Perplexed, Win XP & Win 7 Dual Boot

[dakrisht]

Hey everyone,

New to the forums, I've been reading a great guide on installing Win 7 or XP for use in a dual-boot environment. I've also read through about 40 posts trying to figure out why I'm in the current situation I'm in.

Problem: I do not get the boot-selection screen when booting into Windows XP.

I've had XP SP3 installed for a while now and just installed a brand new HDD for use with a Win 7 Pro (64-bit) OS.

I've tried repairing the MBR using the original XP CD to no avail. I ended up manually installing the Win Recovery Console using the XP CD so NOW I get an OS selection upon boot - BUT - it only gives me XP Pro or the Windows Recovery Console as choices. NO Windows 7 anywhere to be found.

When going to My Computer > System Properties > Startup and Recovery, I only see Win XP Pro and the Win Recovery Console (latter wasn't there before I manually installed it).

HOW do I get Windows 7 to appear in the boot-loader selection screen?

System Details:

HDD1 = Win XP SP3
HDD2 = Storage
HDD 3 = Win 7 Pro 64-bit

Currently, the only way I can access Win 7 or XP is by manually selecting the boot-priority in my BIOS. (Gigabyte MA790X-UD4).

Some help is greatly appreciated from the experts!

Thanks in advance,

DAK

 

[gregrocker]

Sometimes 64 bit Win7 needs to be in the DISK0 position.

Either switch the XP (if in DISK0) and Win7 HD's around, or switch their cables.

See if you can boot into Win7. If not boot into Win7 DVD Repair console and run Startup Repair repeatedly until Win7 starts up.

Now from the Win7 Desktop run a repair install (Upgrade over itself) to reconfigure the Boot Menu correctly as WIn7 normally does when it is last installed OS.

Suggest you unplug the data drive during Repair install as sometimes the installer can be confused by data drives when configuring dual boots.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?ltr=R

 

[dakrisht]

Thanks greg.

I switched the Win 7 HDD to my SATA 2_0 connector (swapped XP SATA cable for Win 7 HDD, as you suggested), ran a repair install and still DO NOT get the bootloader screen.

Should I format the drive and fresh-install Win 7? For some reason, I don't think that'll work.

Perhaps disconnecting the third drive (storage) will work?

Added: I'm thinking, disconnect the STORAGE volume, plug Win 7 HDD into SATA 2_0 and plug Win XP HDD into SATA 2_1???

 

[gregrocker]

Are you able to boot into Win7 now?

Since you say you were able to run a Repair Install I'm assuming you can get into Win7.

The repair install should have correctly reconfigured the boot. Something previously configured in the XP boot must be blocking that.

You are correct that a clean reinstall of Win7 probably couldn't do much more for the dual boot than the repair install.

Download EasyBCD and post back a screenshot of the listings from its front page. If one OS is obviously missing then you can add it on the Add/Remove tab. View attachment 41678

Others may have a better idea, but at this point I would boot my XP CD and run a repair install on XP which will keep everything in place but reinstall the OS and reconfigure its boot correctly.

Then follow the steps in Method 2 of this tutorial for setting up a dual boot with Win7 when XP is installed last: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html in particular the settings which must be made in EasyBCD.

 

[dakrisht]

How do I get to the DVD Recovery Tools list or the Windows 7 DVD Repair Console?

 

[dakrisht]

Are you able to boot into Win7 now?

Since you say you were able to run a Repair Install I'm assuming you can get into Win7.

The repair install should have correctly reconfigured the boot. Something previously configured in the XP boot must be blocking that.

You are correct that a clean reinstall of Win7 probably couldn't do much more for the dual boot than the repair install.

Download EasyBCD and post back a screenshot of the listings from its front page. If one OS is obviously missing then you can add it on the Add/Remove tab.

Yes, I'm in Win 7 now... Posting a screen from EasyBCD...

EasyBCD main screen shows:

There is one entry in the Vista Bootloader.
Bootloader Timeout: 30 seconds.
Default OS: Windows 7

Entry #1

Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \Windows

 

[gregrocker]

How do I get to the DVD Recovery Tools list or the Windows 7 DVD Repair Console?

You boot into Win7 DVD, select language/keyboard, on next screen look at bottom left and select "Repair My Computer"

It will scan for an installation to fix, sometimes offering a repair up front.

The Recovery Tools list is reached by clicking through to them.

 

[gregrocker]

Are you able to boot into Win7 now?

Since you say you were able to run a Repair Install I'm assuming you can get into Win7.

The repair install should have correctly reconfigured the boot. Something previously configured in the XP boot must be blocking that.

You are correct that a clean reinstall of Win7 probably couldn't do much more for the dual boot than the repair install.

Download EasyBCD and post back a screenshot of the listings from its front page. If one OS is obviously missing then you can add it on the Add/Remove tab.

Yes, I'm in Win 7 now... Posting a screen from EasyBCD...

EasyBCD main screen shows:

There is one entry in the Vista Bootloader.
Bootloader Timeout: 30 seconds.
Default OS: Windows 7

Entry #1

Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \Windows

OK, now determine the true Drive letter of XP (check in Computer),

Add it on the Add/Remove tab of EasyBCD by name, type (XP) and drive letter. Save and reboot.

