Solved Windows 7 BCDEDIT can't find boot store as it is on the XP partition.

[52yankee]

When I installed Windows 7 Pro64bit into a partition on my hard drive Windows dual boot was added but apparently all the files were placed in the root of the XP partition probably because it was the only one marked as primary.

To keep from loosing System Restore points for the XP partition I had to add KB926185 to both XP and W7. Neither operating system uses the other's partition but now when I wanted to use bcdedit uder W7 to change the default operating system to boot the boot store cannot be found.

I was able to use the W7 install CD to get to a command prompt and enter bootrec.exe and then bcdedit /enum. I don't know if bcdedit /default would work at this point.

I could remove the KB926185 registry update but I would loose all my System Restore points for XP.

Does anyone know how to get the dual boot stuff onto the W7 partition?

 

[theog]

Try using EasyBCD is best used in Windows 7.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html?ltr=D

Use EasyBCD 2.0 in Win 7 .
Download EasyBCD 2.1 - NeoSmart Technologies

 

[52yankee]

Thank you for reading my post and giving a possible solution. I will look into your suggestion. I am wondering though if Easybcd will be able to find the bcd when run under Windows 7 since it is on the other partition and it is not available because of the update to the registry I did.

 

[seavixen32]

You may want to check this out: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ool-how-use-windows-recovery-environment.html

 

[52yankee]

Thank you too for your idea.
At the point where I found out the reason bcdedit /enum would not work under W7 was because I had marked the drive where the BCD stuff lived as offline to W7 as per KB926185, I actually tried what you suggest except that I only tried the bcdedit /enum and it worked. I am not sure whether bcdedit /default would work but it most likly will. Since the W7 install put all that stuff onto the XP partition I am looking for a way to get all the necessary stuff onto the W7 partition.

 

[gregrocker]

All of this is automated now so hopefully the attempts at manually editing the BCD didn't ruin your Dual Boot.

First you need to start Win7 by marking it's partition Active in Disk Mgmt, rebooting into the WIn7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times.

Once Win7 starts and holds the System flag install EasyBCD 2.02 to add XP, accept boot files, let it autocomplete, reboot to Dual Boot menu if it wasn't messed up.

 

[52yankee]

Wow! I've never used a forum before and there is so much knowledge available. Thanks to all that replied and especially to Gregrocker. That is exactly what I want to do.

 

[pbcopter]

While I have had booting to XP delete the restore points for Windows 7, I have never had booting to Windows 7 delete the restore points of XP.

 

[52yankee]

I made a typo when I mentioned losing System Restore Points. In fact I was losing W7 restore points just like you say. Thank you pbcopter.

 

[52yankee]

A new issue on this old problem

I finally got up enough guts to try the well documented approach to getting all the necessary boot stuff onto the Windows 7 partition and I have hit a brick wall. The XP partition is marked SYSTEM, ACTIVE, PRIMARY PARTITION and the Windows 7 partition is marked BOOT, PAGE FILE, CRASH DUMP, LOGICAL PARTITION. When I attempt the very first part of the process to get everything for boot onto the Windows 7 partition I can't mark the Windows 7 Partition as ACTIVE or any other atribute. Right Clicking on the Windows 7 partition does not even have a grayed out option for Mark as Active. How can I "unmark" the XP partiton as active so I can "mark" the Windows 7 partiton as active?

 

[seavixen32]

This is an old thread so you'd probably do better by starting a fresh thread.

That said, why do you have Windows 7 on a logical partition rather than a primary partition?

 

[gregrocker]

I finally got up enough guts to try the well documented approach to getting all the necessary boot stuff onto the Windows 7 partition and I have hit a brick wall. The XP partition is marked SYSTEM, ACTIVE, PRIMARY PARTITION and the Windows 7 partition is marked BOOT, PAGE FILE, CRASH DUMP, LOGICAL PARTITION. When I attempt the very first part of the process to get everything for boot onto the Windows 7 partition I can't mark the Windows 7 Partition as ACTIVE or any other atribute. Right Clicking on the Windows 7 partition does not even have a grayed out option for Mark as Active. How can I "unmark" the XP partiton as active so I can "mark" the Windows 7 partiton as active?

