Triple boot 2 Windows 7 and 1 XP in one hard drive help

[m256997683119]

It's linked twice in the thread: Partition - Mark as Active

Hello gregrocker,

Sorry for that...was in the office as now..can't stay long to check I will report back. Thank you so much for all the help You rock!!!!!

 

[m256997683119]

@gregrocker,

Hi! Kindly see image attached if what I did was correct.



Thank you!

 

[Kaktussoft]

@gregrocker,

Hi! Kindly see image attached if what I did was correct.



Thank you!

You did it right!

But please try the following:

1. boot into winxp
2. put a file on win7 partition (so from within winxp)
3. boot into that win7 partition
4. try system restore. Does it list restore points?

I don't think so. Don't do the actual restore.

 

[gregrocker]

As the System boot files are on XP it should be marked Active. Do that now using your Partition Manager.

 

[m256997683119]

@gregrocker,

The image already shows the XP partition as the Active & Boot. Will I repeat it? Got confused there.

@Kaktussoft,

There are no system restore points. But that was an experience way back when I was dual-booting on this pc. Anyway, I rely on image backup rather than system restore. I do a fresh backup every week. Haven't had a need to do a system restore since hmmmm...last year I think. I always use image recovery.

 

[gregrocker]

THere is something wrong with the PW output since it shows Win7 is System meaning it holds the boot files for the double boot, yet it is a Logical partition which cannot be marked Active or hold System boot files - only a Primary partition can do this. So it must be an error and XP holds the System boot files.

It's also confusing that if you're booted into XP as indicated by it having the "Boot" flag, why PW Home edition has Win7-style Aero borders. Were you in fact booted into XP?

Please post back a screenshot of Win7 Disk Mgmt map and listings, as well as a camera snap if possible of free Partition Wizard bootable CD drive map and listings.

 

[Kaktussoft]

THere is something wrong with the PW output since it shows Win7 is System meaning it holds the boot files for the double boot, yet it is a Logical partition which cannot be marked Active or hold System boot files - only a Primary partition can do this. So it must be an error and XP holds the System boot files.

It's also confusing that if you're booted into XP as indicated by it having the "Boot" flag, why PW Home edition has Win7-style Aero borders. Were you in fact booted into XP?

Please post back a screenshot of Win7 Disk Mgmt map and listings, as well as a camera snap if possible of free Partition Wizard bootable CD drive map and listings.

win7: partition flag system: means system has been booted from this partition
win7: partition flag boot: Current OS is running from this partition

PW: partition flag boot: means system has been booted from this partition
PW: partition flag system: Current OS is running from this partition

As far as I can remember this is normal (not sure about that).

 

[m256997683119]

Okay I will check when I get home. Be back here

 

[gregrocker]

I just installed PW Home edition and it does show these backwards from how they're normally displayed, which is that the partition holding the OS boot files is System, while the partition booted is Boot. This is another good reason never to use PW Home edition - besides the fact that like all other partition managers it can fail, whereas PW boot CD will never fail.

Please double-check with PW boot disk and Disk Management.

 

[Kaktussoft]

I just installed PW Home edition and it does show these backwards from how they're normally displayed, which is that the partition holding the OS boot files is System, while the partition booted is Boot. This is another good reason never to use PW Home edition, besides the fact that like all other partition managers it can fail, whereas PW boot CD will never fail.

Please double-check with PW boot disk and Disk Management.

So PW home edition just swaps the words boot and system. Very strange if PW boot CD does it the way it should. Source code should be the same.


What I don't understand if starting from PW boot CD:

• Is there a partition with attribute system? Don'think so. It's booted from CD
• Is there a partition with attribute boot? Don't think so as well

If my assumption is right, the pw boot cd can have the same problem (although you can never see it, because boot and system are CD).

and of course Greg is right... a boot cd is always better! Windows doesn't interfer and you can troubleshoot even if windows doesn't boot.

 

[m256997683119]

Hi guys thanks for the help again. Kindly see images attached. I took images of all the partition as I booted onto them separately. I also took a photo of PWH during boot to cd(pardon the image that's the best I can get).

WD320_SGT_KIS12_W7


WD320_W7


WD320_XPSP3 (Active and Boot)


PWHome Boot to CD image

 

[gregrocker]

Interesting how Win7 when booted shows itself to be a Primary partition when all other views don't.

Is there a System label in the PW boot CD view that is cut off?

Please post Disk Management screenshots as well. It should verify XP is System Active.

 

[m256997683119]

Interesting how Win7 when booted shows itself to be a Primary partition when all other views don't.

Is there a System label in the PW boot CD view that is cut off?

Please post Disk Management screenshots as well. It should verify XP is System Active.

No there isn't anything that was cut-off from the photo.

I finally sorted out why the Disk Management would not show. I forgot I had a ready-boost thumb drive inserted at the back of the CPU. When I removed it disk management finally showed. System File Checker did not find anything wrong. Kindly see images attached.

Storage view when booted to WD320_SGT_KIS12_W7




Storage view when booted to WD320_W7




One thing I noticed though, in the 3rd partition WD320_SGT_KIS12_W7>My Computer, it doesn't show the XP partition whereas when I boot into WD320_W7 the XP partition shows. Please see image attached.




Booting to WD320_XPSP3 it shows both Windows 7 partitions.

Any ideas why? Never noticed that....

 

[gregrocker]

If you look at the first screenshot when you are booted into the third partition Win7 - the label "Boot" tells you which you are booted into at the moment - there is no drive letter on the XP partition. This is why you can't see it in Explorer or access it's files.

You only need to rightclick XP in WD320_SGT_KIS12_W7 Disk Mgmt to Add a Drive Letter to resolve this: Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

 

[m256997683119]

Okay thanks for that I did not see that You must have good eyes there huh! How about the System/Active/Boot issue..is/or the images show correct?