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Dual booting windows 7 and vista problems


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#1
trnstar

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I installed windows 7 with vista and now vista won't boot. I used msconfig to try and make vista my defualt operating system, but its not listed. I think that my problem is similar to something like this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529 but that is only for earlier versions of windows. I would try it anyways except I lent my vista disk to a friend (so he could do a clean install on his laptop) and I would get it back for a few more days. I figured I would get on here and see if you guys had any suggestions that I can try until then in case that doesn't end up being the solution.

Thanks in advance!
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#2
Metallica

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Hi trnstar,

In the command prompt run:

bcdedit.exe >> C:\bootoptions.txt
That works if you run it while you are using Vista or Windows 7

Then find and post the content of C:\bootoptions.txt

Also if you can answer a few questions for me:
- was Windows 7 installed on a different partition or drive?
- is any of the Windows versions 64 bit?
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#3
trnstar

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Yes it is a seperate partition.
No neither is 64 bit, altho I had windows 7 64 bit installed before and decided to change it to 32 bit because of a compatibility issue. When I was running windows 7 in 64 bit it had been successfully dual booting with vista (whatever that means?!).


Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=H:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {6c2cfe92-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
nx OptIn

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=H:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {6c2cfe92-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
nx OptIn

Edited by trnstar, 27 March 2009 - 07:39 AM.

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#4
Metallica

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Too bad. Nothing left in there to identify the startup for Vista.
I assume it was installed on H: ?

If so, can you try how the result for this looks?

H:\Windows\System32\bcdedit.exe >> C:\bootoptions2.txt
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#5
trnstar

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actually the vista partition is identified as D in windows 7...

I ran it for D and this is what it came up with:


Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=H:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {6c2cfe92-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
nx OptIn

Edited by trnstar, 27 March 2009 - 07:53 AM.

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#6
Metallica

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Depending on your needs you can try VistaBootPro
which I know is able to access lost boot entries, but is no longer free.

Or you can try your luck with EasyBCD which I have never used, but is free.

Let us know if we can be of any assistance.
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#7
trnstar

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I'm not exactly sure how to use it but whatever I did didn't change anything. First I clicked the diagnostics center tab and clicked recreat missing/deleted boot files and it selected the appropriate drive but it said that the files were already created and didn't do anything. Under the view settings tab it originaly said there was only one entry for windows 7 so I clicked the add/remove tab to create a new one for vista and created it for drive D but under the entry settings it says its drive U everytime?? I rebooted to see if it worked anyways but it didn't change anything... sorry about the lousy punctuation, I'm not sure if everthing makes sense right now but I'm in a hurry and need to leave and I'll have to research this further when I get back.
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#8
Metallica

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I'll see if I can find out how to create a new boot entry.

See you when you get back. :)
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#9
trnstar

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I'm back now, I hope you are having more luck then I am! :)
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#10
Metallica

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I'm stuck on one thing and that is if we are allowed to fabricate a CLSID for the Vista boot entry.

I couldn't find any useful information on that.

But first I'd like you to download and unzip:
http://metallica.gee...tcontroller.zip
In the resulting BCDeditcontroller folder doubleclick bcdeditcontroller.exe
and use the "Create backup" button so we have something to go back to.

In the meantime I'll attempt to create a batch file that creates a new boot entry.

Let me know when you have the backup ready.
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#11
trnstar

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It successfully created the backup...
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#12
trnstar

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I think I should let you know your awesome for helping me with this! :)
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#13
Metallica

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Good. :)

Now cross your fingers and note how you can restore the backup with my program, should it be necessary.
In the dropdown box select the backup you just made and click "restore"
I guess you have to run the program as administrator in Windows 7. Is that what you are doing?

The same has to be done with the Command Prompt. Open a Command Prompt window with elevated privileges (right click Command Prompt and click Run as administrator from the shortcut menu).

Then copy & paste this command:

bcdedit.exe /create /d "My Windows Vista" /application osloader /device "partition=D:" /addlast

and ENTER to execute it.
Now before you reboot use the export settings button in my program and post the result.
If there is no entry for Vista, do NOT reboot and restore the backup as described above.

If the entry for Vista was created, reboot and see if it works if you select it in the boot menu when you reboot.
I'm off to bed now. I'll check back in the morning.

Good luck. :)
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#14
trnstar

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when I entered the command that you gave it said "The device entry type specified is not valid. Run "bcdedit /?" for command line assistance."

I went ahead and did the export settings and it said

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=H:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
displayorder {6c2cfe91-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {6c2cfe91-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {6c2cfe92-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6c2cfe90-1a4c-11de-9874-95c82701613d}
nx OptIn

so I'm gonna restore it again and wait for you to help again.

Edited by trnstar, 27 March 2009 - 04:43 PM.

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#15
Metallica

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Let me do some testing on my XP/Vista box.
I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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