Windows Vista: Strange dual boot problem
Strange dual boot problem
by HowardFox - 10/28/08 7:32 PMInfo: Vista Home Premium 64bit preloaded on new computer. Works OK but not great. Added a hard drive, disconnected Vista drive temporarily while installing XP Pro on new drive. After XP install, reconnected Vista drive, booted with Vista DVD, fixed up MBR and boot loader, then rebooted into Vista. Used EasyBCD to setup dual boot menu and restarted again. Boot menu appeared, selected Vista and started up. Everything good.
Problem: System will only show boot menu immediately after booting from Vista DVD and MBR, etc., is fixed up. Otherwise, no boot menu and XP starts automatically. Not good. Booting from Vista DVD with fixup and a restart works every time but only once each time. What is hosing the boot loader between restarts?
Please advise. TIA.
That's not a proper dual boot install.
by R. Proffitt
- 10/29/08 5:59 AM
In reply to: Strange dual boot problem by HowardFox
All versions of windows do not survive moving drives around like that. We have a long discussion of dual booting this OS and the method you wrote about should fail. What to do? Go try again and use the methods others use.
I can't explain why Microsoft XP tinkers with the MBR or if you installed Norton or another software that actively protects the MBR. It really doesn't matter since we can't rewire XP to do what it does. What we can do is to duplicate what others have done.
Bob
I see the writing on the wall...
by HowardFox - 10/29/08 6:39 PM In reply to: That's not a proper dual boot install. by R. Proffitt
You bring up a good question. I've setup the same dual boot scenario on other computers and it's always worked, BUT this was the first time I felt it was necessary to disconnect the Vista drive and it was because the first time through, I could not get drive letters to work out correctly. (In other dual boots that I've done I've never had a problem getting both OSes to boot as the C drive) This is also the first time that I've tried this on a computer that runs Norton ISS. I'm getting the feeling that Norton, with the first setup, prevented the Vista boot loader from modifying drive letters as necessary which got me going down the new setup path. I think it's time to start over and I'll first uninstall Norton before proceeding.
Tell us about the drives...
by John.Wilkinson - 10/29/08 9:32 AM
In reply to: Strange dual boot problem by HowardFox
While I question what you mean by "fixed up MBR and boot loader," there are two potential complications that can result from you disconnecting the Vista drive while installing XP:
1.) Check the hard drive priority in the system BIOS and ensure the Vista drive is first...at this point both have their own boot partitions on separate drives, so booting to the Vista drive will give you the option while booting to the XP drive will only boot XP. Also, if these are PATA drives be sure to check the master/slave jumper.
2.) Did you run EasyBCD from within Vista or XP? This goes directly to my previous point...which ever drive you modified using it is the one you must boot from.
John
Additional info for dual boot problem
by HowardFox - 10/29/08 6:23 PM In reply to: Tell us about the drives... by John.Wilkinson
Thanks for the response, John,
Both drives are SATA. By "fixed up the MBR and boot loader..." I mean that I ran the two commands: 'bootrec /fixMBR' and 'bootrec /fixBoot' on the Vista drive. Immediately after these commands are executed and the computer is restarted, the boot menu appears as it should, and I can boot either OS. The boot menu will not reappear, however, after the computer is restarted again, and XP boots automatically. EasyBCD is designed to be run only from Vista so that is the drive that is modified by it's actions. I haven't checked for certain, but I'm 99% positive that the Vista drive was and still is the "first" drive in the system. This is determined by the SATA port to which each drive is connected, as far as I know (I've been out of town and haven't actually looked at the BIOS setup). I have found some information on the EasyBCD web help pages that mentions that disconnecting the Vista drive prior to XP installation on the other drive, which is what I did, is not recommended. Unfortunately, it doesn't go much past that, so I don't know if I should just start all over with the XP install or continue to find advice that might help me fix up the appropriate boot records and boot manager files to get it working properly???
Thanks again,
Al
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