Installed second hard drive. vista will not boot.

[esecallum]

i had a preinstalled vista home edition on a 160 gb sata hard drive on a hp computer bought from pc world but because it is so slow and frustrating to use even after all the tweaks and uninstalling the presinstalled bloatware i opened it up added a new added a second sata 200gb hard drive.

i then installed windows xp on the second hard drive.it works great,is very fast and very responsive.

however i can no longer boot into vista at all.

when booting i go to boot options,select the second hard drive and boot in xp.

however when i go to boot options and select first hard drive to boot from vista it still boots from the second hard drive into xp.

the vista hard drive can be seen from the xp installation and is fine.

occasionally you do get a very brief message saying NTLDR missing press cntrl+cntrl+delete and then boots into xp.

any idea how i can still boot into vista to access some of the programs on it.

[Guest]

You need to use EasyBCD to add Vista to the bootloader.

[esecallum]

You need to use EasyBCD to add Vista to the bootloader.

but i never installed anything on the home vista hard drive.i installed xp on the new and SEPARATE hard drive.

this would mean the vista installation should be untouched by the xp installation.

how would easybcd help?

[jaclaz]

but i never installed anything on the home vista hard drive.i installed xp on the new and SEPARATE hard drive.

this would mean the vista installation should be untouched by the xp installation.

how would easybcd help?

Let's clear the possible misunderstanding.

And no, BCD itself won't probably be of use.

When you install an OS; it will boot from FIRST hard disk. (normally and specifically from Active Primary partition of FIRST hard disk).

If you added a "new", second hard disk, and did not remove/disconnect the "old" first one, the former will be second disk.

When you install XP, it will:

1. overwrite the MBR (containing the VIsta MBR) of the FIRST hard disk with the XP one (this normally is NOT a problem unless you use bitlocker)
   
2. overwrite the PBR (or bootsector) of the active partition on FIRST hard disk (containing Vista boot code invoking BOOTMGR) with XP one (invoking NTLDR)
   

Quite obviously XP install cannot know nothing about Vista, so it doesn't provide for a way to ADD to it's booting scheme, based on NTLDR+NTDETECT.COM+BOOT.INI, a previous install of a later OS.

Now what you need is two-fold:

1. you need to restore the Vista boot
   
2. then use bcdedit, EasyBCD or any other BCD editor to add to the BCD an entry for booting XP.
   

An alternative is chainloading from NTLDR/BOOT.INI a third party bootmanager capable of directly chainloading the NTLDR and the BOOTMGR, like grub4dos.

In the Active, Primary partition of your FIRST disk you should have:

1. BOOTMGR
   
2. \boot\BCD\
   
3. NTLDR
   
4. NTDETECT.COM
   
5. BOOT.INI
   

Then get grub4dos from here:

http://code.google.com/p/grub4dos-chenall/downloads/detail?name=grub4dos-0.4.5b-2011-05-09.7z&can=2&q=

Open it in 7-zip and extract ONLY the file grldr to the active primary partition of first hard disk.

Now open the BOOT.INI on first hard disk and add to it a line:

C:\grldr="grub4dos"

Save and reboot.

You should land to a chioice between Windows XP and grub4dos, choose grub4dos.

You should land to a grub> prompt.

In it type:

chainloader /bootm

and press [TAB] key.

You should be able to see bootmgr listed (and the line should autocomplete to)

chainloader /bootmgr

if not type the missing characters until it is complete as per above.

Then press the [ENTER] key.

Now type:

boot

and press the [ENTER] key.

Additional info in the Guide:

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htm

The Vista should boot normally.

It is possible that you will also find added an option to boot XP "automagically".

If not it's time to use a BCD editor to add an entry for XP.

Reboot and repeat the above, veryfying that the entry in BCD works, ie:

1. choice between XP and grub4dos
   
2. choose grub4dos
   
3. repeat given commands at grub4dos prompt
   
4. choice between Vista and Xp
   
5. choose XP
   
6. you should now have looped to #1 above
   
7. choose XP
   
8. verify it boots OK
   

Then:

1. reboot
   
2. choice between XP and grub4dos
   
3. choose grub4dos
   
4. repeat given commands at grub4dos prompt
   
5. choice between Vista and Xp
   
6. choose Vista
   
7. verify it boots OK
   

Then, still booted in Vista you need to run

bootsect.exe /NT60 C:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749177(WS.10).aspx

in order to restore the PBR/bootsector code to the one loading Vista's BOOTMGR

Some details of how a "normal" XP+Vista boot are here:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/multiboot.html

with pictures.

