Invalid IP Config + Invalid BOOT.INI = HELP!!

[4left]

You can cut and paste the questions below on your New Thread to easily give the answers:

Current Operating System, pre-install

• Do you have a single OS on your computer, are you planning on multi-booting with this installation? Single OS (XP Pro SP3), and yes I want to dual boot.
​

• Are you multi-booting now? Yes! For reasons I will explain under Current Hardware, at startup I get a prompt to choose from two versions of the same OS (both had been working).
​

Current Hardware

• How many internal hard drives (HD) are connected to your system? 3
​

• Are they IDE or SATA? 2 IDE (D: Maxtor 60, G: Maxtor 80) and 1 SATA (C: WD 300). C is a newer drive, used to be G when it was first installed. G used to C. WD had some type of program that could copy drives, so I copied the old C to the old G, that flipped their drive letters. Since then I get the aforementioned dual boot screen for two versions of the same OS.
​

• How many DVD drives are connected to your system? 2
​

• Are they IDE or SATA Drives? I assume IDE.
​

• Any external HDs used? No.
​

• Are they connected by USB or eSATA? N/A
​

• Check Disk Management for any HDs listed with a yellow triangle and explanation point? All 3 HDDs seem to be recognized before and after installation.
​

• Is this a New Clean HD? No.
​

• Have you pre-formatted the HD? No.
​

Windows 7 installation details

• Which build number and version of Windows 7 are you installing? Not sure on this one, just got the family 3 pack upgrade at Costco. 7 Home Premium?
​

• Are you installing a 32 bit (x86) or 64 bit (x64) OS? 32 bit. BTW, a clean install but I did not reformat the HDD prior to install.
​

• Where did you get the ISO file from? Huh? I did select to download updates at the beginning of 7 installation.
​

Installation Media

• Using a USB memory key?
​

• From another partition or hard disk?
​

• From a DVD? BINGO!
​

The procedure and speed of burning the ISO to DVD has been the most frequent cause of installation failure

• How did you burn the DVD? Briefly describe the steps you used. I did no DVD burning during the istallation process.
​

• Which ISO burning software did you use?
​

• At what burning speed and with Verify checked?
​

• A slow burn speed, lowest setting (example x4 speed), will ensure an error free burn.
​

Other

• Any Over Clocking of the RAM, CPU or GPU? No.


Additional information: P4 3.0 GHz, 4 GB RAM

I am writing this from work because I have no access at home right now. Let me explain.

7 starts up fine, even better than XP used to on my relic of a PC. Main issue with 7 is I cannot access the 'net. 7 did not recognized my ethernet card at first, but I was able to un/reinstall using the drivers from the manufacturer's CD. Now I get the old "local Area Connection doesn't have a valid IP configuation" message. I have always been able to just plug and go in my house before. I do have a cable router and a 10/100 switch that send the 'net to the whole house, and seperate modem for the whole house VOIP. I have tried rebooting both of these routers individually and neither has resolved the connection issue.

Also, on startup I DO get a dual boot screen. When I select the older Windows I get the following message:

INVALID BOOT.INI FILE
BOOTING FROM C:\WINDOWS\

...which is where the screen hangs until I lose patience and reboot on my own.

I have read a few posts here, this one looks somewhat similar (post #14):

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/27398-dualboot-2.html#post294333

Only difference is that my XP is installed on drive G now (and was working fine before booting from either selection on the dual boot screen). And with the access problem I can't get the easybcd program (please don't ask about d/ling it at work...not appropriate activity ).

Any and all help will be GREATLY appreciated.
​

 

[4left]

Just bumping my own problem, begging for some help.

Seriously, I'll be home in and hour or two, but I have no 'net on my PC until I get this figured out.

I have read a few threads, got a couple of things to try (like getting rid of Bonjour and repairing the boot.ini file), was just hoping for a little more.

If I get to post, then it will be about the fix obviously!

 

[4left]

I'm at home now and managed to boot to my XP setup. I have to reboot because of some MS update, hope to be back .

 

[4left]

OK, now after a (what looks like) failed attempt to reinstall 7HP, I managed to fix the boot.ini issue I was having with XP. I think this fix did in the 7HP install, AND it rearranged my drive letters! the C drive is back to G and vice versa.

Can I go ahead and try to install 7HP on the G drive now? Any ideas out there from a 7 guru?

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug all but the XP and Win7 target drives.

Boot from the Win7 installer Custom>Advanced tools and format the drive, install.

Win7 should configure your boot properly without the extra drive confusion this time.

Don't worry about drive letters as they are mostly relative in Win7.

If XP doesn't boot, post a screenshot of your Disk Management map here. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-how-post-screenshot-seven-forums.html

Use right click Troubleshoot on systray connection to resolve issues. These are real automated troubleshooters in Win7.

 

[4left]

Thanks for responding greg.

Didn't have to unplug any drives. Did a custom install on drive G and now both OS's are bootable! It is actually a dual level triple boot: first screen I can choose between 7 and the earlier Win, the next I get to choose between two versions of XP! Luckily it is working, and for that I am thankful.

Now if I could only get to the internet on 7HP! Maybe you could advise me on that thread?

http://www.sevenforums.com/network-sharing/36208-no-valid-ip-config.html

 

[gregrocker]

Thought you wanted to ditch your second XP. Glad it tagged along then.

If this is your first experience with Win7, it should never bog or hang, be feather light but instantaneous. Anything less can be troubleshot. Triple boots are more rare, however dual boots have never affected 7 in the slightest here, unlike with Vista/XP.