Repairing Win7 Bootup after xp install

[ThaDraGun]

I wanted to try out something new so I was trying to install WinXP on a USB thumbdrive. Then I could have win7 on my PC then when I wanted to use XP just plug in the thumbdrive and boot into that. The online instructions said to burn the xp image to cd and then turn the pc off, boot to cd and when xp installation starts up, just install it to the thumb drive. Simple enough. It installed all the files, then at the end it said it had to reset. Normally I think it would boot back into the setup to finalize everything. It didnt tho.

Once it reset it gave me an error: "error loading operating system"

I tried selecting boot to the usb and it still gave the error. I tried selecting the hard drive that windows 7 is installed on and it gave the error. I guess because I installed XP System it changed the boot setting to look for XP. How do I get it to boot into Win7 again? I tried sticking in the win7 disc and doing a repair but it wouldnt let me. Any thing else to do, or do I have to format and reinstall win7 all over again?

thanks

 

[gregrocker]

The tutorial on the web to install XP to a flash stick is one of the most complicated you will ever see.

Unplug the flash stick, change boot order to boot Win7 HD first. Unplug any other HD's if present.

Try starting Win7. If fail, boot into the Win7 DVD, select Repair my Computer on second screen, see if it finds an installation to repair, then click through to recovery tools list and run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots.

 

[SIW2]

I don't know which tutorial you are talking about - but I have a strong suspicion you should have disconnected the HD while installing XP from cd to the flash drive.

 

[gregrocker]

He didn't use the tutorial I'm talkin about. It is 3 pages long as I recall.

How could he undo this?

 

[ThaDraGun]

I already tried changing the boot sequence to boot win7 harddrive first. There is actually not a automatic boot option for usb and I think thats why it had a problem finalizing. I have to press f8 to select boot from usb. Selecting boot the hard drive that win7 is on does not work.

I made sure that xp was only installed on usb. It didnt install anything on the hard drive win7 is on Im almost certain. The mbr must have been modified to look for xp and forget about win7 thats the only thing I can think of. I just dont know how to change the mbr back.

I can't use a win7 disk to repair I've already tried that and it said it wasnt compatable for some reason.

 

[SIW2]

Detach the usb stick.

Boot 7 dvd to command prompt. Type:

bootsect /nt60 sys

press enter.

 

[ThaDraGun]

Detach the usb stick.

Boot 7 dvd to command prompt. Type:

bootsect /nt60 sys

press enter.

The command prompt says X:\Sources\>
Do I have to change it to something else first? I did type it in like that and it said it was sucessful, but it still doesnt work.

I also tried changing to x:\ and it said it was sucessful, and still didnt work.
I did startup repair that was in the menu and it didnt work either.

Looks like I might have to reinstall.

 

[iseeuu]

Detach the usb stick.

Boot 7 dvd to command prompt. Type:

bootsect /nt60 sys

press enter.

The command prompt says X:\Sources\>
Do I have to change it to something else first? I did type it in like that and it said it was sucessful, but it still doesnt work.

I also tried changing to x:\ and it said it was sucessful, and still didnt work.
I did startup repair that was in the menu and it didnt work either.

Looks like I might have to reinstall.

This might help you?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/20864-mbr-restore-windows-7-master-boot-record.html

Cheers!
Robert

 

[ThaDraGun]

Finally got it to work!

Found the answer on another forum. Someone else was having the same problem.
Im glad I had an Ubuntu Live Disc laying around.


From Leppie at the Ubuntu Forums:

if you only need it to reset the mbr to factory default, use lilo:

Code:
sudo apt-get install lilo
sudo lilo -M /dev/sda mbr

What is a proper tutorial to install XP on a USB drive?

The instructions I got were:

Install "HP windows Format Utility for USB drive or DiskOnKey"
Run Application and format the USB drive to NTFS (FULL format NOT quick)
Burn windows xp ISO to disk, boot to the disk and install XP to the usb drive.

So much for that.
Glad I could fix it tho.

 

[gregrocker]

MS works very hard to keep its OS's from being installed on USB drives, or else they could be carried around to any computer.

As stated earlier, this has been done with XP (only) to a USB flash drive, but the tutorial to accomplish it is one of the most complicated around.

 

[ThaDraGun]

I think the tutorial I used would have worked IF my system would automatically boot to USB, but I dont know how to do that if it even is possible. No option in the boot sequence that I can see, only when pressing F8. The site I got it from had lots of people saying it worked successfully for them.

They tutorial that you said is hard, where is it? I wouldnt mind reading it to see how bad it is. Might not try it out but Im curious still.

 

[gregrocker]

SolutionBase: Boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive

I have not tried this. I only came across it when trying to verify one of the frequent claims here that Windows can be installed to a flash drive. Google can find no cases except with XP, and those are becoming harder to find.

 

[ThaDraGun]

SolutionBase: Boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive

I have not tried this. I only came across it when trying to verify one of the frequent claims here that Windows can be installed to a flash driver. Google can find no cases except with XP, and those are becoming harder to find.

Thanks

 

[ThaDraGun]

So I Tried "Burn windows xp ISO to disk, boot to the disk and install XP to the usb drive.' again. I finally figured out how to boot directly to usb automatically. That was why it messed up on me last time. I also unplugged all the other hard drives this time just incase.

It worked! WinXP is installed on the USB now and it does boot and works 100%. Its the full xp professional with service pack 3 installed. I don't like it tho. Its soooooooooo slow. Just to install it took over 2hrs. I don't have a no name thumbdrive but its also not a high speed one either. Its just a sandisc cruiser 8gb. Maybe a portable usb hard drive would be faster, im not sure. At least I know how to get it working.