Cannot dual boot xp and Windows 7 with W7 installed first.

I shall have to check that later because I now have to look after my 2 young sons. Thanks for the help so far it is greatly appreciated.

Can we also see another Disk Mgmt screenshot?

Kaktussoft said:

What I advise you to do:

• Format the winxp (primary) again, so make it empty
• delete files boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, ntldr.exe from root of win7 partition. Just to cleanup the mess
• Mark winxp partition as ACTIVE. So don't touch the win7 partition in the install proces
• install winxp from dvd. Install it until it's working without issues.
• mark win7 partition ACTIVE again

Partition - Mark as Active
Marking a partition active can also be done from win7 repair disc->command prompt

This worked a treat.

I followed what you said and xp said ntldr was missing.

I checked the folder where it was looking and ntldr was missing.

All I did was copy the ntldr file from the root of my xp partition (with protected system files visible) to the /nst folder.

Now I have a successful dual boot.

Thank you all very much

(do you still want me to post a disk management screen shot?)

After XP install and restarting Win7 to add XP using EasyBCD, were you accepting its offer of XP boot files as it does when you add XP from WIn7 in EasyBCD?

Apparently this was the problem.

Sure we can look over your DIsk Mgmt again to see if anything is awry.

i do not have win 7 cd as my laptop thoshibe came with recovery media how i startup repair win 7 after win xp installed as dual boot please help me

Use the installer for your licensed Win7 version provided in step 5 of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start,

First Mark as Active (Method Two) the Win7 partition or it's 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred if you have it),

then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times.

Once Win7 starts install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to add XP on the Add OS Entry tab. Accept any offered boot files, type a label in the box, provide the XP drive letter if it doesn't autocomplete, Save, reboot.

Kaktussoft said:

gazza1988 said:

Kaktussoft said:

What I advise you to do:

• Format the winxp (primary) again, so make it empty
• delete files boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, ntldr.exe from root of win7 partition. Just to cleanup the mess
• Mark winxp partition as ACTIVE. So don't touch the win7 partition in the install proces
• install winxp from dvd. Install it until it's working without issues.
• mark win7 partition ACTIVE again

Partition - Mark as Active
Marking a partition active can also be done from win7 repair disc->command prompt

This worked a treat.

I followed what you said and xp said ntldr was missing.

I checked the folder where it was looking and ntldr was missing.

All I did was copy the ntldr file from the root of my xp partition (with protected system files visible) to the /nst folder.

Now I have a successful dual boot.

Thank you all very much

(do you still want me to post a disk management screen shot?)

winxp was working as expected before marking win7 partition active?
After marking win7 partition active, the win7 bootmenu was back again (including winxp in menu)?

I didn't touch the \nst folder, nor did winxp install!! Who did delete \nst\ntldr? I think it was never there..... but you told us you could boot to winxp prior.... strange.

anyway problem solved

I think it was me who deleted it hoping it would be recreated in the nst folder.

I think because a blank partition was active all the xp boot files were stored on my xp partition(bbecause the active partition must have the boot files to work)

Once I switched back all i had to do was insert thecreated ntldr file from the root of the xp partition to thenst ffolder in the root of my windows 7 partition and then job done. Both windows xp and 7 can now boot.

My understanding of the activeflag is it acts as a sort of bios in the way bios cchooses the boot order of hard drives the active flag chooses the boot order of partitions. I think many of the 7b bsod errors people have can be rectified this way as this way it installs the boot for xp on the xp partition and easybcd can point to it