The NeoSmart Forums

Upgrading Vista to W7 on dual boot system

saphire 199 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:07:59 GMT

Hi guys,

I have dual boot Vista/XP Pro on same drive. I am going to upgrade Vista to W7. Still want to keep XP. I've backed up all my files on XP and Vista. Now ready to upgrade and want to make sure before I go that sequence is correct:
1. copy 3 XP "boot" files to external drive, just in case?
2. upgrade to W7.
3. download latest of EasyBCD
4. Run Easy BCD, letting auto config do it's thing.
That should be as simple as it is, right?

Saphire 199

Problems booting with GRUB/EasyBCD

MrCool0760 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:14:13 GMT

Hello all, my computer setup looks like this. It originally had Windows 7 and then i later installed XP on the 2nd partition. I got it all booting fine with EasyBCD, giving me the option to boot into either.

Now i just installed Ubuntu last night and it looks like GRUB might have messed some things up. I decided to try to fix it on my own so i went into EasyBCD and reinstalled the original bootloader. Now it looks like this when i boot up..

1) Windows 7
2) WinXP
3) Ubuntu 9.10

BUT, for some reason, the only one that actually works now is windows 7! i will post the error messaged below if they provide any help. i obviously screwed something up when i installed Ubuntu and erased GRUB, so simply enough, how can i make my boot up menu look like the above with working operating systems?

Here are my errors when i enter each boot option

2)WinXP - "windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\system32\ntoskrel.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above file
3) Ubuntu- "Try (hd0,0): EXT2

Two active partitions possible?

davidm71 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:54:35 GMT

Hi,

I was wondering if its possible to install vista to one of two hard drives (while the 2nd is unplugged) and then unplug the first and plug the second in where you would once again install vista. That way could you have two independant installations with their own bootloader? Such that setting which ever drive in bios as 1st boot drive would select which one boots?

Thanks.

Multi-boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu

newnews — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:38:17 GMT

Hi,
I have 2 SATA HDD installed. I want to have a clean installation(even MBR) of Windows 7 and Ubuntu separately. So I did is:
1. Connect SATA1 HDD only and installed Windows 7
2. Remove SATA1 and connect SATA 2, installed Ubuntu9.
3. Connect both HDD and both OS can boot successfully by switching boot order in BIOS
4. Now I set windows7 HDD as first boot device and I want to add Ubuntu to Windows 7 boot menu.
5. I use EasyBCD1.7.2 to config the boot loader. Add Ubuntu from Linux tab and choose Drive1 Patition 0(where ubuntu is installed). Save and exit.
6. Reboot and choose Ubuntu from Boot menu, but failed to boot. There is no problem to boot to Windows 7 (Drive 0).

what is the problem?

How to restore lost Vista Installation?

davidm71 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:31:36 GMT

Hi,

I had a multiboot installation with Win 7 first installed on a raid array, then Vista 64 installed on another lone hard drive. So I dismatled the raid array and would like to know how to resore the bcd information. I've tried setting it as active with diskpart and bootrec/ fixmbr, though when I get to bootrec /fixboot it throws an error.

There is not C:/Boot/ folder however. I tried the nuclear options on the tutorial without luck. I even tried bootsect /nt60 all /force. I've tried all options including this:
mkdir c:\Boot\
xcopy c:\windows\boot\pcat\* C:\boot\ EXCLUDE:bootmgr /E /C /Q /G /H /R /Y
xcopy c:\windows\boot\fonts\* c:\boot\Fonts\ /E /C /Q /G /H /R /Y
copy c:\windows\boot\pcat\bootmgr C:\Bootmgr
bcdedit.exe /createstore c:\boot\BCD
bcdedit.exe /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager"
bcdedit.exe /set {bootmgr} device partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /timeout 5
bcdedit.exe /create /d "Windows Vista" /application osloader
# You should get a message saying {ID} was created successfully. Use {ID} in future commands.
bcdedit.exe /set {ID} osdevice partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /set {ID} device partition=C:
bcdedit.exe /set {ID} path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
bcdedit.exe /displayorder {ID}
bcdedit.exe /default {ID}
bcdedit.exe /set {ID} systemroot \Windows

But get an error at the xcopy (know its missing a backslash) where it says can't read bootmgr. Guessing maybe the file is locked. Anyone know the correct sequence of commands to make the drive bootable?

