[engresults]

received error reading disk after completing install of xp with pre-installed vista using step by step instructions from VISTABOOTPRO GUIDE. very new at loading os in general and now cant bring up vista. thanks for any help.

[NT50]

Will XP boot?

[engresults]

no, system will reboot and then stops at "error reading disk". I assume there is someway to for it to boot into windows, but I do not understand how to make this happen.

[engresults]

to further clearify I loaded vista 64, found out a graphics program would not run on vista, too dated, so I read up on setting up a dual boot. what I then understood was that I needed to unintall vista, until I ran across vistabootpro.org and review the instructions to preform a dual boot w/vista, got down to the step after installing xp and could not proceed due to "error reading disk".

[engresults]

it never seems to fail, no matter how simple something is made to seem, the situation more than likely become more entangled than ever before. I am not even upset at this point, because I should know this to be the case. I expect I will know quite alot by the time I straighten this mess out, providing I do not give up and take to a shop to clear the problem.

[NT50]

do you have a Vista DVD that came with your system?

if so, then boot to it and do a startup repair.

If not, then can you get one?

If not then try to reinstall XP on the partition again,

[yeshuas]

He may need to hit F6 during the installing of XP to load SATA/Raid drivers for the motherboard too.

[engresults]

yes, I have dvd for both vista64 and xp64, I custom built this system so I have drviers for mobo as well, I was really hoping for a clean install of vista and xp, I do not have any data that I am trying to save. I would like to wipe the drive (intel ssd) clean and start over, however that is easier said than done.

[yeshuas]

yes, I have dvd for both vista64 and xp64, I custom built this system so I have drviers for mobo as well, I was really hoping for a clean install of vista and xp, I do not have any data that I am trying to save. I would like to wipe the drive (intel ssd) clean and start over, however that is easier said than done.

If you are wanting a clean install of both, I would load XP first, using it to partition the drive the sizes that you want, then using it to format only the partition that is going to have XP 64 on it, and of course name the partition something to distinquish it from the other one.

Then when you are ready to load Vista use its disk to format and install Vista X64 to the other partition. It will create a dual boot menu for you at that time.

[engresults]

okay, that worked. thanks for your help.