Dual boot (XP and 7) question...

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Eli Apostolidi

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Aug 6, 2013
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10,510
Hi there! I had an XP 32 bit based PC, to which i recently added Win 7 Home Premium 64bit installed in a different Physical HDD, to make a dual boot system. Problem is only the old XP boots! Only way to get ot 7 is put Win7 CD in the dvdplayer, change the boot order from HDD to Optical and NOT hit akey when ask me if i want o boot from CD...
Is bootmanager's fault? Any idea how to fix this?
 
Solution
Hawkeye22


There should be in your bios. Some retail PC manufactures like dell, acer, gateway,..., can restrict their bios and remove or hide settings. A good motherboard should allow you to select which drive to boot from.

Also, if you prefer a boot menu when dual booting, then it's best to do as MidnightDistort said and leave all of your OS drives attached when installing a new OS. If you prefer to use your bios to select a boot drive, then remove all drives except the one you will be installing the OS onto then install remaining drives after the OS install.
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Eli Apostolidi

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Aug 6, 2013
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10,510
Thanks! I read this but my problem is that when pc starts, after the mobo screen, the question "which OS to choose" (7 or earler verdion of Wind) DOES NOT APPEAR. Instead it boots straight to XP....
That's why i was thinking tampering MBR with Easy BCD. But is this safe? Other solutions?
 
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Eli Apostolidi

Honorable
Aug 6, 2013
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10,510


You mean to enter BIOS everytime i start or restart PC? Even then, Bios only lists "Hard Disc" as number one priority- it doesn't specify WHICH hard disc (so i can choose)!
 
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Hawkeye22

Hawkeye22

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Feb 10, 2006
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Most bios's allow you to choose which hard drive is the boot drive. Also, you don't need to enter most bios's to do this as there will usually be a listing during post, something like F12-Boot which will take you to a quick boot menu and allow you to select the drive to boot from.

 
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MidnightDistort

MidnightDistort

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May 11, 2012
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I think your best bet is to reinstall Windows 7. Usually when dual booting the best procedure is to have both drives and i prefer partitioning as there won't be a conflict between which hard drive boots on (due to how you have the hard drives arranged on the motherboard) i think though if your computer automatically accesses XP when you have the second hard drive in that shows that it'll read XP and it shouldn't matter where you install Windows 7 long as your setup remains the same. Also if you installed Windows 7 first you might have a problem booting after installing XP. Xp should be installed first which it sounds like you might have done already.
 
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Hawkeye22

Hawkeye22

Glorious
Feb 10, 2006
11,442
1
49,065


There should be in your bios. Some retail PC manufactures like dell, acer, gateway,..., can restrict their bios and remove or hide settings. A good motherboard should allow you to select which drive to boot from.

Also, if you prefer a boot menu when dual booting, then it's best to do as MidnightDistort said and leave all of your OS drives attached when installing a new OS. If you prefer to use your bios to select a boot drive, then remove all drives except the one you will be installing the OS onto then install remaining drives after the OS install.
 
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Solution
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Eli Apostolidi

Honorable
Aug 6, 2013
12
0
10,510
Success! (keep your fingers crossed);).I entered Advanced Bios Settings and located s/thing called Hard Disc Priority. Win7 Disc was last so I put it 1st, saved with F10 and rebooted . Voilla! There was the menu asking which Windows I wanted to boot:bounce:
Strange thing is if I change again the priority to Xp drive first no menu appear... But it doesn't have to... For now, W7 disc is first so I can choose but I already find myself entering XP less and less...
 
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