I already tried the recovery routine on the install vista cd but it doesn't see the volume. Also bootrec/scanos does see it however so its there just have to restore bootfiles....

Thanks.

Help me solve this problem

anringfield — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:22:19 GMT

Hi everybody, I'm newbie and now I need you help me solve my problem.
5 months ago I installed quad boot : XP, Vista, Leopard Klayway 10.5.2 and Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron on my computer. This's my way to install them :
- Format my first drive to 4 partitions : NTFS, NTFS, FAT32 and FAT32. I installed 4 OS in only first driver.
- Install XP at first partition (NTFS) then install Vista at second partiton (NTFS). I can boot to XP and Vista smoothly.
- Install Leopard at third partition (re-formated it to HFS). After that I get HFS error and can't boot to anything.
- Install Ubuntu at fourth partittion (re-formated it) without install GRUB boot loader (because I want to use Vista Bootloader). Then I still can't boot to anything.
- I used Smart F-DISK to active Vista partition and then boot to Vista, install Easy BCD 1.7. After adding OSx86 and GRUB to vista bootloader menu with easyBCD, I can boot to Leopard and Ubuntu. Then I boot to Leopard, install PC EFI v9 to boot to Leopard immediately (if not I must press F8 then v.v...). That's all, I can boot all of them well.
...
I's very happy and use them normally until 2 days ago. My Windows XP has big error so I can't fix and I deleted Vista Bootloader accidentally. I must reinstall it. After reinstalling XP, I can only boot to XP and then repair Vista Boot Loader with Windows Vista DVD. After that I can boot to XP and Vista. I boot in Vista, install easyBCD and add OSx86 with GRUB in it (like I did). But then I can't boot to Leopard and Ubuntu. My Leopard stop at gray apple screen, and ubuntu can't load anything.
I decide my Vista, Leopard and Ubuntu don't have any errors prevent to boot. Now I want recover my bootloader like previous but I don't know how to do. I don't have any backup and I need you help because I don't want reinstall Vista, Leopard and ubuntu. They are still very good.
Sorry for my poor English, hope someone help me soon.

Succeeded.. Finally..

nobodie14 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:41:42 GMT

Let me first state that I'm completely new to multi booting. But I had some time to spare and was interested in multi booting into Windows 7, Mac OS-X Leopard en Ubuntu 9.10.
In short: it took me about 12 hours to get it working.

The first problem I ran into was a partitioning problem. GPT and MBR were not synchronised. But I never new they could co-exist on the same drive!

I tried:
1. Install Windows 7 with partitioning with the Windows 7 installer: working
1a. Install Mac OS-X on second partition: working
1b. Install EasyBCD v1.7.2: working
1c. Install Ubuntu: Needed to make partition with Gparted. Destroyed MBR.
1d. Repairing Windows 7 MBR: working. But Mac OS-X - and Ubuntu partition destroyed
1e. Gave up on this approach

2. Install Ubuntu 9.10 with partitioning with Gparted on 3rd partition: working
2a. Install Windows 7 on 1st partition: working
2b. Install EasyBCD v1.7.2: installed but Unbuntu was not booting. Ended in Grub
2c. Gave up on this approach

3. Install Mac OS-X with partitioning with Disk Utility on 2nd partition: working
3a. Install Windows 7 on 1st partition: working
3b. Install EasyBCD v1.7.2: working
3c. Install Ubuntu on 3rd partition: working
3d. Repair Windows 7 MBR: working. Mac OS-X still booting. Ubuntu not booting.

