Want to make Win 7 System Partition DualBoot

[Oldroser]

Well, I did it, but I had to do a repair install.

The next stupid question is about deleting the 200 mg partition. I had it deleted once, I thought. It shows up now as unallocated space or some such (I am writing this elsewhere so can't check.) When I try to delete it again it says that "This is an Extended Partition. Are You Sure You Want To Delete?" And I'm not sure since I have no idea how on earth it became an extended partition and whether deleting it will mess up the other, desired primary partitions holding Windows 7 and my data. I think I can, actually, but want to be cast iron sure, so am coming here to check.

The last thing is, anybody have any idea why Macrium Free's rescue disk that used to work for me and then I thew it out and made the new one with the newer program now will not work under any circumstance whatsoever?

 

[theog]

System reserved, take look here.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html?ltr=S

Your rescue disk, try burning at a slow speed.

 

[gregrocker]

Better post back another screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map.

If it is warning you that is an extended partition and you previously deleted within it, it should read Free Space (Logical), which can be deleted to become (Primary) Unallocated Space. Then you can extend the adjacent partition into it..

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2670-partition-volume-extend.html

If this is not clear then let us see the screenshot.

 

[Night Hawk]

Since the 7 installer didn't place it there to begin with there won't be anything on it. If that was created at the front of the drive once gone you would then need to move the 7 primary forward to fill that empty space in. But like gregrocker suggested a good look at the DM would be a big help at this time before going any further.

 

[Oldroser]

Not used to this, see if this works

Posting an image using the paperclip didn't work, because after the file uploaded, when I clicked "Close this window", nothing happened. Below is using Photobucket, and it's taken a while for me to get a code there that worked. If this is too big, I'm sorry, it was all I could find that worked.

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[Night Hawk]

Nothing happens until you finish the post and click on the Quick Reply button. That's any images attached with the second browse window appear. You'll get used to it!

As far as the 200mb partition you may as well simply deleted that entirely and expand the second data partition into the empty space left behind. With the W7 installer's own drive tools that creates a 100mb system reserved partition at the front not rear of the drive which holds the repair tools mainly.

When using a 3rd party paritioning program the 7 installer then tucks them into the new C primary since the partition is already present. You won't see the F8 boot menu option however unless a problem comes up where you are then aske if you want to use the startup repair tool. The other tools are unavailable.

 

[gregrocker]

Try deleting the Free Space to get rid of the extended partition and make Unallocated Space. Then extend the adjacent partition into the space using tutorial I linked above.

 

[Oldroser]

Night Hawk, I couldn't get to the Quick Reply button. I was stuck in the area where you upload images. After mine uploaded, I clicked the "close window" button, neither of them would work.

Since you say it is safe, will delete the partition and expand the data area.

When I have a migraine that keeps me awake in the wee hours I will do a very slow Macrum Rescue disk again.

Thank you so very much, don't know what I'd do without you all.

 

[Night Hawk]

I've have the attach files page slow at times here as well since SF is a busy place to start with! That's a common problem however and generally easy to use in the few seconds it takes there.

The 200mb partition you added at the end of the drive won't do you any good there for a start since the actual system reserved partition is half that size and prepared by the Windows installer itself. Your best option is to simply delete that and look at the reference gregrocker pointed to if you are new at drive partitioning in general to avoid any goofs!

Once in a DM that will only take a matter of a minute if that to take care of. That will simply see the 200mb of drive space made available to the G data partition rather then having the extra part taking up space and not being used for anything.

 

[Oldroser]

Where is my Win 7 100 mg partition? I don't see it.

 

[SIW2]

It doesn't look like you have one.

The 7 installer will create one under certain conditions - don't worry, you don't need it.

 

[Night Hawk]

When using a 3rd party tool to partition the hard drive ahead of installing 7 the 100mb system partition isn't created. You only see that when allowing the Windows installer to prepare the drive when it then creates the first 100 system and boot partition.

The two images here show how that looks when seen in the Disk Management tool and a look at what is seen on it.

 

[Oldroser]

It still won't let me make an image of Win 7alone, I'll need to add roughly 33 gb to image both it says.

Clicking on the paper clip does not work. It has been over five minutes I'd say, and I was stuck in that window, so came back here, uploaded to Photobucket a bcdedit image so you can figure out what the ****!

