Vista - XP/Vista/7 triple boot problem

Hopefully someone can help.

I had a perfectly good dual boot Vista and XP system until I installed
Windows 7 RC.

I installed Windows 7 RC to a new partition on the Vista (slave drive) with
XP installed on the master drive.

Vista and Windows 7 booted okay but despite there being 3 options in the
boot menu - Earlier Version of Windows (XP), Vista and Windows 7, XP would
not (and will not) boot.

The error message when selecting XP from the boot menu was that the boot.ini
file is invalid; I then get a message saying that the system32\hal.dll is
corrupt or missing.

I used EasyBCD to restore a backup of the previous Vista boot loader which
worked with XP. Windows 7 disappeared from the boot options but I still
cannot boot in to XP - I get the same error message (boot.ini and hal.dll).
I can boot in to Vista.

EasyBCD tells me that there are 2 entries in the Vista bootloader:

Entry #1

Name: Earlier Version of Windows
BCD ID: {ntldr}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \ntldr

Entry #2

Name: Microsoft Windows Vista
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: F:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \Windows

But when I use msconfig in Vista it tells me that there is only one OS -
Vista.

Is there anything I can do to restore the boot information that allows me to
start XP - the boot menu entry is there but I can't boot XP.


Gareth.

This can be due to the motherboard BIOS not being able to deal correctly
with the Vista boot loader when booting to XP. Check for a BIOS update.


On 12/06/2009 19:10, Gareth wrote:

"Gareth" <hotmail.com@xxxxxx_nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4a329a27$0$24006$db0fefd9@xxxxxxIt looks like the the addition of Win 7 has modified the drive
references in XP's boot.ini. Restoring the original Vista boot
corrected bootmgr, but didn't correct boot.ini. I assume that
XP was the first OS installed, and on the master drive. If that's
the case, change the boot to that drive, and see if XP will boot
stand alone. If it does, the problem lies with the boot.ini on the
Vista drive. Probably the rdisk( ) references are wrong, so
boot.ini can't find the XP drive, and returns an error. It found
ntldr, because that's on the Vista drive, but then couldn't find
hal.dll, because that's on the "unknown" XP drive.

If Vista is set as the boot HD in BIOS, the boot.ini on that disk
should look something like this:

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"
/NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

"Ian D" <taurus@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OIMmjv56JHA.1764@xxxxxxThanks. But now I'm really confused. There is no boot.ini file in the root
of the XP install (c and it is nowhere to be found on either of the
physical drives (XP or Vista). Is this likely to be the problem? If so how
can I create the file?

The XP (c partition is described as System, Active, Primary Partition. The
Vista (f partition is Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary
Partition. The Windows 7 partition (g (which has been removed from the
Vista boot loader) is described as Primary Partition.

Could I use EasyBCD to repair the boot process?

Gareth.

"Gareth" <hotmail.com@xxxxxx_nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4a32ce50$0$18244$da0feed9@xxxxxxAs an experiment, copy and paste the above boot.ini to notepad,
then save it as boot.ini to the Vista drive root. Also, make sure
ntldr and NTDETECT.COM are in both the XP and Vista roots.
I don't know if both are needed in both places, but it won't hurt,
and will be needed to boot XP as stand alone.

If you wan't the option to boot XP as stand alone, copy this to
the XP root in the same manner.

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

You will notice that rdisk( ) now has a value of "0". That's because
XP is located on the boot disk.

Hi Gareth,

You would need to go to Vista Folder options and make sure Hidden files and folders, and Protected operating sytem files are showing.

Ntldr and boot.ini should be on whichever was the active partition when XP was installed.

( If you had more than 1 HD , they should be on the active partition of whichever was the first HD in the boot order ).

Hope it helps

SIW2

"Ian D" <taurus@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23yMuKH76JHA.1416@xxxxxxThank you.

I tried it - placing the file on the Vista drive root - and it didn't work.

I found a file called boot.bak in the XP root. It's content was:

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /FASTDETECT /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN

I renamed it (to boot.ini) and copied it to the Vista root and still no
luck.

I then copied the file to the XP root and XP started to from the Vista boot
loader entry!

I don't understand though. This suggests that the Vista boot loader is using
the old XP boot.ini file. I thought the whole point of the Vista boot loader
was that it used its own process?

Is it possible that the boot.ini file wasn't being used before the Windows 7
install but that the W7 install caused a problem and now the Vista boot
loader is relying upon boot.ini as an alternative?

In terms of Windows 7 - I have removed its entry from the Vista boot loader
but it is still on the hd. Could I just add an entry for Windows 7 using
EasyBCD?

Gareth.

Hi Gareth,

In your multiboot sytem, the Vista bootmanager (bootmgr) hands control to the bootloader of the o/s you selected to boot into.

If you selected XP, bootmgr hands control to ntldr.

Ntldr looks in boot.ini to find the location of the XP operating system files it will be loading.

Ntldr, boot.ini and ntdetect.com should be on the active partition ( not necessarily the same partition the XP operating system files are installed on).

Vista /Win7 bootmgr and a Boot folder (containing bcd) should also be on the active partition.

If you select Vista/Win7, bootmgr hands control to winload.exe.

Winload.exe is the bootloader for Vista/Win7.

