Scandisk - Black screen/Safe Mode hanging

[ConMac]

EasyBCD

Here's that screenshot.

 

[ConMac]

EasyBCD

I installed XP on Disk 0 on a 150 GB partition, and made the rest of the HD a 750 GB partition that I use for games, photos, backup images, etc. Then I installed Win7 on Disk 1, also on a 150 GB partition, and did the same with rest of that HD. I loaded EasyBCD on the XP HD, and without noticing that when I did so, the OS was listed as "Earlier Version of Windows." I then added XP and Win7 manually in Easy BCD; that's the reason why you see three OS's listed.

Now on Friday I went into EasyBCD and I deleted the XP that I entered, but when I did that, Win7 was no longer listed in the boot manager, and I couldn't load it! I was able to restore the Win7 image that I put on the 750 GB partition of the Win7 HD, but instead of it taking about two hours like it did last time, it took about 36 hours! The image was restored successfully, and both XP and Win7 appear to be stable now. Do you have any idea why it removed Win7 from the boot manager, and why it took so long to restore the image?

Could I have avoided all these hassles by making the EasyBCD entries Win7? What if I just uninstall EasyBCD from the XP HD, and make them in Win7?

Also, whenever I make a system image in Win7, it makes one for both the XP system and the Win7 image. The boxes of both OS's are checked, and I can't uncheck the XP box. Is there a way to just make an image of the Win7 system?

 

[gregrocker]

In order to have the option to exclude XP from your Win7 backup image, you need to recover the System boot files for Win7 into it's partition. This will also make the HD's independent so they can come and go as you please.

To accomplish this, mark Win7 partition Active in XP Disk Mgmt, power down to unplug the XP HD, enter BIOS setup to set Win7 HD second in line to boot after DVD drive, boot into Win7 DVD Repair console to Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times.

When Win7 starts up, power down to plug XP HD back in, boot it when needed using F8 one-time BIOS Boot Menu key.

Remove any remaining Dual Boot menu received when you start one HD by deleting the other OS's listing in msconfig>Boot or on the Edit Boot Menu tab of EasyBCD 2.0.

 

[ConMac]

Thanks, I'll do as you suggested and report back.

 

[ConMac]

Dual booting

I can't mark the Win7 partition as active because it isn't a primary partition. How do I make it a primary partition? I tried converting it using Easeus Partition Master, but it says I can't change a boot partition to a primary one.

 

[gregrocker]

You'll need to use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to Modify>Convert to Primary your C OS partition. Partition Wizard

It's likely the conversion option won't be available until you delete G sub-partition first, however. If this is the case, move your data off of G temporarily to do the conversion.

You can then use PW CD to Modify>Set to Active C partition, click OK.

then highlight the Disk itself, on Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, click OK, apply both steps.

Using PW Rebuild function with Win7 set active may preclude the need to do the 3 startup Repairs from DVD/Repair CD.

 

[ConMac]

I used PW to set the C partition to primary, but it would not let me set it to active. So I used Easus Partition Master to set the C to active, and at first I was getting a "BootMgr is missing" error message. But I inserted the Win7 OS DVD and that seemed to fix the Win7 booting issue. However, I no longer get the Windows Boot Manager at power up, with the option of Win7 (default) and XP. How do I boot into XP now? I think I'm almost there!

Never mind. When I hit F8, it gives me the option of which HD to boot from, and I just select Disk 1 to get the Windows Boot Manager. And from there I choose which OS to boot into. Am I missing anything? Thanks again for your time and patience!

 

[gregrocker]

That was the point in repairing Win7: so that you could boot into either OS via the BIOS Boot Menu which keeps the HD's independent to come and go as you please, and image separately, not suffer any Restore Point interference.

However you apparently didn't follow the step to unplug XP HD when you repairing Win7 as XP System flag has now been removed. You need System flags on both XP and Win7 HD's to boot independently via BIOS.

It might be marked wrong. Unplug Win7 HD and attempt to boot XP via BIOS to see if it still has System Boot files so it can boot on its own, and is not relying on Win7 partition System boot files to boot..

 

[ConMac]

When I unplug the XP HD, it boots into Win7 directly. When I plug the XP HD back in, the same thing happens. When I turn it on and hit F8, I get the choice of which HD to boot into. When I select the XP HD, I get the Windows Boot Manager, I select XP, and it boots fine. The attached Drive Map shows the current setup. The Win7 System Repair Disk can now see the OS and the system images and restore points that I have made. And when doing back ups, I can backup just the Win7 system (where before my only choice was to backup both OS's).

Now when I unplug the Win7 HD, I get the Windows Boot Manager, and I can select XP and it boots fine. If I select Win7, I get the message to insert the system disk because it can't see the OS.

After I power down, plug in the Win7 HD, and turn it back on, I get the Windows Boot Manager (it does not go directly into Win7), and I then can boot into either OS. The drive map for that setup shows the Win7 HD no longer has the System flag - the XP HD has it. I have to power it down again, unplug the XP HD, boot into the Win7 HD, power it down, plug in the XP HD, and power it up, then it boots into Win7 by default again.

My system now boots into Win7 by default, I can boot into XP by using F8, and XP no longer deletes the Win7 restore points. The only thing I don't see is the System flag on the XP HD. Is that an issue, since my system can dual boot with ease and is now stable?

 

[gregrocker]

The only boot menu you should be getting is the BIOS Boot Menu showing all bootable hardware devices.

If you are getting a Windows Boot menu, which you will know by the names of the OS's being listed rather than hardware devices as in BIOS Boot Menu, then enter msconfig>Boot in each OS to remove the other OS's listing if it appears. The other method is to use EasyBCD 2.02 Edit Boot Menu to delete the other OS.

If XP will boot when Win7 is not plugged in, then is likely has its System boot files but not the flag. But it does not need the Boot Menu except for the F8 BIOS Boot Menu showing bootable devices (not OS"s) so remove them to see if it boots directly into XP as it should.

 

[ConMac]

Okay, cool. Are there any downsides to leaving my system the way it is now? If everything remains stable am I good to go?

 

[gregrocker]

If you don't want unnecessary boot menus slowing your startup, then follow the steps given to remove them. Otherwise leave them be.

 

[ConMac]

Thanks again for your help!