 

[dakrisht]

OK, now determine the true Drive letter of XP, and Add it on the Add/Remove tab of EasyBCD by name, type (XP) and drive letter. Save and reboot.

I see D:\ in My Computer as being the Win XP drive (browsing through its contents...) not sure if this is the "true drive letter"... I added a new entry in EasyBCD, selected D, specified Win XP... Rebooting now, let's see what happens...

OK, I got the boot loader screen now, as is in EasyBCD - however I get an error when selecting Win XP SP3 - "Windows failed to start..." File:\NTLDR, Status: 0xc000000f, Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the app is missing or corrupt...

I have a feeling repairing XP is the next thing to do...

 

[gregrocker]

If not, the XP Repair install will correct whatever mess was made of its bootloader that is blocking these normal fixes.

But first, you referred earlier to installing an XP recovery console. See if you can locate that to remove it entirely as it is likely to conflict with Win7.

In XP, the repair install is done from boot. But it is not the first offered "Click R for Repair."

Instead you proceed as if to install until it discovers the installation and asks you if this is where you want to install, THEN you select "R" for Repair instead and it does an Upgrade install as with Win7 keeping everything in place but reinstalling the OS and reconfiguring the boot.

In the tutorial linked for Dual booting XP-Win7 with XP installed second, it basically gives the same process with EasyBCD which we have just done adding XP by name and drive letter to the boot menu. It will of course need to be done again since XP will have a completely fresh install of the OS and boot.

At that point there should be nothing blocking the correct boot menu being configured.

 

[dakrisht]

Thanks for all your help, I'll go at it for another 20-30 minutes, if I can't get it done, back again tomorrow...

Going to repair XP now, hopefully that fixes the bootloader...

 

[gregrocker]

In control panel folder options unhide protected system files, and show hidden files.

make sure boot.ini, ntldr, and ntdetect.com are in the roots of both OS drives. (C: and D)

Copy if not.

Reboot

This is everything that can be done before repair installing XP, as it must have its boot scrambled.

Can you uninstall the XP recovery console you added? Where did you put it?

 

[dakrisht]

In control panel folder options unhide protected system files, and show hidden files.

make sure boot.ini, ntldr, and ntdetect.com are in the roots of both OS drives. (C: and D)

Copy if not.

Reboot

This is everything that can be done before repair installing XP, as it must have its boot scrambled.

Can you uninstall the XP recovery console you added? Where did you put it?

Something happened with 7, I'm gonna format the disk and fresh install it. Booting back into XP now... Going to check for ntldr, boot.ini and ntdetect.com in, I'm assuming, C:\Windows... I'll search for them regardless...

RE: The XP Recovery console... Have to look up how to uninstall that...

 

[dakrisht]

Removed XP Recovery console...

Boot.ini, ntldr, ntdetect.com are present in the root C:\ drive of XP...

 

[gregrocker]

THose three files need to be in the root of both OS drives.

Copy them to 7 if not there in the C root.

What happened to 7?

Where was the XP recovery console you removed? Any chance it had the MBR?

 

[dakrisht]

THose three files need to be in the root of both OS drives.

Copy them to 7 if not there in the C root.

What happened to 7?

No idea, it just wouldn't boot and after a couple times, I'm going to fresh install it...

Right now, XP is working normally, cleared the recovery console as per MS Support instructions (including manually removed the entry in the boot.ini which I assume gave me the dual boot to being with for XP or Recovery Console)...

Do you think I should now boot from the Win 7 DVD and install it... In the hope that it'll recognize XP and create the proper bootloader?

 

[gregrocker]

Were those three files in the root of Win7 drive also?

You can try the clean reinstall of Win7, maybe the removal of that boot.ini edit will allow it to reconfigure the dual Boot correctly this time.

Would be better if we could just get them to both boot now.

Copy the three files to Win7 and reboot.

Try Startup Repair from the booted Win7 DVD a few more times. It may be better able to fix boot.ini now.

 

[dakrisht]

Were those three files in the root of Win7 drive also?

You can try the clean reinstall of Win7, maybe the removal of that boot.ini edit will allow it to reconfigure the dual Boot correctly this time.

Would be better if we could just get them to both boot now.

Copy the three files to Win7 and reboot.

Try Startup Repair from the booted Win7 DVD a few more times. It may be better able to fix boot.ini now.

Booting from the Win 7 DVD now, we'll see what options it gives me... I'll try and repair first, fresh install second...

Ahhhh, rainy days in SoCal and Windows 7 problems on a Friday night... What could be better... Haha

 

[gregrocker]

Did you copy the three files into the root of the Windows 7 drive?

It will not dual boot XP without them being present in the root of both drives.

Startup repair will not do it without them.

 

[dakrisht]

Did you copy the three files into the root of the Windows 7 drive?

It will not dual boot XP without them being present in the root of both drives.

Startup repair will not do it without them.

I couldn't boot back into 7, I have no clue what happened, system kept hanging... Installing a fresh 7 right now, about 50% there...