Oh well, let's hope it will start up to a dual boot menu.
If not, then XP needs a repair install to sort out its boot first.
Then EasyBCD can add it as before, necessary when XP is installed last with Win7.
Last edited by gregrocker; 12 Dec 2009 at 05:40.
I'm actually on the Install screen of 7 now... and my XP installation still appears as
"DISK 0 Partition 1, Type: System"
"DISK 1 Unallocated Space" (the second drive where 7 is going...)
Even after swapping SATA cables, ports, etc... Not sure if 7 has to be on DISK 0, like you mentioned, but we don't seem to have a choice at the moment...
This is a fresh install btw...
Did you ever confirm Win7 was DISK0 after swapping?
I read that Win7 64 bit needs to be in first drive position.
But I can't find a reference to it now googling for the past hour.
Can't find anything either... The Win 7 HDD is IDE CHANNEL 2 MASTER in the BIOS, the XP is IDE CHANNEL 3 MASTER in the BIOS... So in theory, it is "in front" of the XP HDD as far as the system is concerned... I have BIOS boot priority set to boot from the (now being installed) Win 7 64-bit...
I have no idea how to make the XP volume DISK 1 and the new volume DISK 0... But right now, we're installing as DISK 1...
I guess you need to call up a command prompt in the Win7 installer Repair console or OS System Tools and type DISKPART, then LIST DISK to see which is DISK0.
You can always move it there if it fails the dual boot, then correct the listings via EasyBCD.
I wish I could find confirmation that 64 bit needs first drive position. Let's hope that means it doesn't.
Just so you dont' get your hopes up too high, there is nothing certain about this since the XP boot.ini files have apparently been scrambled.
I have great confidence in Win7 properly configuring the boot when installed last, but I dont think it can repair XP boot.ini problems. That would require an XP repair install.
I'm back on a fresh copy of 7... Can't see any of the boot.ini, ntldr, etc. files in the root of the drive... Of course, hidden files and system files are being shown at the moment...
Should I install EasyBCD, add Win XP as the D:\ drive, and hope it boots?
Yeap, I'm still getting the "Windows Failed to Start" when selecting the newly added entry (Win XP SP3) in EasyBCD... Even though I specify D:\ (my XP install) it doesn't boot... Not sure why, will look more into this tomorrow...
Thanks for all your help so far!
Hidden files would not be shown unless you unhide them in FOlder Options first on the new install.
Make sure both are listed correctly in Easy, then copy the files into the root of both drives.
XP may need a repair install tomorrow to fix boot.ini damage, assuring a fresh start with it as well (but saving all programs files and settings in place - you only need to reactivate both after repair installs).
The only thing that could be blocking dual boot then is if 64 bit needs to be in first drive position, which you can check by accessing Command Line and typing DISKPART, then LIST DISK
Also check this out: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixthe...airbootini.htm
Copy the files from the XP root into the Win 7 root?
I opened Easy again and made sure to specify that XP is on the D:\ drive... Now instead of giving me an error, it gives me a black screen (when I select boot from XP) and the system restarts...
7 is running fine and starting fine from the bootloader, but XP doesn't wanna start... Hmmmm
You might be able to repair boot.ini before having to do the XP repair install
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixthe...airbootini.htm
Quote