Dual boot dummy

A

AdamJ

Member
I'm experiencing problems after installing a second operating system on a second harddrive.

I want to have a dual boot system. One with XP and the other with Windows 7.

I installed Windows 7, but after starting from the main harddrive Windows 7 was installed on, the options in dual boot are Windows 7 and Windows XP. Windows 7 won't boot, but XP boots fine.

When the other harddrive with XP is set to boot 1st the dual boot options shows Windows 7 twice. The top one will boot fine but the second one won't.

I do have a backup image of everything from the XP computer on an external harddrive.

I have no idea how to fix this and would greatly appreciate any help.
 
You don't change the boot order to boot between XP and 7.

The proper way to do this is go back to like you were before with just XP. Leave the XP drive plugged in along with the blank hard drive that you want to install windows 7 to.

Boot to the windows 7 install dvd and install windows to the other drive. Windows 7 will change the boot files on the xp drive so you will get 2 options XP and 7 when you turn your computer on.

I would format the drive that you installed 7 on and start again.
 
johnb35 said:
You don't change the boot order to boot between XP and 7.

The proper way to do this is go back to like you were before with just XP. Leave the XP drive plugged in along with the blank hard drive that you want to install windows 7 to.

Boot to the windows 7 install dvd and install windows to the other drive. Windows 7 will change the boot files on the xp drive so you will get 2 options XP and 7 when you turn your computer on.

I would format the drive that you installed 7 on and start again.
Click to expand...

Thanks John. I reformatted the drive windows 7 was installed on. I set the other drive as the primary and booted and the dual boot option shows:

1. earlier version of windows
2. windows 7

Does this matter; I'm concerned since I deleted windows 7 from the other drive.

If it doesn't, I understand I should proceed by.

Setting the blank drive as the primary.

Booting up and loading windows 7.

Is that right?
 
Yes, thats what you are supposed to see. Now you can download and install easybcd to edit that screen so it shows windows XP.

http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

Register for the free version at the bottom.

It seems you have set it up correctly. Are you able to boot into each OS now?

If you have deleted the windows 7 install then you need to reinstall it. You keep the XP drive as first boot device and then install 7.
 
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johnb35 said:
Yes, thats what you are supposed to see. Now you can download and install easybcd to edit that screen so it shows windows XP.

http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

Register for the free version at the bottom.

It seems you have set it up correctly. Are you able to boot into each OS now?

If you have deleted the windows 7 install then you need to reinstall it. You keep the XP drive as first boot device and then install 7.
Click to expand...


John, I dont understand how to load windows 7 if I keep the XP drive as the boot device. Don't I have to load windows 7 on the first boot device drive after rebooting?
 
Is windows 7 installed or not?

To setup a dual boot setup, you can either have both operating systems on the same drive but different partitions or you can have each operating system have its own drive.

You do not change the boot order, leave the xp drive as your primary boot drive. When you boot to the windows 7 install dvd, tell it to install on the second drive. It will change the boot files on the xp drive so it shows a dual boot screen as you have already seen. Then its just a matter of picking which one you want to boot to when you start your pc up.

Not sure where you are getting lost at but its pretty simple. Windows 7 bootloader will take over now.

Here is a guide to better help you understand. Find where it says option 1 "when XP is installed first" then find number 3 below that, where it says "to Use a Separate Hard Disk Drive than the XP Drive"

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html
 
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Ah, gotcha now. I couldn't get my head around the fact that I would have the opportunity to decide which drive windows 7 could be installed on. I was thinking it would automatically load onto whichever drive booted first. :o

Many thanks John!
 
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Nope, you tell the windows 7 installer which drive/partition you want it on. So is it all installed and ready to go or do you still need help?
 
Your welcome. No need for lunch, just knowing that you will have it up and running is good enough for me. :good:
 
Got 7 installed and the dual boot is working. Weird thing is, I now have 3 options listed.

earlier version of windows
windows 7
windows 7

When clicking on the third option "windows 7" windows boot manager pops up and states "windows failed to start"

No big deal, but I don't understnad how its still there being I reformatted the drive with windows on it and restored the other drive with XP with acronis which deletes data before writing it to the disk...or at least thats how i understand it.

Anyway the dual boot works fine now as I can boot with windows 7 or xp now.

Guess I'll give easybcd a spin now. :cool:
 
earlier version of windows
windows 7
windows 7

The third option (2nd windows 7 is the one that does not work)
 
First of all lets edit older earlier version of windows so it says windows xp. Click on edit boot menu, highlight earlier version of windows and click on rename up top. Name it windows XP click on save settings.

Now lets remove the bad windows 7 entry.


Click on edit boot menu again and then highlight the second windows 7 entry and click on remove up top. Then reboot the system and you should have only 2 entries. XP and windows 7.
 
Yes it is, its a must have. Glad its all up and running for you.

hifive.jpg
 
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