You are currently in this situation:

You have to get into this one:

Booting Vista:

Booting XP:

jaclaz

[esecallum]

but i never installed anything on the home vista hard drive.i installed xp on the new and SEPARATE hard drive.

this would mean the vista installation should be untouched by the xp installation.

how would easybcd help?

Let's clear the possible misunderstanding.

And no, BCD itself won't probably be of use.

When you install an OS; it will boot from FIRST hard disk. (normally and specifically from Active Primary partition of FIRST hard disk).

If you added a "new", second hard disk, and did not remove/disconnect the "old" first one, the former will be second disk.

When you install XP, it will:

1. overwrite the MBR (containing the VIsta MBR) of the FIRST hard disk with the XP one (this normally is NOT a problem unless you use bitlocker)
   
2. overwrite the PBR (or bootsector) of the active partition on FIRST hard disk (containing Vista boot code invoking BOOTMGR) with XP one (invoking NTLDR)
   

Quite obviously XP install cannot know nothing about Vista, so it doesn't provide for a way to ADD to it's booting scheme, based on NTLDR+NTDETECT.COM+BOOT.INI, a previous install of a later OS.

Now what you need is two-fold:

1. you need to restore the Vista boot
   
2. then use bcdedit, EasyBCD or any other BCD editor to add to the BCD an entry for booting XP.
   

An alternative is chainloading from NTLDR/BOOT.INI a third party bootmanager capable of directly chainloading the NTLDR and the BOOTMGR, like grub4dos.

In the Active, Primary partition of your FIRST disk you should have:

1. BOOTMGR
   
2. \boot\BCD\
   
3. NTLDR
   
4. NTDETECT.COM
   
5. BOOT.INI
   

Then get grub4dos from here:

http://code.google.com/p/grub4dos-chenall/downloads/detail?name=grub4dos-0.4.5b-2011-05-09.7z&can=2&q=

Open it in 7-zip and extract ONLY the file grldr to the active primary partition of first hard disk.

Now open the BOOT.INI on first hard disk and add to it a line:

C:\grldr="grub4dos"

Save and reboot.

You should land to a chioice between Windows XP and grub4dos, choose grub4dos.

You should land to a grub> prompt.

In it type:

chainloader /bootm

and press [TAB] key.

You should be able to see bootmgr listed (and the line should autocomplete to)

chainloader /bootmgr

if not type the missing characters until it is complete as per above.

Then press the [ENTER] key.

Now type:

boot

and press the [ENTER] key.

Additional info in the Guide:

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htm

The Vista should boot normally.

It is possible that you will also find added an option to boot XP "automagically".

If not it's time to use a BCD editor to add an entry for XP.

Reboot and repeat the above, veryfying that the entry in BCD works, ie:

1. choice between XP and grub4dos
   
2. choose grub4dos
   
3. repeat given commands at grub4dos prompt
   
4. choice between Vista and Xp
   
5. choose XP
   
6. you should now have looped to #1 above
   
7. choose XP
   
8. verify it boots OK
   

Then:

1. reboot
   
2. choice between XP and grub4dos
   
3. choose grub4dos
   
4. repeat given commands at grub4dos prompt
   
5. choice between Vista and Xp
   
6. choose Vista
   
7. verify it boots OK
   

Then, still booted in Vista you need to run

bootsect.exe /NT60 C:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749177(WS.10).aspx

in order to restore the PBR/bootsector code to the one loading Vista's BOOTMGR

Some details of how a "normal" XP+Vista boot are here:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/multiboot.html

with pictures.

You are currently in this situation:

You have to get into this one:

Booting Vista:

Booting XP:

jaclaz

Thanks jaclaz for that long and detailed post.it sounds really complicated.

does that men that EasyBCD is no use as they claim it is easy to use it to restore the bootloader using easybcd.

also they also have a vista repair iso to download as well to burn to cd and use that to restore the bootloader. does that mean using easybcd or repair disc is no use.?

