovery Options to open a Command Line, type: bootsect /nt60 sys
Reboot to see if Win7 will boot on its own. If so, install EasyBCD to add XP.

If the HD checks out and you can't get Win7 to boot on its own after marking Active and running 3 Startup Repairs, then I'd consider wiping the HD since this could be boot sector corruption only remedied by Diskpart Clean command wipe: SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Reinstalling Windows 7

I would also consider running the nearly XPired OS virtually in Win7 using VMWare or XP Mode, but if you're intent upon Dual Booting then follow Method One here so that Win7 when installed last will configure the Dual Boot itself: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

Okay, this is where I'm at with the repair.

I now get the option to select windows7 or XP at boot up and windows 7 does boot and works but when XP is selected the system says error reading disk hit any key to continue. Well If I tell the system to let me choose which hard drive to boot from XP boots and runs fine. I have set up the hard drive that xp is installed on to be the second in the boot order in bios and windows7 hard drive as the first. Do you guys think I need to disconnect all the other hard drives in the system except the one that has xp on it and try to do a repair with the xp install disk?
Or what else could be the issue?

Thanks for all the help

That's actuaqlly the recommended way to dual boot with separate HD's: set the preferred HD to boot first, then if you want the other use the one-time BIOS Boot menu key at boot to trigger it.

If this is satisfactory you can install EasyBCD to Win7 to Delete the XP listing on the Dual Boot Menu so it doesn't bother you.

If you want a Windows-managed Dual Boot instead of BIOS, then delete the XP listing and try adding it back using EasyBCD.

Thank you my friend for all your replys and help.
I will try that next since thats how it used to work before the problem accured.