Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

gregrocker · 20 Feb 2011

redeyedbass said:

Thanks for the tutorial, great job.

BUT... Using method two, I can never actually finish the XP set up.

You know when the XP setup copies a bunch of files to the target drive and reboots (then the system should boot off the XP partition to complete the set up) ?

Well, I get the "Error loading OS" message. I fix it with the tip in the yellow section, Windows 7 boots again but the XP installation was never completed.

All I have in the partition is this WINXP folder and that's it.

Win7 is on a SATA SSD drive and the target drive for XP is IDE.

EasyBCD does not recognize a Windows XP installation there, quite expectably since the installation is not complete.

So, what am I doing wrong ?

Wipe the IDE drive using Diskpart "Clean All" command from Win7 elevated Command Line: Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

Unplug the Win7 HD, boot XP CD to partition and full format, install directly to IDE drive by itself.

After install plug back in Win7 HD, set preferred HD as first HD to boot in BIOS setup, then boot the other HD using one-time BIOS Boot Menu key (F8, ESC or DEL on Asus'). This keeps the HD's independent to come and go as you please.

If you prefer a WIndows-managed Dual Boot which interlocks HD's, install EasyBCD 2.0 to Win7 to Add XP.

redeyedbass · 20 Feb 2011

Your use of "first HD" and "the other HD" got me confused. Can you clarify ?

Right now, I managed to get XP installed on its own hard drive/partition while the SSD drive that has Win7 was unplugged. When I plugged back the Win7 drive, I went in the BIOS and made the SSD drive top priority at boot. So I am writing this from Win7.

But EasyBCD still does not recognize the XP partition though.

Thanks alot for you rhelp.

gregrocker · 20 Feb 2011

Now try booting the XP HD using the one-time BIOS Boot Menu.

On Asus boards, the key to tap at startup for Boot Menu is F8, ESC or DEL. Try each until you get a boot menu, then choose the XP HD to boot.

See if this method for Dual Booting suits you.

If not, what happens when you try to Add XP using EasyBCD 2.0 from Win7?

redeyedbass · 21 Feb 2011

Can't boot XP. Windows 7 took it upon itself to go on my other HDD's XP partition and tell it to look for Win7's boot manager. So now I am getting "BOOTMGR is missing" when booting XP.

I wonder how much of Win7's cost is due to paying engineers to put in those very undesirable behaviours...

EDIT: OK, I've managed to copy to the root of the XP partition NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM + a valid boot.ini so from the BIOS boot menu, I can choose which OS I want. EasyBCD still does not detect Windows XP though.

Anyways, you've been of great help.

gregrocker · 21 Feb 2011

When Win7 is installed second while XP HD is attached, it writes its boot files to XP while configuring the Dual Boot.

This is why it's better with separate HD's to keep the one OS unplugged when installing another, then boot either via the BIOS Boot Order or one-time BIOS Boot Menu. This keeps the HD's independent to come and go as you please.

It sounds like you've got both booting via BIOS now which is optimal.

I am not sure why EasyBCD won't add XP. It will not be detected on front listings page until you Add New Entry by type, name and drive.

bolekilolek · 22 Feb 2011

My first post, so Hello All :)

To the point.

Windows 7 (64bit & ahci) on disk samsung (500GB, only one partition, check screen #3).
Under Disk Management I've created new ~20GB partition.

Created floppy disk with sata/ahci drivers. Booted pc from winxp cd. Installed drivers, choose new partition for xp (performed a quick ntfs format). Absolutely no problems during the installation. After the installation, reboot, automatically loaded winxp (all according to the plan), every thing worked fine. No problems with disks size detection etc. Reboot, inserted win 7 dvd, fix my computer->choose win 7 installation->fix autostart->successfully repaired. Reboot, win 7 loaded without any problems. Opened (in administrator mod) newest EasyBCD, and here starts my problem.

I can't add a new entry with my winxp - check screens #1, #2, #4. Obviously, when I reboot, win 7 is automatically loading.

Any idea, that wouldn't require further re-installation?

Thx in advance :)

WindowsStar · 22 Feb 2011

If I remember correctly (forgive if I am wrong) but you cannot boot Windows XP off a logical partition.

EverWin · 22 Feb 2011

@bolekilolek

first you need to Assign drive letter to system reserved drive (100mb in size)
(assign any drive letter its temporary)

After you need to Find & copy Ntdetect.com, ntldr & boot.ini files to System reserved drive.

Next in EasyBcd Add new entry
select Type Windows NT
UN-check box Automatically detect correct drive
Add Entry

Reboot to check.
(Once its done you can remove system reserved assigned drive letter)

best of luck

bolekilolek · 22 Feb 2011

@WindowsStar
So i gues, that the fixing tool from win 7 dvd, deleted boot file and chenged partition type to logical. Is that normal?

@

I have found Ntdetect.com and ntldr on my win xp cd, but I coulndt find boot.ini - so I created my own:

Code:

[boot loader] 
timeout=30 
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINXP 
[operating systems] 
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINXP="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptInM

Is it ok? I have chenged windows to winxp (check screens).

Thx for your help, guys :)

toobyteme · 22 Feb 2011

Hi, I have windows 7 on my laptop. I created a primary partition for XP but when I try to load it I get a message that says "windows can not find any drives on this computer". What part of the tutorial did I miss?