[jaclaz]

Thanks jaclaz for that long and detailed post.it sounds really complicated.

does that men that EasyBCD is no use as they claim it is easy to use it to restore the bootloader using easybcd.

also they also have a vista repair iso to download as well to burn to cd and use that to restore the bootloader. does that mean using easybcd or repair disc is no use.?

It looks more complex than it is.

And of course you can use other methods/paths, including that of restoring Vista bootsector with the "repair" .iso or the EasyBCD and then add to the Vista BCD the entry for the "legacy" NT 5 (XP), and as said it is possible that once you have the Vista BOOTMGR booting again it will automagically find the BOOT.INI and add it's option to the BCD.

What I tried to tell you was more WHAT you need to do (represented by the given links and pictures) and one possible way to do it (as opposed to "the only way to do it") .

EasyBCD is a tool, you need to know WHAT to do with it, then learn HOW to do it with the tool, in order to be successful, form your initial post you sounded like you hadn't no idea of the WHAT, once you know it, learning HOW is just a matter of reading docs:

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Repairing+the+Windows+Vista+Bootloader

which anyway contain quite a bit of deceiving info :

But with Windows Vista and its new bootloader, things have become infinitely more complex. There are a lot of files that need to be restored, tons of data that needs to be recreated, and a lot of configuration that needs to be set up just to get Windows Vista to boot. And if you're aiming to dual-boot, it's that much harder.

There are currently two ways of repairing the Windows Vista bootloader:

The above is - to say the least - inaccurate, in your case there is NO damage whatsoever to the Vista files/structure, and all is needed is to restore the Vista bootsector CODE.

Another app capable of doing this is RMBootSect.:

http://sites.google.com/site/rmprepusb/documents/release-2-0

What you need to know is that you are not in a condition of "catastrophic failure" and you need NOT to take the whole set of steps listed in the mentioned page, you ONLY need to run bootsect.exe (or similar tool) to restore the Vista bootsector that was overwritten by the XP install, then, if an entry for XP is not automatically added, add it manually.

jaclaz

[esecallum]

thanks for all your detailed help jaclaz.

i downloaded bcd 1.7.2 and followed the steps here :-

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm?page=4

and will boot now although it seems even slower then before with frequent lockups even although all tweaks ,etc have been tried.

it is clearly worst os ever.

the hard drive does have a recovery partition d: and i was wandering if it would be possible to restore a fresh copy of vista from d: to c:

as my son has downloaded hundreds of games and probably buggered it as when it was fresh it was not as bad as this.

any idea how i can use the 12gb recovery partition to fix vista and make it fresh?

Edited May 16, 2011 by esecallum

[submix8c]

Sadly, by installing XP on the 2nd HDD while the Vista HDD was still hooked up you probably hosed the OEM Restore Master Boot Record on the Vista (1st) HDD, which is a "special" one for pressing a certain Function Key for the Restore From Recovery Partition. There's an extremely long topic (and Vista was the OS on a Notebook AFAIKR) that jaclaz tried to assist on. Do a search on that to see what I mean. Maybe (maybe only), depending on the type Recovery Image, you might (might only) be able to "restore".

Edited May 16, 2011 by submix8c

[esecallum]

it is a compaq computer and i wonder if this will work?

http://www.ehow.com/how_7299027_use-compaq-recovery-partition.html

[submix8c]

Probably not. What Model is the Compaq? (specify please)

Again, the MBR is probably "hosed" so the F11 (or whatever it SHOULD be) functionality is gone. If you can get Vista to boot, chances are the Option may already be in the "All Programs" Menus somewhere. Look for it and try it there. You may get lucky and it will also "restore" the MBR. This forum (and the internet) is rife with folks that make the same mistake you (probably) made.

Here's a relevant (and lengthy) topic (an HP) describing in detail what the effect is.

Edited May 16, 2011 by submix8c

[jaclaz]

I am afraid that since Compaq==HP, they use the same stoopid recovery partition system.

BTW, you initially said it was an HP, now it has become a Compaq?

Of course you didn't create the recovery CD's/DVD (you know the ones you have been nagged about a few times when the pc was new and you decided to ignore and then checked the little box "never remind me again"?) .