Winload.exe will be on the same partition Vista /Win7 operating system files are installed on ( not necessarily the same as the active partition).

Running Startup repair from the 7 dvd should create the bcd entry for your 7 installation - adding it to the boot options.

You might be able to do it with Easybcd - I haven't tried. You could try adding a Vista/Longhorn entry for the partition 7 is installed on - change the description (name) and see if it does the trick.

Hope it helps

SIW2

"Gareth" <hotmail.com@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4a33a0ce$0$18244$da0feed9@xxxxxxGlad you got it going. The issue with XP is that you need
the correct value for rdisk( ). If rdisk(1), or rdisk(0) doesn't
work, try the opposite. It all depends on what disks the
boot loaders, and the selected OS reside. It gets more
interesting if you have two XP installations. Are you sure
you aren't booting from the XP drive?

For multiboot editing, try VistaBootPro. It is very easy and
intuitive to use, and fairly powerful. It will be able to add
Win 7 to Vista bootmgr. I've used EasyBCD and VistabootPro,
and much prefer VistaBootPro.

Op Zaterdag 13 Juni 2009 13:51:48 +0100, schreef Gareth <hotmail.com@xxxxxx> in artikel <4a33a0ce$0$18244$da0feed9@xxxxxx>:I have a same install and no problems. Maibe this gives some idea's? :


C:\Users\Jawade>dir/a d:\
Volume in drive D is XP (This is drive 0, first partition)
Volume Serial Number is 6094-1421

Directory of d:\

06/13/2009 09:49 PM <DIR> $RECYCLE.BIN
06/14/2009 04:56 AM 0 AUTOEXEC.BAT
06/13/2009 10:41 PM <DIR> Boot
06/13/2009 08:40 PM 355 Boot.BAK
06/13/2009 10:41 PM 355 boot.ini
06/13/2009 10:41 PM 355 Boot.ini.saved
04/22/2009 07:28 AM 383,200 bootmgr
06/13/2009 10:41 PM 8,192 BOOTSECT.BAK
06/14/2009 04:56 AM 0 CONFIG.SYS
06/14/2009 05:05 AM <DIR> Documents and Settings
11/02/2006 10:00 PM 171,136 grldr
06/14/2009 04:56 AM 0 IO.SYS
06/14/2009 04:56 AM 0 MSDOS.SYS
08/03/2004 10:38 PM 47,564 NTDETECT.COM
08/03/2004 10:59 PM 250,032 ntldr
06/13/2009 08:11 PM 1,610,612,736 pagefile.sys
06/14/2009 05:07 AM <DIR> Program Files
06/14/2009 05:03 AM <DIR> System Volume Information
06/13/2009 08:12 PM <DIR> WINDOWS
13 File(s) 1,611,473,925 bytes
6 Dir(s) 9,924,308,992 bytes free

C:\Users\Jawade>dir/a e:\
Volume in drive E is Vista (This is drive 1, first partition)
Volume Serial Number is 6CAC-3800

Directory of e:\

06/13/2009 09:49 PM <DIR> $Recycle.Bin
09/18/2006 11:43 PM 24 autoexec.bat
09/18/2006 11:43 PM 10 config.sys
04/07/2008 11:38 PM 106 desktop.ini
11/02/2006 03:00 PM <JUNCTION> Documents and Settings [C:\Users]
04/07/2008 05:41 PM 820,767 folderbg.jpg
06/13/2009 09:05 PM 1,071,218,688 hiberfil.sys
06/13/2009 08:49 PM <DIR> MSOCache
06/13/2009 09:05 PM 1,387,040,768 pagefile.sys
04/04/2008 11:55 AM <DIR> PerfLogs
06/13/2009 08:55 PM <DIR> Program Files
06/13/2009 08:49 PM <DIR> ProgramData
06/13/2009 08:49 PM <DIR> System Volume Information
06/13/2009 08:44 PM <DIR> Users
06/13/2009 09:03 PM <DIR> Windows
6 File(s) 2,459,080,363 bytes
9 Dir(s) 13,345,902,592 bytes free

C:\Users\Jawade>dir/a c:\
Volume in drive C is W7 (This is drive 1, second partition)
Volume Serial Number is F4B6-4BB1

Directory of c:\

06/13/2009 09:49 PM <DIR> $Recycle.Bin
04/22/2009 11:23 AM <JUNCTION> Documents and Settings [C:\Users]
06/13/2009 09:56 PM 804,954,112 hiberfil.sys
06/13/2009 09:56 PM 1,073,741,824 pagefile.sys
04/22/2009 09:16 AM <DIR> PerfLogs
06/13/2009 09:53 PM <DIR> Program Files
04/22/2009 11:09 AM <DIR> Program Files (x86)
06/13/2009 09:53 PM <DIR> ProgramData
06/13/2009 09:49 PM <DIR> Recovery
06/13/2009 09:53 PM <DIR> System Volume Information
06/13/2009 09:49 PM <DIR> Users
06/13/2009 09:53 PM <DIR> Windows
06/13/2009 10:20 PM <DIR> Windows.old
2 File(s) 1,878,695,936 bytes
11 Dir(s) 33,730,363,392 bytes free

C:\Users\Jawade>



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