Dual Boot Win 7 & XP - XP has stopped loading

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  1. Posts : 60
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #1

    Dual Boot Win 7 & XP - XP has stopped loading


    2 years ago I created a Win 7/XP dual boot set up using this excellent tutorial: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP
    It has run faultlessly until now when the default Win 7 still loads perfectly well, but when selecting XP it now boots until the blue Windows XP background screen appears then hangs. This is the screen that would have "Windows is starting up......" on it, but the words don't appear. So, presumably all the basic drivers are loading, but for some reason XP won't launch. I'm assuming this means the BCD software has done its job and there is a problem with the XP installation.

    I have Win 7 and XP on different partitions on the same physical hard drive (which has a total of 3 partitions on it). The only thing I have done recently is to resize the 2 non-XP partitions which has meant a small amount of rearrangement of them. The XP partition has not been changed other than "moved" slightly on the same drive using a partition manager prog. The Win7 partition has been altered, and that still works, so I'm assuming this has nothing to do with the problem.

    It seems I need to either repair the XP installation or reinstall, which is where I'm becoming tentative as I don't want to destroy the dual boot set up if I can help it.

    Can someone explain how I run XP repair from the disc in a dual boot system? When and how do I load the disc? Will it automatically find the partition with the XP installation on it? I know I should (and do) have the DVD drive as 1st boot device in the BIOS, but do I put the disc in right at the start and go through the select OS stages. I'm sorry I'm a little hazy here on how it would work.

    If I need to do a full reinstall, can someone remind me, will it ask me the location to reinstall (Should I format the partition first??)

    After a reinstall is completed will the dual boot need to be set up again, or will it simply slot in to the current set up.

    You can probably tell I'm slightly fishing in the dark, but hope someone can help me out.

    Thanks a lot!
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  2. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    If you can backup all your data to the 3rd partition. Just reinstall both OS`s installing XP 1st.

    All problems will be fixed and it will be perfect.

    XP on 1st partition, W7 on 2nd, data on 3rd.

    You may have to install EasyBCD to edit the boot menu selection screen so you only have 1 XP and 1 windows 7 showing.

    After multiple installs of dual operating systems, the boot selection screen can easily get messed up. This may or may not apply.

    Make sure you have the network drivers for XP stored on the data drive before you start. Although you can always use Windows 7 to get them.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 60
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Many thanks Addram for your respose.

    I guess the answer was not quite what I was hoping for! I was really hoping to avoid having to fresh install Windows 7 as I've gradually taylored it to my needs over the last 2 years which has been a bit of a journey!

    Is there definitely no way of resolving this without reinstalling Win 7??
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 60
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Have found this information from 2009 and wonder if it might help solve the problem. By moving the partiton on which XP is installed have I accidentally prevented it from being "seen"? Is the problem the bootloader?? Can Easy BCD help?

    First of all, you hav to restore Windows XP bootloader.
    Boot from XP disc and proceed to Recovery Console n execute the following commands one by one.

    fixmbr

    fixboot

    bootcfg /rebuild

    The bootcfg scan HDD for valid Windows XP installations and prompts for Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All). Press Y n hit enter.

    The next prompt asks you to Enter Load Identifier.

    This is the name of the operating system. For example, type Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition and press Enter.

    The final prompt asks you to Enter OS Load options.

    Type /Fastdetect here and press Enter.
    After this, Windows XP should now start normally

    Now boot with Windows 7’s DVD and choose Regional Settings and click on Next.

    Choose Repair your Computer, it automatically detect Windows 7’s partition and repair all kind of problem that cause unable to boot in 7 by clicking on Repair button OR then choose Startup Repair option.

    Restart your computer to boot in Windows 7 and run CMD as Administrator and execute the following commands one by one to add boot manager entries of Windows XP in boot menu.

    bcdedit /create {ntldr} /d “Earlier version of Windows”

    bcdedit /set {ntldr} device boot

    bcdedit /set {ntldr} path \ntldr

    bcdedit /displayorder {ntldr} /addlast


    Thanks again for any help!
      My Computer

  5.    #5

    If the fixes above run in the first R for Repair console Command Line on XP CD don't work then run an XP Repair Install.

    This will reassert the XP boot cutting Win7 out so you'll either need to add Win7 using the Steps in tutorial for when XP is installed second, or start Win7 by Mark Partition Active the 7 or System Reserved (if you have it), then running up to 3 separate Startup Repairs from the installer or Repair CD. Once Win7 is started install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to add XP by name, type and drive letter. This often works easier than trying to add 7 from XP.

    If any questions or problems post back a screenshot of your maxmized Disk Mgmt drive map from XP: Screenshot with Paint
    Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums - Windows 7 Forums
    Remember XP can only start when its partition is marked Active first, unless Win7 is started to add it.
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  6. Posts : 60
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thanks for your comments Gregrocker

    My h/d has partition 1 (C) 150GB Active with Win 7 on it, partition 2 (D) 250GB Data, and partition 3 (J) 80GB with XP on it. There are a couple of other data h/ds but I'll disconnect these before doing the repair.

