Issue with XP and Windows 7 dual boot

[jraju]

Hi,
Brink. I have read the articles here and elsewhere. If i want to install xp on an existing win 7, could i shrink the drive c: to accommodate a 5gb space to xp.
Or could i safely choose another drive on the same hard disk for installing xp to enable dual booting.
The problem in the first case is how to shrink the volume of win 7 system without damaging the system files from booting properly. Or in other words, how to shrink the same drive to give the space for xp in the rear end of the existing OS.

 

[Brink]

Hello Jraju,

You would probably need a but more space than 5GB for XP if you plan on installing much on it.

You could do either option to install XP on, but please post back with a screenshot showing the full layout of your Disk Management window to help see what may work best for you based on where you would like to have it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[jraju]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I have 60 gb in my c: drive.
can i use easybcd for personal use , free software to enable dual boot in win 7 amd win xp, if both are in different hard disks in the same compuer. If it is so, can i use the easybcd to dual boot.
I also want to know, that when you attempt to use easybcd to dual boot win xp in their add screen,the xp contained hard disk should also have the connection . Otherwise, if i use that to include xp, it gives error message that it could not find any xp or net os in the computer.
Hi, brink I value your answers and read all your tutorials, which saves so much time.
I have not given my disk management pic in this post, for i need clarification on the above. If it could be done with dual boot, then i may well opt the solution.
By the by, if i have 2 hard disk with 2 different OS, should i have to install applications and other software, including drivers. Because,my doubt is the two os will have separate identity and separate registries.
Could i expect a quick reply

 

[Brink]

I'll need to see a screenshot of your Disk Management before I can give an accurate suggestion.

As for dual booting with Windows 7 and XP, the tutorial below may help for now.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[jraju]

Hi,
I have tried to do as per your link.
I even got a alert of making basic disk to dynamic disk and i have choosen no to exit and found out what the problem would be.
then I came to know, that win 7 allow only 4 partitions including the reserve partition. So, i, made the two logical drives to merge to reduce the partition and then attempted to create a partition within c: drive. I was successful to this point.
The problem started, when i marked the partition so created above as windows xp (volume name) to easily identify the drive during installation of xp. I have gone thro exactly as per the advice given in the link. I have given 14 gb for the xp partition.
While installing xp, there was no problem up to the first boot. the problem , i noticed, which is not given in the article, is that chosen xp partition was shown a different drive letter.
needless to mention that i have already installed win 7 in the 60 gb c: drive.
The xp installation was pucca and when it rebooted for finalizing the installation, the computer boot stops at mother board logo and it remained there for ever.
These problems and solutions have not been mentioned in the article. I would appreciate, if the alert of problem and what should do to avoid may be given. Then that hard disk could not be made to boot at all.
What would have been the reason. Why it is showing in a diifernet drive in xp installation.since this was the drive i allocated, i should not choose any other drive for xp installation.

 

[Brink]

I'm not going to be able to help until I see a screenshot of your Disk Management along with which one is for Windows 7 and XP.

 

[jraju]

Hi,
Brink. I understand. But the problem is that hardware could not be booted to take any details. The xp windows installed but never boot up and stops at intel sign.
These things are not mentioned in the tutorial. If windows xp installed , i think, there is a boot problem which kills your hard drive. May be it contains the data after all
Update: I have read the 2 option and done as per instruction;
I have not got alert about sata drivers. I simply run xp.
When it is rebooting before finalising windows, it fails POST and stops at mother logo. Then nothing is possible.
When booting, i thing, that there is something missing which is causing this error. There is already win 7 in the c: drive, The xp is also installed in the same drive on another partition. So, when booting thro hard disk, i think there is some looping in the windows query to how to boot and how to locate. I think, here is some problem. Would you advise in your article, why this happens and what is the remedy for this.
Tutorials by you are always excellent, but would you care more for this technical details for non tech savvy users
Moreover when you install the drive that we name as windows xp ,during partition, shows a different letter but correct storage size. I think that there is no way to choose other drive other than this. But in your tutorial, the same letter shows in xp install diagram

 

[Brink]

I moved our posts since they are no longer related to the tutorial you posted in.

I'm afraid that I can't add anything to the tutorial for this since it appears to be a specific issue for you instead of a general error. We still need to figure out what the problem is as well.

For now, see if you may be able to run a startup repair with Windows 7 installation media or Windows 7 system repair disk in an attempt to at least get Windows 7 booted.

 

[jraju]

Hi,
Brink. Thank you. may be my post is not related to your tutorial. But anyhow, please tell me , how the window could be booted if xp is installed in the same drive in the available partition created. This is what i wanted to know.
if xp installed, the next reboot , not for me alone, for everybody would assume that it boots to windows xp. But system is already having win 7 installed in the c: drive. So, i want to know that this problem would only be faced by me if adhered to the instructions. That is the trickiest part of the article, so i asked a query at you.
I will try start up repairs, but i am afraid that i could not do in my computer, but has to connect to other computer to try.

