dual boot XP - Seven invalid boot.ini

[Zollex]

I had a dual boot between 98 and WinXP ... I then put Seven 32-bit in a second disk. Strangely, I was able to run the dual boot. I then made ​​a copy of the disk with XP using Acronis. I then restored everything (including MBR) yesterday. But now I can not get into XP. He says "invalid boot.ini" or "ntldr is missing". I tried to fix it with EasyBCD but I do not know what to do. I tried the restore disks with XP and Seven, but nothing. There is a safe method?

[Ponch]

Did you then have a "triple boot" (7, XP & 98) ? Or a dual boot (7 & (XP/98)) leading to a dual boot (XP & 98)? Or were you changing disk order in Bios to boot Win7 ?

[Zollex]

I think like this

[jaclaz]

The only flaw in your line of reasoning being that BOOT.INI belongs to the NT family of OS, XP in this case.

A "normal" 98 booting:

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking io.sys)->IO.SYS-> Win98

A "normal" XP booting:

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR Invoking NTLDR->BOOT.INI->Implied Choice->NTDETECT.COM->XP

A "normal" XP+98 dual booting

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR Invoking NTLDR->BOOT.INI->XP Choice->NTDETECT.COM->XP

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR Invoking NTLDR->BOOT.INI->98 Choice->Copy of previous PBR invoking io.sys->IO.SYS ->98

A "normal" 7:

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->Implied Choice->7 on first disk

A "normal" 7 on second disk:

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->Implied Choice->7 on second disk

A "normal" 7 on second disk + XP on first disk:

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->Implied Choice->7 on second disk

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->"Legacy" Choice->BOOT.INI->Implied Choice->NTDETECT.COM->XP

A "normal" 7 on second disk + XP on first disk +98 on first disk:

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->Implied Choice->7 on second disk

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->"Legacy" Choice->BOOT.INI->XP Choice->NTDETECT.COM->XP

BIOS->MBR of first disk->Active partition PBR (invoking BOOTMGR)->BOOTMGR->\boot\BCD->"Legacy" Choice->BOOT.INI->98 Choice->Copy of previous PBR invoking io.sys->IO.SYS ->98

Which EXACT error are you getting?

Set your Explorer to show hidden and system files.

Do these files exist in root of Active partition on first disk ?:

1. NTLDR
   
2. NTDETECT.COM
   
3. BOOT.INI
   

IF BOOT.INI exists, open it in Notepad ad paste it's contents on your next post.

Open a command prompt in Windows 7.

In it run

BCDEDIT

[ENTER]

copy and paste the output on your next post.

jaclaz