    Can I go through your suggestions in my own words, so I've got them straight?

    So, I boot from XP CD and run an XP Repair install.

    Then I follow steps in tutorial under "When Windows 7 is installed first". The alternative you offer: Mark Partition Active; do I boot to XP then use disc management to make the "C" partition active? After that, are you saying, boot from the Win 7 CD up to 3x running start up repairs. Which is best do you think; follow tutorial or try the above. I think I'm favouring the tutorial.

    So it will now boot straight to Win 7, ignoring XP? Then, from Win 7 run Easy BCD (it is already installed - I've used it up until now) as in the tutorial, to add XP.

    Am I right in thinking, that I've got away without having to reinstall Win 7 (I'm not so worried about XP, its just got a couple of non-Win 7 compliant programmes I need). Basically I can follow Option 2 in the tutorial from No. 2?

    Thanks again for your help Really appreciated
      My Computer

  7.    #7

    Mark Partition Active shows how to do do it from either XP Disk Mgmt in Option 1, or booted Win7 installer Command Line using Option 2.

    The steps in the Dual Boot tutorial may work to add Win7 to a Dual Boot menu from XP. If not use the other method to Start Win7 first and add XP using EasyBCD.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 60
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Thanks again. It won't be immediately, but when I do it, I'll update on what worked and what didn't, just in case anyone finds the info useful.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 60
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    I'm pleased to say that the problem has been resolved and am able to dual boot exactly as before. In fact I ended up formatting and doing a fresh install of XP on the same partition as it had previously been located.

    Interestingly, rebooting after the re-install gave me the choice of OS exactly as before, without any further manipulation from me. (Boy, was I relieved!) I am assuming that, because the reinstall was to exactly the same location as before, and the bootloader was now working, BCD in Win 7 had not been modified, so was still targeting the partition on which XP was installed.

    I did encounter a few issues on the way. I'm sure they are well-known to Gregrocker and others (in fact one of his solutions helped me out - thanks!) but I'll mention them in case anyone is in the same situation as I.

    My motherboard is an Asus P7P55D-ePRO which has 6 SATA connectors on the Intel chip which can be either IDE, RAID or AHCI, 2 Marvell SATA3 connectors and a JMicron SATA2 connector. 2 of my data only discs were set as RAID1 and the boot partitions for both OSs were on another drive connected through the Intel chip as well. Therefore it was also showing as a RAID connection. With this in mind, here are the comments:

    1. Disconnect all H/Ds accept the one XP will go on to remove any risk of formatting the wrong drive. Change SATA RAID to IDE in the BIOS otherwise Install stalls very quickly with a Stop Error (thanks Gregrocker!)

    2. Try and use a XP disc with Service Pack 3 slipstreamed. This gives you the SATA drivers you probably need. Unfortunately, I used a disc with Service Pack 2 onboard and had to download SP3 later and install (300mb) Also you need SP3 because Microsoft stopped support for SP2 in 2010 and Windows update (of which there are lots) will only work when SP3 is there. Incidentally, SP3 support ceases next year 2014.

    3. When installed I set the Intel chip to RAID, reconnected the RAID1 drives and booted to XP. The stop error returned on booting to XP. SATA RAID drivers need to be in place before you can boot to XP with the RAID selected in the BIOS. Solved the problem by connecting the boot drive to the jMicron chip (IDE) temporarily, and left the RAID set up in situ. It now booted to XP and asked for the RAID drivers to be installed. At this stage, the DVD drives were not recognised because they were on the Intel chip as well, so I downloaded the RAID drivers (Intel Matrix Storage) from the Asus website. Once installed the RAID set up and the DVD drives were visible as you would expect. It just remained for the boot drive to be reconnected to an Intel connector (unless you want it to stay elsewhere).

    4. Booting to Win 7 when most drives were disconnected caused Windows explorer to work slowly or crash. I thought I'd damaged the Win 7 installation, but connecting all the drives again solved this issue.

    5. The only other driver issue was with audio...no sound even with the Audigy drivers installed (old I know!) Installing this solved the problem: Realtek

    There that's it. Final thought: support for XP ends completely in April 2014. What will we do then!!??

    Thanks for the help Guys!

    Forgot to say: Don't forget to make the registry modification to prevent XP wiping Win 7 Restore Points as shown in the Dual-Boot Tutorial.
    Last edited by Magnet; 04 Feb 2013 at 16:39. Reason: additional information
      My Computer

  10.    #10

    Thanks for reporting back, Magnet, and glad it worked out well for you.

    Another option to adjust XP installed in IDE to AHCI/SATA: Easy way to Enable AHCI on XP running in IDE mode

    I'm still concerned about Win7 performance lagging with other HD's disconnected. This is unusual and not to be expected. Can you post back a screenshot of your maxmized Disk Mgmt drive map with listings showing all columns, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu?

    I would also go over the fundamental Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7
    to read the logs, check System Resources/generate Health Report, establish a Clean Boot, Run Disk Check on all HD's.
      My Computer


 
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