RobMk6 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Excuse if this is poorly written but i'm annoyed, frustrated and bloody tired, needed to run a program that only works with xp and i'm running vista, so decided to install xp or a partition on my hd. Now i cant get my normal os to boot, always always boots up on the xp, does not even give me a choice, going into the bios is no help either as it only shows my hd once. I can still access the partition/folder that vista is on but just cant boot it. i done this a few years back and never had a problem. Can anybody help me rescue my system and guide me through how i install a dual boot without resorting to killing things. Been trying to figure it out for 4 hours:( Its a laptop, Fujitsu siemens, amilo pi52 somethin or 25 somethin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottg17 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 You will probably need to 1st format the xp partition so itll give you a clean slate for trying again, then try booting to vistaIf it works then all goodChances are you may have damaged the master boot record in vista if it doesn't bootyoull need to get a vista CD goto system recovery from the setup disc and look here about fixing the MBR http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 STOP! Edit your boot.ini file.... Or go into advanced properties in my computer.. as you can do it in there under startup options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottg17 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) i thought vista didnt have a boot.ini file, was it not called somthing else? or maybe im thinking of somthing differentare you thinking about the drop down for default OS?? Edited March 3, 2011 by scottg17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eetaylog Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 As above, or Start -> Run -> msconfig -> Click BOOT.INI Theres a popup window for editing the boot.ini file and is a bit safer than doing it manually in notepad. MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR BOOT.INI FIRST THOUGH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveB Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Stu's method is safest. From the System control panel click Advanced, then Startup and recovery settings. Either enable display list of options, or change to Vista as the default whichever you prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caled Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Ah wow, dual booting vista and xp. This takes me back You can do the above, or you can do what Microsoft says you should do when you install XP over Vista... Microsoft Clicky Basically, you've overwritten the master boot record to point at XP, rather than the Vista installation. If you had done it the other way round, Vista would have noticed XP was there and created a menu for it. You now need to reinstate the Vista bootloader.Then you will be able to boot back in to Vista, once there you then need to tell it that XP has appeared, and to make a little menu so you can choose which OS to boot into when you start up. Simples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCCORNY11 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 were you not able to use the combatabilty modes to run the program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMk6 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Caled, can you write in here what microsoft say to do, as i can only use my phone for internet now. As for the advanced properties and drop down list, Theres only xp listed. Its doin my head in now Hit f8 and got into the boot choices menu and again only xp is listed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMk6 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Ah wow, dual booting vista and xp. This takes me back You can do the above, or you can do what Microsoft says you should do when you install XP over Vista... Microsoft Clicky Basically, you've overwritten the master boot record to point at XP, rather than the Vista installation. If you had done it the other way round, Vista would have noticed XP was there and created a menu for it. You now need to reinstate the Vista bootloader.Then you will be able to boot back in to Vista, once there you then need to tell it that XP has appeared, and to make a little menu so you can choose which OS to boot into when you start up. Simples. Managed to get online with XP, Followed the link and cat get passed this point: Use Bootsect.exe to restore the Windows Vista MBR and the boot code that transfers control to the Windows Boot Manager program. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt: Drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All In this command, Drive is the drive where the Windows Vista installation media is located. Keeps telling me cannot find the path specified Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeWee Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Ah wow, dual booting vista and xp. This takes me back You can do the above, or you can do what Microsoft says you should do when you install XP over Vista... Microsoft Clicky Basically, you've overwritten the master boot record to point at XP, rather than the Vista installation. If you had done it the other way round, Vista would have noticed XP was there and created a menu for it. You now need to reinstate the Vista bootloader.Then you will be able to boot back in to Vista, once there you then need to tell it that XP has appeared, and to make a little menu so you can choose which OS to boot into when you start up. Simples. Managed to get online with XP, Followed the link and cat get passed this point: Use Bootsect.exe to restore the Windows Vista MBR and the boot code that transfers control to the Windows Boot Manager program. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt: Drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All In this command, Drive is the drive where the Windows Vista installation media is located. Keeps telling me cannot find the path specified You're not typing drive are you? Substitute that for Cexample:C:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMk6 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Pete..... honestly? seriously, I'm not that thick Seems as soon as I got online using XP I managed to figure a way to do it well find a way rather..... This helped.... A LOT!!!! That link did the bloody lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeWee Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Pete..... honestly? seriously, I'm not that thick Seems as soon as I got online using XP I managed to figure a way to do it well find a way rather..... This helped.... A LOT!!!! That link did the bloody lot Rob mate having spoke to you on many occassions in the last few years I considered the possibility you might have yes lol.Engines yes your a godsend but computers, well, what can I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithyandco Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If compatibility mode didn't work... VMware with XP install... As long as it's not a game your running you'd be fine. And before you say £400 for VMware... That little "u" icon in your task tray might help you there... Saves rebooting to gain access to different OS's, saves cocking up partitions and MBRs and means you can fanny around with different OS safely... like Linux, Win 7 etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 VMWare Server is free without requiring piracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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