This was the second time that Ubuntu was not booting. It had to be a problem with EasyBCD. I found out that Ubuntu v9.10 was using GRUB2 instead of GRUB. And EasyBCD v1.7.2 could not handle GRUB2. Tried several workarounds with editing the config file. Still no luck. Then I found out that the EasyBCD 2.0 beta will work with GRUB2.
And guess what? It works!

It's now a matter of tweaking the setup of all OS's.. Sigh...

Windows 7/XP Dual Boot with XP hanging

jaypavlica — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:40:04 GMT

I have recently purchased a new hard drive and I installed Windows 7 while my existing XP drive was disconnected ( I probably should have left it in place). My original problem I had trying to boot to XP involved the missing NTLDR error on startup. I just installed EasyBCD 2.0 Beta and did the automatic XP entry add and my issue now is that when I start my machine and choose XP it will just hang with no hard drive activity. I can get my XP hard drive to boot up if I go into the BIOS and disable the Windows 7 Hard drive. Does anyone have suggestions that I can try without losing data.

Thanks for any advice!

Jay

Multiple Booting... Big Problem!

piniongear — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:37:08 GMT

This is my first time to post. I looked at FAQ but did not find an answer to my problem.

The problem I am having is getting my multiple boot system to work. I was directed to D/L EasyBCD. I did and still have the problem.

The history of my set up....... I have a home built Windows Desktop PC.
I have 4 separate hard drives installed.
In the beginning last May........
I loaded XP on one drive first.
Next I loaded Vista on a second hard drive.
Last I loaded Windows 7 RC on a third drive.

All worked well. When I started up the computer by turning it on, the motherboard logo appears first, then the boot menu appears next (black screen with white letters) giving me the boot choice of:
Earlier version of Windows (XP)
Vista
Or Windows 7 RC. The Windows 7 RC was the default boot drive.
All of this worked well from May through October.

At the end of October I bought the Windows 7 PRO operating system.
Since I wanted to keep the other 3 OS in place on separate drives, I installed a 4th hard drive and installed Windows 7 PRO onto that drive. My intent was (and still is) to maintain a multiple boot system.

Well, what happened was the computer now boots up automatically into Windows 7 PRO without giving me the choice of booting from other drives. What happened??? I have found no help for the problem so far.

Under 'My Computer' all 4 hard drives are shown as well as the CD drive:
(C) Windows 7 PRO
(D) Windows 7 RC
(E) Vista
(F) XP PRO
(G) CD-DVD

If I go to:
'Right click' Computer......
Advanced System Settings....click on System Properties.... click on settings under System Startup and Recovery.........
The 'Default Operating System' is shown as Windows 7. Clicking the drop down arrow shows no other choice of OS.

Did I somehow lose the boot files for XP, Vista, and Windows 7 RC when I loaded the new Windows 7 PRO OS?
It seems that way.

I certainly will appreciate any help someone may offer. I thought D/L of the EasyBCD would help but the only operating system found is the Windows 7 PRO.
Thank you......
pg

Trying something, Looked around, Can't find anything

Nariab — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:18:06 GMT

I got EasyBCD when I got a new laptop recently and wanted to do a dualboot Vista with XP, XP I am currently running now. I now want to get rid of Vista, I don't need it anymore, but I can't seem to be able to format the C: drive with the vista and the boot files on it. What steps can I take to get this working for me? It's 47gb gone to nothing, and I'd really like to get rid of it.

Thanks,
Travis

Please HELP! It says my C: Drive is in use when I KNOW It's not. What should I do?!?!?

Dualboot Win7 / OSX86

harryman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15:15 GMT

hi,i have a question related to how easyBCD starts OsX86.
My hardware requires the use of a "preboot" image to run, but if i select OsX when booting i get right into chameleon (the OsX bootloader). As the preboot image has not been loaded i the proceed to a kernel panic.