 

[Brink]

I'm afraid that I'm not sitting at you computer to be able to tell you what went wrong with it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

I'd say see if you can get Windows 7 started. If so, then I'd say post back with the screenshots, and we can go from there.

Otherwise, you could also consider formatting and starting over.

 

[jraju]

Hi, Brink
i sincerely feel that you need not sit in my computer and advise for this. The question is will it boot to xp, if the instructions are scruplously followed as per the instructions given in that link

 

[Brink]

Yes, it will boot to XP as described in the tutorial if followed exactly step by step.

Evidently, either a mistake was made or something not correct with your setup that didn't go along with what's in the tutorial. The problem is that we don't know until we get more details to be able to properly diagnose with.

If you could get Windows 7 to run, then we may be able to get somewhere.

 

[jraju]

Hi,
I again thank you for that.
I wish to state that i have done as per the instructions .
My question is when xp is finalising its installation, it should reboot. Ok. If this is not so, i think that there is some missing here and i want to have a clear cut instructions.
Windows 7 is stored in a partition in c: drive which has all boot media.
windows xp is also stored in the same drive, but in a selected partition in which the boot media for xp reside, i suppose.
But when xp install gets in to reboot, what will happen? here is the missing thing i want to know.
xp would not overwrite anything in the boot sector of win 7. I suppose,
I could not do any adjustment in bios.
Win 7 at this point , not bootable, because, xp is still in installation stage.
My question is how xp reboot to xp window, if this confusion prevails=

 

[jraju]

I am still quoting this
If you get Error loading Operating System after XP restarts:

• Using your Windows 7 installation disc, boot to the command prompt at startup.
• Type in these comands below, and press enter after each one.
  • bootrec /FixMbr
  • bootrec /FixBoot
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd
• Exit the command prompt and restart the computer.
• At this point, Windows 7 should boot up the same way before trying to install XP.
• Continue to step 8 below and run EasyBCD from Windows 7 instead

There was no error message.So, i have not done this step. Should i do this also, after inserting win 7

 

[Brink]

The hard part is that since every system is different, it would be impossible to have instructions for every possible issue that may occur since some are unknown until it happens.

Personally, I would format and start over.

 

[gregrocker]

Confirm that the Windows 7 100mb System Reserved partition (if you have it ) or the Windows 7 partition (if you don't) is the Partition Marked Active, then run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times to start Win7.

Then you can post the requested Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image.

One thing you can then try is to install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to add XP to see if that will start it. This is normally the best way when XP is installed last: to restart Win7, then add XP using EasyBCD.

If you can't start Win7 per above then download Partition Wizard, burn to CD with Windows Image Burner, boot and take a camera snap of all listings and the drive map, post back by attaching the picture using paper clip icon in reply box.

Everything else that can possible be done to start Win 7 is here for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

 

[jraju]

hi,
The problem i now face is not able to boot in win 7 also using command prompt. When i enter the bootrec commands i found that everything successfully carried out, but on rebuildbcd command, the line found was no installation of windows , windows shown as 0.
So, i could not use that hdd, that is the problem.
But i can say that hdd is alive.
Today i hooked my hdd to another system and i got error loading operating system. Could you give possible reasons.
By trial and error method only we could get back the system . If anybody knows then give the advice.
Update: I also want to know that 1 g b ram memory that i am having is the reason for not booting .
Is it because, win 7 needs 1 gb memory and xp needs some more memory other than 1 gb.Since it is not there , would the problem be over, if i add 1 gb ram. Please, give your solution.

 

[gregrocker]

Did you miss my post above? The bootrec commands were used manually in XP. We now confirm the Active partition and run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots to try to start Win7. This automates a series of commands that cover many other facets of the boot as well.

If that doesn't work then everything else that can be done is in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start including a way to repair or replace the bootsect boot code for the drive.

The RAM is about half as much as you need to run Win7 comfortably but should not be the cause of your present problem. You had Win7 on the PC before and you saw how it ran, correct?

Your problem is more likely due to XP stealing the boot from Win7 as it always does when installed second, then XP failing to complete install. You can go ahead an complete the XP install first if you want by running an XP Repair Install, or by deleting, reformatting with a full XP format (especially if you didn't do that before) and then reinstalling the XP partition. Once XP starts, follow the steps I've given you in my earlier post to restart Win7, install EasyBCD to add XP to Boot Menu.

Let us know if there are any questions.

 

[jraju]

Hi,
I am going to try this. one query.
I am having seagate sata hard drive and should i need to press F6 during installation, to load drivers, even if there is no popup alert than showing the same at the bottom of install screen. If you get install windows screen, is the press of F6 necessary?

 

[AddRAM]

You installed XP after 7, that is the problem, you have to run startup repair to get 7 booting again.

You should not have done anything without 1st posting the shot of Disk management that Brink asked you for numerous times.

Only 1 system at a time uses memory, that is not part of the problem.

Although, you should really have 4 GB total if possible.