Maybe we can try again with the HP tools.

Do as submix8c suggestred, review the "long" thread, you will get an idea of what is needed/involved in the attempt.

jaclaz

[esecallum]

i have a another idea.

if i can recover the product key and activation key from my existing home vista by using software like joshua product key then could i not borrow somebody else home vista installation cd and install from that and then use the recovered activation key from MY home vista?

remember i purchased this already but the pc maker did not supply me with vista install discs.

[submix8c]

One more time...

WHAT is the PC? HP or Compaq?

WHAT is the exact HP/Compaq Model?

Did you even read the thread?

Whether what you propose works or not, you will NOT have a "Recovered" Vista (as the OEM intended), but a REPLACED Vista, which will NOT fix the problem. You'll still have a hosed MBR (now overwritten with a Vista MBR instead of an XP one, NOT an OEM one) and a "hanging" "Recovery Partition" (forever useless). In addition, what about Drivers (supplied in the Recovery). Lastly, I'm not so sure that you can use ANY Vista CD/DVD to install with an OEM key.

You have made a common mistake made by those that purchase OEM PC's with "Recovery Partitions" - install an OS and wipe the "special MBR".

If you'll be so kind as to supply the requested information, there MAY (or may not) be some salvation. Please don't be so stubborn.

[esecallum]

One more time...

WHAT is the PC? HP or Compaq?

WHAT is the exact HP/Compaq Model?

Did you even read the thread?

Whether what you propose works or not, you will NOT have a "Recovered" Vista (as the OEM intended), but a REPLACED Vista, which will NOT fix the problem. You'll still have a hosed MBR (now overwritten with a Vista MBR instead of an XP one, NOT an OEM one) and a "hanging" "Recovery Partition" (forever useless). In addition, what about Drivers (supplied in the Recovery). Lastly, I'm not so sure that you can use ANY Vista CD/DVD to install with an OEM key.

You have made a common mistake made by those that purchase OEM PC's with "Recovery Partitions" - install an OS and wipe the "special MBR".

If you'll be so kind as to supply the requested information, there MAY (or may not) be some salvation. Please don't be so stubborn.

it is a intel celeron duo core compaq computer but has various HP software preinstalled on it .

no model number anywhere.seems run of the mill.bought from pc world.

home vista premium.

i have the activation key,product id and pid number now.

surely i could delete the existing vista which is virtually useless as even the simplest task takes forever and install vista home premium either from a friends cd or even download it but as i have paid for it already and using the existing vista activation key it should work ans i would be above board.

the recovery partition you say has drivers but surely vista cd come with generic drivers anyway.

[submix8c]

it is a intel celeron duo core compaq computer but has various HP software preinstalled on it .

no model number anywhere.seems run of the mill.bought from pc world.

home vista premium.

i have the activation key,product id and pid number now.

surely i could delete the existing vista which is virtually useless as even the simplest task takes forever and install vista home premium either from a friends cd or even download it but as i have paid for it already and using the existing vista activation key it should work ans i would be above board.

the recovery partition you say has drivers but surely vista cd come with generic drivers anyway.

A "box" bought from "PC World" that's a Compaq with no markings whatsoever - very odd!!! Does it actually SAY "Compaq on the Tower? If so there SHOULD be a Sticker on the Back telling the Specific Model and what's called a BOM-ID (Bill OF Material), along with a Serial Number. I have NEVER seen an HP/Compaq that didn't have this (and have 5 of them sitting here next to me)!!!

Now, as for the "Drivers", Vista was/is infamous for NOT having all of the drivers on the "Install CD" so don't bet on it!

There's no such thing as a ("useful") "activation key,product id and pid number". There exists one thing and one thing only - a Product Key (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx) both the OEM "Internal" one and the one specifically on the COA (a sticker either ON THE PC or IN THE DVD SLEEVE). Anything else is BOGUS!

Finally, barring anything else INSIDE the Tower is a MotherBoard that WILL have a stamp on it saying exactly WHAT it is. These MoBos are OEM-specific and if that PC as as new as you claim (core 2 duo) then there MUST be some specific documentation on the HP website.

Again, anything else is BOGUS and you may have been HAD!