So, my understanding is that easyBCD loads its own chameleon. Where does this one reside? i just have to drop a folder containing the relevant stuff in the same place and should be going.

My hardware is a hp netbook 2140 and booting into win7 works just fine. :lol: booting into macosX SL works via an usb-stick, cumbersome but works.:??
Ah and last i have installed ubuntu on a little partition to play with, but i wont bother setting up neogrub before i get the dualbooting working.

Backing up dual boot Win7 / XP Pro SP3 System

VaMage — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:47:09 GMT

Hi, I just found out that my old reliable, Novastor Novabackup, now in version 11, with Windows 7 support, will not back up the system state in a dual boot environment. This is not supposition, Novastor's official position is that it does not support dual boot.

So, now I'm left looking around for a way to back up and restore my system. If anyone knows of a utility or backup program that can handle this I'd appreciate the reccomendation.

I'm also wondering if Nide N' Seek might do the trick? Somehow I doubt that just hiding the partitions from each other is going to be enough to let me do a reliable full system backup.

I have imaged the entire system, though I have no way to know if even that is reliable now, but that is not a good day to day solution. That is to say, I do a nightly differential backup, once a month I do all the various updates, drivers, Window Update, etc, and after I'm satisfied that it's stable I do an incremental backup for that month. I then erase all of the differnetials except the last pre-updates one, and start the month over. ( Lucky for me I have LOTS of external space. :} )

Any day I so much as install something that gives me the least bit of trouble I just restore yesterday's system state, and poof problem goes bye bye.

So, I kinda feel like I'm flying without a chute at the moment, and any ideas / help / recommendations would be appreciated.

Windows won't boot!

Aion91 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:57:25 GMT

Alright so last night I Was playing a game on my PC (HP) when i accidentally fell asleep and left it on. When i woke up around 4am and saw that my screen was black i simply thought it was asleep. None the less it didn't wake up so i manually shut it down. When it start to boot up it sounded the same everything was going good until i hit the black screen. Then it said (Err2Err3) and did not move from their. So you know the way i am i simply shut it down thinking it was a bad boot and well it said the same thing. I don't have the Vista OS CD. I've read enough online to know about the recovery CD distributed online and easy to download. The thing is i can't even download that because the only other computer i have is a mac. I just don't want to lose my files and all my pictures. If this helps when pressing F11 it gives me an alternate window and says Windows start up failed due to a recent change in software or something similar to that. Also it gives this out (0xc0000001) Winload.exe failed. May be missing or corrupted. I don't know what to do at this point.

Fedora/XP/Win7 question

notrance — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:14:38 GMT

I had a dual boot XP32/Win7-64bit setup (with Win7 as the bootloader. I added Fedora 11 to that, so now I have a triple boot with Fedora/grub as the initial bootloader, which defaults to switch to the Win7 bootloader if a key is not pressed to boot Fedora.

This all works fine; the default flow is

Fedora grub boot,
if key press -> boot Fedora
if no key press -> load win7 bootloader
Win7
XP (default)

The issue is, that if I use the Win7 bcd (or easy bcd) to change the default boot on the Windows side, it accepts that and reports Win7 as being the default, but continues to boot to XP.

Can I use Neogrub, or do something else to get my desired behavior, which is to boot Win7 by default, with choices for XP and Fedora?

Thank you.

NVidia GeForce 8800 GT

mikethemadmonk — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:35:38 GMT

I have just started playing a game on WIN XP which takes high end pc's to run. This caused my pc to turn itself off and then struggle to restart. I first thought that my power source 550 watts was insufficient and installed new power source Corsair 750w. This wasn't the problem, my Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT is overheating, at least Duel Core centre reports this and shuts down my pc. However, the resting temp is 47c and intensive gaming takes it up to around 82c , whereapon my rig shuts down.
My question , are these temps excessive or is my dual core centre set wrongly and how should I adjust it. Any help please.