A Logical partition cannot be marked Active to accept the System boot files. You'll need to convert it to Primary first using free Partition Wizard bootable CD, then mark Active and run Startup Repair 3 Separate Times to write the System boot files to it.

However you may already have the maximum four partitions and thus be prompted to convert the HD to Dynamic which should not be done. Instead post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map and we will give you the steps to get this done safely, including deleting the XP partition first to recover both its disk space and System boot files into Win7.

 

[52yankee]

When I installed Windows 7 I remember wondering if it should have been changed at that time but in the absence of any proper documentation indicating which way to go I left it as it was and Windows 7 was happy with it. I don't have a problem starting a new thread but I thought I would start out by posting to the old. Today I did some internet reading and I wondered if the partition being a logical one and not a primary was going to be an issue. Thanks for replying.

 

[gregrocker]

It's not a problem, we help do this a lot. Just post back the Disk Mgmt screenshot requested.

 

[52yankee]

I have uploaded the screen shot. Notice the tiny partition at the front of the disk. It is a worthless diagnostic partition from Dell bootable from a PFK at startup. I have found no tool that will get rid of it.

I need to keep XP around for a while as I am using a program under it to convert many family 78rpm records from 60 years ago to computer files and I could not get the program to work under Windows 7.

Thanks for your interest in helping.

 

[52yankee]

I did use the paper clip and it was a .bmp file. I changed things and it is attached as a .png file.

 

[gregrocker]

Back up externally a Win7 backup image which will want to include XP since it holds the System boot files: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup. I'd also drag a set of your User folders to external backup.

If you want the System Active boot files on Win7 partition, the procedure here is to boot free Partition Wizard bootable CD, rightclick on Win7 partition to Modify>Convert to Primary, click OK.

Next rightclick again on Win7 partition to Modify>Set to Active, OK.

Next click on the Win7 HD to highlight it on drive map, then from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, OK, Apply all steps.

If Win7 doesn't start after reboot, boot into the DVD Repair console or Repair CD to Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Win7 starts on its own and you confirm the System Active flag in Disk mgmt or from PW CD.

You can now install EasyBCD to add XP, accept offered boot files, autocompletes, Save, reboot to Dual Boot menu. Earlier versions of Easy are still free.

Once this is done save a Win7 backup image then save a separate backup image of XP using free Macrium, Paragon 11, or the WD or Seagate free Acronis premium imaging app. These now have autonomy to move where you want and boot on their own.

It's hardly worth the trouble to recover only 47 mb but the EISA factory partition can be deleted using PW CD, then you can Resize XP (shown on D in screenshot) to the left into the space. Be prepared with to Rebuild MBR or Startup Repair x3 if necessary.

 

[52yankee]

I was able to down load Partition Wizard 7.0 and burn its ISO image to a CD. It took two tries as the first try ended in a wierd error. Subsequent boot of the new CD wound up in an endless loop checking out USB devices. It got to 28 devices before I began wondering if my USB3 connected external HD enclosure was causing problems. I powered it off and then rebooted. The software came up and I got a little supprise. The partition software "sees" my 2 HD RAID 1 array disks separatly.
Apparently this software might not support a RAID setup when flipping bits in the partition table. I will have to think about this for a while. I did not do anything other than look at things.

Just posting to keep you abrest of what is going on.

 

[gregrocker]

What RAID array? Nothing was mentioned about any RAID array.

Where does this show up in your Disk Mgmt screenshot?

I see one HD with C and D, and an External HD. Where's the RAID?

 

[52yankee]

Windows disk management in XP or W7 has never shown the raid volumes as far as I can remember. My system has two 500gb HD's operating in a RAID 1 environment supported by an Intel Raid Controller on the mother board. Outside of the Intel Raid software manager the only place an array is shown is in device manager but not the individual drives. Indeed, if I click on Start, Computer I don't see two internal drives only one.

I read through the Partition Wizard FAQ stuff and it appears that they support Raid but it is not clear just how they do it. The Raid firmware must handle the updates to the 2nd drive even in the case of booting from the CD and not Windows.

I have also compared your detailed method with the original one in this post and the only real difference is the use of the PW tool to rebuild the master boot record stuff. I've been in computing for over 40years and I was worried about the boot record using the steps outlined in the beginning of this post.