[Grav!ty]

Well wehn you install Vista, be sure not to format the drive as the XP boot system files are now on the Raptor. Come to think of it, Vista will probably wrap those boot system files into a folder called Windows.old even if you don't format and you will lose your boot to XP.

This is what I was hoping to get you to avoid, but you can now either backup the files ntldr, NTDETECT.COM and boot.ini so that you can easily copy them to the Vista drive after you install Vista or you can change your boot HDD priority so that the XP drive is your system drive and reinstall XP and then install Vista.

[IsLNdbOi]

Yeah, I just opened the Raptor (It's the E drive in XP) and I see these files:

- A folder called "System Volume Information"
- boot.ini
- NTDETECT.com
- ntldr


I'm going to install Vista now and see what happens. I've backed the three files up. After Vista is installed, what do I do with them? I still want a boot menu to come up that will let me choose which OS to boot.

[IsLNdbOi]

Ok, just finished installing Vista. The boot menu is finally there. Let's me choose between an older version of windows or Vista. Now I have to find a way to change that older version of Windows to "Windows XP" in the menu.

[Grav!ty]

Well done IsLNdbOi. I'm glad that worked out ok for you

[IsLNdbOi]

Thanks! You've been very patient with all of this.

[StaticX]

Hey guys, kinda new here.

Well, i installed XP followed by Vista, but my boot menu jus wont automactically show up.

After i read up more in this thread, i tried to follow every single step carefully and fortunatly i got my boot menu working.

BUT i still cant access my XP even though i can go into Vista
here is the error msg i got(same as islndboi):

Windows failed to start. A recent hardward or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click "Repair your computer."

If you do not have this disc, contact yoru administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

File: \Boot\BCD

Status: 0Xc000000f

Info: An error occurred while attempting to read the boot configuration data.


Now the question is, how do i solve it ? Cant be reinstalling XP and Vista again right ?

Thanks

[StaticX]

Okay, after some reading up in this forum, i paste the 3 files(NTDECT, ntldr and boot.ini to my root of XP which is D:\

But when i choose to boot from XP, it jus restart my notebook.

Any idea what went wrong ?

[Grav!ty]

Copy and paste those three files to the drive/partition tagged "System" in Disk Management and make sure your boot.ini is pointing to the correct drive/partition

Once you've done that you will also need to install VistaBootPRO and from the System bootloader page, select Vista bootloader and All Drives, or run a startup repair by booting to your DVD and select Repair your computer at the Install now screen and then startup repair from the top of the menu that appears.

[StaticX]

Which part of the boot.ini.backup should i edit to pin point to my XP Pro ?

This is my code:

Code: Select all

[boot loader]
timeout=30
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


and my print screen of System mangement:

[Grav!ty]

Your boot.ini looks fine in relation to Disk Management. It should be named just boot.ini and not boot.ini.backup though. Do you have a boot.ini file? If not then copy and paste that text into notepad, and save as boot.ini and then place it on your "System" drive.