Computer won't boot without using Flashdrive!

[thetwire]

I created a Windows XP boot USB using this program called WinSetupFromUSB_0-2-3. It installed properly. My problem is it won't let me boot XP from my hardrive and the only way I can get into XP is booting from the flashdrive.

Currently trying to dual boot Windows 7 / XP I can no longer boot into Windows 7 since I installed XP.

[thetwire]

Come on somebody has to know. I need someones expertise. If you need more information on anything let me know. Not exactly sure what information to give on top of my head.

[cdob]

If you need more information on anything let me know.

What happens if you boot XP from the hardrive?

Which messages do you get?

Do you get a black screen and a blank cursor?

Adjust MBR, bootrecord or boot.ini.

[wimb]

After booting XP with USB-stick connected, have a look in XP Disk Management.

Most likely the partition on which you installed XP has not been set Active.

R-mouse on My Computer > Computer Management > Disk Management

R-mouse on Partition with XP > Set Active

Have a look also at boot.ini on your C: drive of your Harddisk.

Check if its boot entry reflects your current partitioning.

Use rdisk(0)partition(1) for XP installed on first partition

Use rdisk(0)partition(2) for XP installed on second partition

Edited October 10, 2009 by wimb

[thetwire]

This is how my partition looks like. XP is also set to active partition already.

That's how it looks when I boot from hardrive or flashdrive but it only loads from flashdrive. The one highlighted is the one that works.

[boot Loader]

Timeout=5

Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[Operating Systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional x64 Edition setup from hd 0 part 1" /FASTDETECT

c:\="-------------------------"

c:\="Try entries below if getting HAL.DLL/NTOSKRNL.EXE not found errors"

c:\="--------------------------"

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 2" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 3" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 4" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 1" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 2" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 3" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 4" /FASTDETECT

When I try to select the highlighted one from booting hardrive I get this error.

"Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.

Could not read from the selected boot disk, Check boot patch and disk hardware.

Please check the Windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information."

Edited October 10, 2009 by thetwire

[wimb]

Change your boot.ini on Harddisk XP partition such that it has entry with rdisk(0)partition(2) for XP installed on second partition.

On reboot without USB-stick you first need to check / set your BIOS such that you boot from second harddisk (= Disk 1)

Your boot harddisk is in boot.ini always referred to as rdisk(0) whatever harddisk it is

If you boot from USB-stick than USB-stick is rdisk(0) and your harddisk with XP is becoming rdisk(1)

so that in this case boot.ini on stick was working for you.

Edited October 10, 2009 by wimb

[thetwire]

Wow! I can't believe it was that easy! Thanks a lot!

Alright my next step now is to be able to boot into Windows 7. How do I go about doing that?

Also if I get that to work to, how do I change the boot.ini so that it just says XP and Windows 7 only instead of -

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional x64 Edition setup from hd 0 part 1" /FASTDETECT

c:\="-------------------------"

c:\="Try entries below if getting HAL.DLL/NTOSKRNL.EXE not found errors"

c:\="--------------------------"

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 2" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 3" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 4" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 1" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 2" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 3" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 4" /FASTDETECT

[wimb]

In XP use Disk Management and Set the Windows 7 partition Active, allows to Reboot with Windows 7.

However, if the MBR bootcode has changed due to Install of XP then you have a problem and need to fix this with EasyBCD (see below for using EasyBCD)

==============================================================

To make XP boot entry in Windows 7 you need:

Copy NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM and BOOTFONT.BIN from XP partition to Windows 7 partition.

Using Notepad make in Windows 7 partition a boot.ini file with:

[boot loader]
timeout=20
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

When you have only 1 entry like given above, you won't see the boot.ini menu anymore and will immediately boot with XP located in partition(2)

To make this happen:

In Windows 7 you need to make in BOOTMGR boot menu a NTLDR boot entry for XP using EasyBCD and Add Entries.

Download EasyBCD from: http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

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If Windows 7 does not boot then this is due to wrong bootcode in MBR (=sector 0) caused by Install of XP.

In EasyBCD use Manage BootLoaders to repair Windows 7 MBR BootCode with Write MBR

I am Not sure if EasyBCD is already Windows 7 compatible.

If you cannot boot with Windows 7 then Reboot from USB-stick with XP and Set Active XP partition.

In any case make first a backup of your present MBR's using MBR_Backup.cmd of U_XP_SET package.

You can also study MBR using TinyHexer and File > Disk > Open drive ... > PHYSICALDRIVE 1

=====================================================================

Edited October 11, 2009 by wimb