Dual Boot With XP and Win7

[daft117]

i have a hdd with three partitions on it.

all of it are primary. C: is 15 gb for xp and D: is 35 gb for win7 and a 290 gb data part.

i would install xp on C: and when i installed windows se7en to D: and restart the computer, it did chkdsk/scandisk to disk and failed to boot.

(not only xp, win7 too)

what must i do to use together them?

thanx

[browney595]

Do you have any of the os installed at the moment?

[computerguru]

i have a hdd with three partitions on it.

all of it are primary. C: is 15 gb for xp and D: is 35 gb for win7 and a 290 gb data part.

i would install xp on C: and when i installed windows se7en to D: and restart the computer, it did chkdsk/scandisk to disk and failed to boot.

(not only xp, win7 too)

what must i do to use together them?

thanx

Ok, what method you used to install windows 7? I mean did you install windows XP from CD/DVD. Then boot from windows 7 installation DVD and install windows 7 from the DVD? If you have done this then this is your problem. You have to install windows XP from CD/DVD and then FROM YOUR WINDOWS XP DESKTOP RUN WINDOWS 7 SETUP VIA SETUP.EXE FROM WINDOWS 7 INSTALLATION DVD, SELECT D:\ AS THE INSTALLATION LOCATION, PERFORM A CLEAN INSTALLATION (NOT UPGRADE), then WHEN YOU WILL BE DONE INSTALLING YOU WILL SEE WINDOWS BOOT MANAGER DISPLAYING TWO OPERATING SYSTEMS, "Earlier version of Microsoft Windows" & "Windows 7".

You must follow the routine if you like to have dual boot with XP and Win7. This is because when you install windows XP, ntldr will be the boot loader file and the bootable drive will be C:\, also an 8 Bytes entry will be written to your C:\ drive system volume information. Then you boot from the windows 7 installation DVD, install windows 7 on partition D:\ (on the same HDD), then your boot loader file will be bootmgr and windows loader will be w7ldr, a 8 Bytes boot entry will be written on drive D:\. Then whan you restart your PC. It tries to boot from the C:\ and D:\ drive at the same time, but an HDD only can have one bootable partition at the same time, so chkdsk thinks it may be a file system error but fails to boot.

If you follow my method your bootable partition will be only the C:\ drive (though windows 7 is installed on partition D:\). And bootmgr replaces the ntldr as the boot loader file (ntldr will still on the C:\ drive as this is the loader file for windows XP & w7ldr as the windows 7 loader) but if you boot from windows 7 DVD(not from your desktop), install windows 7 on D:\ drive, bootmgr doesn't save windows XP boot entry. MBR (Master Boot Record) can only store 8 Bytes data (boot data).

Thats the end, please post if my answer is helpful or not.

Edited March 26, 2010 by computerguru

[daft117]

@browney595

yes, only win7

@computerguru

i have installed xp via cd/dvd and then i have installed win7 from my bootable USB HDD. i will take your advice. very thanx.

[jaclaz]

@computerguru

I would like to have an expanded explanation of these parts:

1. 8 bytes entry will be written to C:\ drive system volume information
   
2. windows loader will be w7ldr
   
3. 8 Bytes boot entry will be written on drive D:\
   
4. It tries to boot from the C:\ and D:\ drive at the same time
   
5. chkdsk thinks it may be a file system error but fails to boot
   

jaclaz

[mchldpy]

@computerguru

I would like to have an expanded explanation of these parts:

1. 8 bytes entry will be written to C:\ drive system volume information
   
2. windows loader will be w7ldr
   
3. 8 Bytes boot entry will be written on drive D:\
   
4. It tries to boot from the C:\ and D:\ drive at the same time
   
5. chkdsk thinks it may be a file system error but fails to boot
   

jaclaz

remind me not to go to computerguru's seminar next time(i feel sick to my stomach, i may throw up my system volume info.)

[jaclaz]

remind me not to go to computerguru's seminar next time(i feel sick to my stomach, i may throw up my system volume info.)

Hey, mchldpy, remember not to go to computerguru's seminar next time!

Heck, you asked it!

BTW, in my experience, throwing up system volume info is quite unprobable, on the other hand throwing up any number of disk signatures happens quite often, it is said that it happens because of their often repetitive nature:

http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/Win2kmbr.htm#DC

but there is no definite evidence about this.

jaclaz

[daft117]

i tried what you said and same errors happened again :S

i'm open to any other advice

i don't understand what's wrong with it

edit: i remembered that i could boot xp and vista without setting something.

first installing xp and then vista...

this must always works, am i wrong?

when u install microsoft OSes old to new, u must be able to use them together..

Edited April 4, 2010 by daft117