dual boot, failed help needed

If you want to avoid hassle of Boot Manager, get a second drive and use BIOS Boot Manager. It really much safer and more like two individual computer.

If interested:

You plug only one drive, install Windows on it and when all done and booting fine, unplug it and plug the other one and install the other Windows and repeat the procedure.

Once all installed, just plug them all and use the BIOS when booting for choice of booting.

I have 3 HDD where two are in RAID-0 and the other one is Server 2003. Work really great.

No one know the other exist, can reinstall one without possible BootManager corruption.

Please note there is possible a solution for your specific problem but I do prefer that solution.

Good luck.

i had the similar issue when i installed windows xp on a comp that already had vista for a friend of mine. it seems that vista and xp boot.ini files get messed up. somewhere on the forums, i forgot where, i came by a solution. on the already preinstalled vista system, you need to create a partition for xp, then install vista on that partition. reboot the comp and you will boot into the xp, but you won't be able to boot into vista. to fix this simply put the vista installation disk into the drive ( this was done with the recovery disk in the Gateway system where i did this) and when it gives you some options whether to reintall vista or do some other recovery type crap, you need to select to fix the boot.ini in one of the options. then it will restore the vista boot.ini and next time you reboot, the dual boot will work. that's how i did it and it worked. i will try to find the links with some screenshots, but it's been a couple of months...

remember NOT to choose reformat and reinstall vista in that menu, cause that will not fix anything. you need to choose the fix boot.ini option.

hope this helps

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot [...] _guide.htm

here is the link.

http://www.pronetworks.org/forum/about88231.html
and here is another link. i tried the first one and it worked for me.

Umm, did you reformat and delete the partions on that drive when you tried to install the second OS? If so, theres your problem. You may be deleting the 1st OS and its not there to be seen.

Dont reformat or delete any partions when you go to install the second OS. This will keep the 1st OS in tact and it should be in your dual boot menu when you restart.

A second hard drive would be good for you to simplify the installation. In that case you would reformat and partion the drive each time you install the OS. It will give you a dual boot menu afterwards.

You could install one OS on one hard drive. Move your important files you want to save to it and then use the second hard drive for the 2nd OS.

Use microsofts free backup software, called synctoy. You can create relationships between the to folders on each hard drive and make a backup using both drives with an OS on each drive so you dont have to buy a 3rd hard drive to do this.

Hopefully Im understanding what you said you did correctly to give you a good answer...

Ok, what I was trying to ask was this:

After you reformatted and installed Vista, you installed XP. Did you try to delete and reformat the hard drive when you installed XP after you had already installed Vista?

As a rule of thumb, you should always install the eldest version of windows first.
XP should be installed first and then vista.
It's how it's always been for the other windows.

In your case I would suggest giving GRUB a try.
It's a free software program.
It may be too complicated for windows people who consider themselves computer gurus, but it should work.

In any case, brace for the worst.
You may lose OS's when dealing with that kind of junk.

A second HDD is a lot easier...

hey TheDraac, that's how i did it the second time(im on the third try) after installing vista, when i was rebooting, there was no xp in the menu, only vista and recovery(i thought ill need it later to back up my files easliy) i just ignored it when installing OS.

also there is no right way, i know it is easier to install xp first, but both ways works, as many people said

LoneEagle gave you a simple solution that is also foolproof. I'd listen to him.

However, if you really want to persist in this foolish endeavor, I'd google bcdedit.exe and learn the hard way that LoneEagle was right...

There are a numbr of aftermarket bootmanagers, but you have to pay for them... I know how you feel about paying.

great, i just fixed boot files for the vista, and i cant boot to xp, same exact screen as i got for the last time..
come on somebody come up with the solution please.
theres my hardware spec for this pc if you need it. in my signiture

I had xp installed and then I installed vista. while I was using 2 drives I experienced zero problems.

are you using the upgrade method or the clean install method to install vista? I had an upgrade disk so I upgraded to an new drive, but it kept my files intact. you might want to try the same thing. to clarify c:\ is my xp drive and e:\ is my vista drive (d:\ was all ready taken as backup )

also in case it helps I have ubuntu 8.04 dual booted with vista on my notebook and it works great so I would give Grub a try if nothing else works.

1. install XP
2. tell vista to upgrade xp but set the install location to the other disk
3. test it out