Window 7 deleting Windows XP?

[TwinkleToes16]

I just got a new HD, copied the contents of my old HD onto the new one, and then created a new partition and installed Windows 7 on the new HD, which already contains Windows XP and a couple of Linux distributions. I got the boot managers all set up and everything seemed to be working ok. I turn on my computer and I get the option to boot into:

Debian
Arch
Window 7 (loader)
...

When I select Window 7 (loader), I got the options to boot into Windows 7 or XP. I had no problems booting into any OS. Everything seemed good. After booting into XP, and then back into 7, the next time i restarted my computer and selected Windows 7 (loader), I got a disk read error, press ctrl alt del to restart, and I could not boot into either Windows operating systems. So I booted into Linux and discovered that XP had vanished. The partition was still there, but all data on it was gone. I then copied the XP partition from my old HD back to the new one, and ran the recovery from the Windows 7 install disk a few times, and got it working again. I then restored my saved BCD backup, and everything was back to normal. Everything seemed good again, but then after booting back and forth between XP and 7 a couple times, when I restarted from Windows 7, and selected Windows 7 (loader), I got the disk read error, press ctrl alt del to restart again. So I boot back into Linux, and again I see that Windows XP has been deleted. I thought it might be a bad HD, but all the diagnostic tests I have ran on the drive have passed, and XP only gets deleted when I boot into Windows 7. It appears to me that Windows 7 is for some reason deleting/erasing XP. Does anyone have any ideas why this is happening, and how I can stop it.

 

[Sub Styler]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[gregrocker]

Install EasyBCD 2.1.2 to Win7, in Edit OS Menu highlight each listing and Delete it. Then add them again.

Dual Boot Ubuntu - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

EasyBCD (free Download at bottom of page - no name or email required)

 

[TwinkleToes16]

My problem isn't that XP is getting deleted from the boot manager listings, but the XP operating system is getting deleted from its partition. Both operating systems coexist fine for a short period of time, then XP vanishes, and gets deleted.

 

[gregrocker]

Please post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Management drive map and listings:

1. Type Disk Management in Start Search box.
2. Open Disk Mgmt. window and maximize it.
3. Type Snipping Tool in Start Search box.
4. Open Snipping Tool, choose Rectangular Snip, draw a box around full map and all listings.
5, Save Snip, attach using paper clip in Reply Box.

Tell us what is on each partition.

 

[TwinkleToes16]

Is this the picture that you want?

The partition with D: is where XP is (usually) installed. When XP gets deleted, I have to copy this partition back over from my old HD. The 202 GB partition has Debian installed. The E: partition is a shared data partition. The C: partition is Windows 7. And the 204 GB partition is Arch.

I hope this helps. I don't know why all the data on the XP partition keeps getting deleted. It only happens when I have been booted into Windows 7. I can boot back and forth between XP and Linux all day, and nothing happens to XP. But as soon as I boot into Windows 7 for a while, when I leave XP gets deleted.

 

[gregrocker]

I cannot see any of the flags on the partitions because the Status column which normally shows them has been made ridiculously thin. Please expand it in the column heading and repost.

It appears D is System which means it holds the System boot files for all other HD's. It might help to move the System flag to Win7 but it must first be converted to a Primary partition or a Primary boot partition must be created to write the boot files onto - done by Marking Partition Active
then running Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times.

You would then add XP using EasyBCD 2.1.2 from Win7. You can also follow this method to Dual Boot Ubuntu - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

But your HD is a huge mess, probably causing the XP anomaly that has never been previously reported that I recall. But we rarely see such a partitioning mess.

 

[TwinkleToes16]

Well, I can't do anything more at the moment. I think I need a new hard drive. Now with this one, I can't get past the BIOS screen; but with my old hard drive, I have no problems booting. When I have this drive plugged in, I can't even enter setup.