[Grav!ty]

From the command prompt of Windows 7 DVD (you'll find it at the same place as the startup repair - select Repair your computer at the Install Now setup screen), run the following commands in the order given:

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd

This will first of all backup your BCD, then delete it and finally rebuild it.

If this fails then remember to keep ALL your drives plugged in (but remove ALL card drives, USB external drives and such), while you reinstall your operating systems otherwise you'll be back with this headache again. Also, avoid using third party disk partitioners and stick to the tools that come with the install disks.

[hawkdriver]

All steps were followed. Nothing changed. During the bcd rebuild process it only identified 1 windows instalation (windows7) plus the previous old windows7(old) . Also interesting, there is an error message during the repair attempt in the recovery mode asking if i have recently attached an mp3 or camera, and to remove it. It seems the boot loader is seeing my hard drives as usb or external drives. What I seem to need is a MBR repair utility (Microsoft original) to repair the mbr's for both disks or all partitions. Is there such a utility or way to do it that you know. I know Acronis disk director will do that, but you have advised me not to use such programs. It wont repair it but rather restore an image backup of the mbr. Years ago when I first worked to get vista to see an xp install I had a thumb drive hanging on the laptop. One day I pulled it out and all was ok. It sounds like the same thing is going on with the hard drives. Weeks ago I did try to restore images to the hard drives while they were on usb ports on an old pc downstairs. Perhaps that is why things are going wrong now. what think you. regards, hawkdriver

[Grav!ty]

The fact that you are booting to Windows 7 seems to indicate your mbr is fine. You can run bootrec /fixmbr from the command prompt of the Windows 7 DVD

When you format a drive using the Windows tools, your mbr is recreated. For some info on using diskpart on the Windows 7 DVD, see: using-diskpart-on-the-windows-7-dvd-t112571.html

There are mbr editors out there but I haven't seen one from Microsoft. Using them is not recommended as it requires a very specialized knowledge and an error will result in a disk being unusable and totally fubar.

Good luck and let us know how you get on sometime.

[hawkdriver]

Good morning; Here's an update/status report. I bought two new 750gb hd's and installed them. I used the Hp rocovery dvd and put the laptop back to "out of the box" state and reinstalled as much as I could. This is working fine for day to day useage. I wanted to restore XP on the first partition of the secondary disk and I am stll unable to boot from xp. The splash screen comes up,it tries to boot, and either a black screen appears,with a loud beep, or a blue screen comes up with an error message. I then tried to install a FRESH xp, and while I had to disable native sata support in the bios, and had limited useage missing a ton of drivers, it did install. I ran VBP and had the option to boot to xp. It occured to be that when I use my acronis images to restore os's, using the ones made prior to the system crash, windows7 was the last os to be installed. I pulled out the primary hd and put the secondary hd in its place and tried to boot. It showed vista rather than xp as a boot option, and when selected, it did not boot. From all of this I get the impression that I need to try to also put windows7 back on the primary hd (second) partition where it originally was installed. My question is that acronis also gives the option to restore mbr and track 0 on the hd also. When windows7 was originally installed, did it write to the mbr and track 0 of the disk? If so, then I can do a restore of mbr/track 0 with the image made of win7. The point of all this is to not have to go through a manual install of xp, load drivers, os updates,etc, etc. Fearing I will loose the current vista os, I can buy another 750gb hd and do all of this on it as an experiment, protecting what I have already created. I am assuming the problem is ok system files, ok drives, ok for all the files that need to be in place for booting, and that the issue(s) is with the mbr/track 0 sectors. Any thoughts. Thanks for your assistance, and have a good 4th of July. Hawkdrive, Jay

[Grav!ty]

It sounds like your problem has nothing at all to do with your mbr. To easily get a dual boot with XP and Windows 7, you need to first install XP and then install Windows 7 so that the new boot system recognizes the old and draws it into itself. Of course, one would need a "normal" Windows 7 installation disk as I'm inclined to think the factory version that comes with your system will ignore the XP installation.

Your problem is about having the boot system files of both operating systems where they belong...on the partition tagged (System) as per disk management. Check out these guides for some direction. They don't all refer directly to your issue but give all the information you need to get your dual boot working:

reformatted-and-reinstalled-xp-lost-boot-to-windows-7-t114759.html

install-windows-xp-in-dual-boot-with-pre-installed-windows-7-t112568.html

unplugged-xp-drive-for-vista-setup-can-t-dual-boot-to-xp-t84455.html (Vista and Windows 7 use the same boot system files)

dual-boot-trouble-shooting-guide-xp-windows-7-running-t112569.html

Good luck again and let us know how you get along.