 

[gregrocker]

As I explained in my first post, Win7 backup imaging wants to include Vista in the image because it holds the boot-critical files. The best way to overcome this is to abandon a Windows-managed Dual Boot to boot instead via the BIOS. This way the HD's become independent for imaging, and can come and go as you please.

Under a BIOS managed Dual boot, you would set the preferred HD to boot first in BIOS setup, then if you want to boot the other HD you tap the key given on first boot screen for one-time Boot Menu, which is normally ESC on HP's.

To set it up this way, you need to recover the MBR into Win7 so it boots independently. To do this, mark Win7 Active in Vista Disk Management, power down to unplug Vista, then either plug its cable into Win7 HD or set Win7 HD first to boot in BIOS, after DVD.

Now boot the Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 Starts up. Now you can plug Vista HD back in and boot it via one-time Boot Menu ESC key.

The attempt to create a System Reserved partition to hold your boot files is not an option - that must be done during Win7 install or reinstall to a blank HD while Vista HD is unplugged.

 

[Oldroser]

Well, I admit I didn't go to Vista to check that Win 7 was marked as active.
I took the hard drive for Vista out of my laptop and ran setup repair more than 3 times but still no go, so I did a repair install.

Now, when it boots it presents a choice of Vista or Windows 7, with Windows 7 (listed second) highlighted and the one that starts if I don't press enter. If I want Vista I have to arrow up to selected it and hit enter, o it seemed they were separate to me, especially since the repair install was done and it would start up without the Vista hard drive in and would have Vista independent.

I posted the bcdedit screen because I wondered if it was possible to fix it that way, with instruct. I also have Easybcd.

Sorry I skipped the going to Vista to mark Win 7 Active, saw that it was while in Win 7, didn't realize there would be a difference. My apologies. Please bear with me, I am a 67 year old lady with a brain lesion, frequent migraines and fibromyalgia, so I'm in several kinds of pain and very tired most of the time.

 

[theog]

You can change the boot order in EasyBCD.

 

[Night Hawk]

If you don't have EasyBCD downloaded and installed you can also change the default OS in the "Control Panel>System>Advanced Settings>Startup & Recovery" section. Note the screen attached here.

 

[gregrocker]

You are doing fine, better than many half your age and with no disability. We are always happy to help you.

So can you image your Win7 HD separately now? If I remember correctly that's what we were trying to help you with.

 

[Oldroser]

Thank you so much for those kind words Greg. HP's techs keep saying that and the repair manager. Now that is scary, when you know as much as they do. I STILL have not figured out why "allow this device to wake the computer" is greyed out on all the USB ports, on both HDX18s, and so I can't wake the computer with my mouse, or at least I think that is the reason there is no power management tab at all. I can wake it from the touchpad. They all agree that I ought to be able to. I'm down to going into the registry, where there is a d word I can find little about on Google. Well, that's off topic, but you guys are smarter than I, so I'm giving you something to think about while I try what I'm describing below.

I have kind words for you, too, but they wouldn't let me until I gave them to some one else. Night Hawk is due, I've just been too tired to give rep.

Everything looks exactly alike in both the System-Advanced and EasyBCD pictures except that in EasyBCD type is empty, which my inclination is to leave alone, AND C IS NOT DIM. It clearly says C. Win 7 is on F for me. So I think I should change that and it might help. Now in details I see that it says there are two entries for the Vista bootloader and it gives Vista in C and Windows 7 in F. So that bootloader knows it is F. That may be confusing it.

Right now I cannot image Win 7 only, yes, Greg, that is the current problem.

Alright, my backup computer is working, so I will try changing it to F and rebooting and trying to image and report back.

 

[Night Hawk]

As for the wakeup on most desktops at least the setting is found in the power management section of the bios to enable that as well as power on by keyboard, any key, and mouse. With the newer models that would also include usb keyboards along with mice for that.

As for any imaging of one particular drive you first would want it to be bootable as a stand alone drive even if you have the main boot loader for another OS or version which is Vista for you in use on another drive. The system image creator or other software will simply backup files and boot info from the selected drive/partitions on the one or more selected.

As for setting the default OS to 7 on the external drive there is one thing to know however. If you decide to take the laptop with you without the F drive plugged in you might want to reset Vista as the default OS ahead of time to insure you will still boot into Windows depending on how much time you leave for the boot options to be displayed.

This is in case of any unforeseen booting problems that could come up and how fragile dual booting with external drives involved can be at times. If you regularly unplug the external drive this is a good practice to prevent any mishaps when bringing the laptop with you without the other drive.