I think I screwed up... (Partitioning)

T

trueflipmode

New Member
Hello

So I got a new laptop HP 9420, it comes with 2 hard drives, C: and D:. Both are 120 gb or so. Vista was frusterating me (Vista was installed on C) so I decided maybe I could install XP on D:. I stuck in the boot cd and installed XP, it finished successfully, but now I have no way of starting the computer back up on the C: so I can get all my school stuff. Use all my school programs.

Is there anyway I can delete the XP that I just installed and then boot back off of c:?

Really I just want to be able to boot to Vista, but I can't find anything through the bios. Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks
 
trueflipmode said:
Hello

So I got a new laptop HP 9420, it comes with 2 hard drives, C: and D:. Both are 120 gb or so. Vista was frusterating me (Vista was installed on C) so I decided maybe I could install XP on D:. I stuck in the boot cd and installed XP, it finished successfully, but now I have no way of starting the computer back up on the C: so I can get all my school stuff. Use all my school programs.

Is there anyway I can delete the XP that I just installed and then boot back off of c:?

Really I just want to be able to boot to Vista, but I can't find anything through the bios. Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks
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ok, you should be able to access then even though you are in XP. the easiest way to find said programs is to do a Windows search for those program.
i have more suggestions for a more permanent solution, but i have to get back to work, so ill have to post back later tonight. here is a site that may help you in the mean time.
 
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Hey, I found exactly what I needed to know. The only problem is I don't have a Vista boot DVD, my laptop came with it installed and there is a recovery program that I could have used to make disks but I didn't even consider it! That would have saved me now, but I remain stuck. I have an empty XP OS that loads instead of vista and from what I know the only way to fix it is if I have vista recovery cds or dvd. Drat.

Any suggestions?
 
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You can try contacting HP and seeing if they can send you a restore disc for it. Your supposed to make them yourself before you do anything but, they usually can get you one for the model, they might just charge you some.


You should really read your manual about that second drive in the HP. The HP notebook I bought last year had 2x100gb drives, but it said right in the manual that the second hard drive was for data only. It wasnt a bootable drive. Every time i tried to get something to boot from it , it freaked out. Just something to check out about your drive. It should mention something about it in the manual.
 
Okay will do, thanks Nightrain. I never read the manual, and I always should. My mistake. There isn't a way I can download a boot disk is there? Or is that probably illegal?
 
you just need to update the mbrt. when in xp, go to start, right click my comp, properties, advanced, start up and recovery, click edit and add this. this should do...

Code: 
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows vista" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

that should do but i an not sure vista works the same. i would wait for some one else to post. also when you are able to boot into vista. MAKE THE DVD'S! :P
 
STOP. there is a better way. its called dual booting. you can have both OSs. alls ya got to do is download a program called EasyBCD and follow this tutorial. if you have any questions, ask.
 
trueflipmode said:
Yeah I tried that already, but it appears I need a vista boot dvd, I didn't make one when I first got the laptop.
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no, i dont think that will help you, you need the vista installation DVD (im not 100% sure). if you can get EasyBCD installed, it will let you reinstall the vista bootloader, which will let you boot in vista.
 
luckyedboy66 said:
no, i dont think that will help you, you need the vista installation DVD (im not 100% sure). if you can get EasyBCD installed, it will let you reinstall the vista bootloader, which will let you boot in vista.
Click to expand...

So are you saying all I need is EASYBCD installed to repair the vista boot loader?
 
just a guess but could you change the boot order of your drives in the bios so it boots from the vista drive first? also you could have accidentally formatted both drives when you installed xp. if you go to my computer does it show two hard drives or just one?
 
There is two hard drives. What happens when you install xp on the second drive is that the bootloader for vista gets broken. I was wondering if there is a way around repairing the bootloader other than using a vista DVD because I don't have one.
 
trueflipmode said:
There is two hard drives. What happens when you install xp on the second drive is that the bootloader for vista gets broken. I was wondering if there is a way around repairing the bootloader other than using a vista DVD because I don't have one.
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i cannot answer that question. i am downloading vista right now, cause my bootloader is messed up too. you might try that- downloading a vista iso and burning it to a dvd. mine is at 93.2%, so i hope to find out how it works soon. (im not sure if its legal or not, but i own a valid key, so i should be entitled to it. and WTF is up with manufacturers not including a copy of the OS anymore???)
 
trueflipmode said:
Yeah... not so sure about the copy of the os... Maybe ill bring it to a repair shop, they will have a vista boot cd.
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if youre concerned about screwing something up anymore than it is, then take it to a computer store. however, you would be wasting money, and youll probably end up only being able to use one OS though.
 
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