Hide Vista partition(s) from Windows XP - Fix for System Restore Point Corruption!

[Computer Guru]

One of the most common questions I've seen asked here is if it's
possible to hide the Windows Vista partition from Windows XP
installations because of the bug where Windows XP will delete the
system restore points for all Vista installs on that machine if it
sees the drive [1]. One solution is to use Bitlocker drive encryption
which rarely works and another is to use 3rd party paid products like
PQBoot or Acronis OS Selector - none of which are very compatible nor
free; and tend to create more problems than they solve.

Here is another solution which uses the 100% free EasyBCD and the
NeoGrub component - unlike other options, these were built for,
around, and on Windows Vista, so compatibility is a non-issue.

You can use NeoGrub to boot into multiple Windows XP installations and
hide all Vista installs in the progress as well; circumventing the
system restore bug entirely.

These are the detailed step-by-step instructions:
http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/hide-vista-partition-from-xp/

EasyBCD can be downloaded for free from http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
NeoGrub Documentation (WIP): http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/NeoGrub

Hope this helps!

[1]: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185

-Computer Guru
http://neosmart.net/

 

[Chad Harris]

This is a nice tip in the tools to protect the Vista restore points when you
boot to another OS on the same box, however...

One of the things that has perplexed me as to this issue is why the hell
people need to boot to their XP desktop much at all, since one can create a
two click shortcut in seconds from the Vista desktop to the XP desktop
accessing everything on XP except Outlook Express. They can copy any OE
folders or messages to the Vista desktop once they do boot to XP. They can
easily merge their XP Outlook with Vista Outlook.

To access the XP desktop or using the same method anywhere else on Win XP
except OE:

XP Drive as labled from Vista:\Documents and Settings\User's profile on
XP\Desktop (or whatever other location you need's filepath)

CH

 

[babaloo]

These are good suggestions.
It might be even simpler if Microsoft just allowed you to specify where the
system restore files are saved so they are not seen by XP. I presume one can
manually do this, or write a simple batch file that will do it on closing.
That one would have to resort to any of this tells you all you need to know
about programming decisions at Microsoft. If security was really a concern
in the creation of Vista this idiot bug could not have been overlooked.
What self-serving weanies.
Booting to the XP desktop from Vista is not a solution for the millions of
us for whom Vista simply does not work adequately for performing real,
everyday tasks as opposed to endless twiddling with a defective operating
system.

 

[Computer Guru]

These are good suggestions.
It might be even simpler if Microsoft just allowed you to specify where the
system restore files are saved so they are not seen by XP. I presume one can
manually do this, or write a simple batch file that will do it on closing.
That one would have to resort to any of this tells you all you need to know
about programming decisions at Microsoft. If security was really a concern
in the creation of Vista this idiot bug could not have been overlooked.
What self-serving weanies.
Booting to the XP desktop from Vista is not a solution for the millions of
us for whom Vista simply does not work adequately for performing real,
everyday tasks as opposed to endless twiddling with a defective operating
system.

Actually what would be best if Microsoft just patched the damn bug
already!
How difficult can it be?

"IF systemrestorefiles.osversion.major = 6 THEN DON'T DELETE IT!"

Well, you get the picture. Even if it needs a hotfix to Vista to make
it add an identifying mark that says "this was made in vista" and
another hotfix in XP that checks if it was made in Vista or not, it
would still be worth it - and not dificult.

 

[Tiberius]

its good to see some people pop in here who know what they are doing.

Usually this newsgroup is plagued by computer illiterate vistaboys that
claim to know stuff.

 

[Frank]

its good to see some people pop in here who know what they are doing.

Usually this newsgroup is plagued by computer illiterate vistaboys that
claim to know stuff.

You're referring to yourself of course. Good to hear you admit your
ignorance of computers and in particular vista.
Thanks for finally coming clean.
Frank

 

[JCO]

Personally, I would insert a Harddrive Cradle on the front of the computer
so that you can simply turn one HD off and the other on. That way you
simply change the OS by switching harddrives. Its so simple and safe.
Cradles work great because you can easily keep 2 or 3 Harddrives plugged
into the computer at all times. Then you have a switch that turns power to
the HD on or off.

Simple click of the switch does it all.

 

[Chad Harris]

You can't manually do this babaloo. Much has been written about this on this
group from MSFT and from some good users and they have done it well. The
reason MSFT didn't change this is that it wasn't very feasible for them to
back port to get it done, and they felt that not that many people would dual
boot relative to the number of users they had. I disagree because I find
dual booting very useful when I have cultivated files and settings on a
prior OS for 6 years and always want to have it available without copying
them.

If you want a good explanation for what is going on here, I refer you to Dan
Stevenson's article on Jill Zoeller's blog. Dan works directly with the
System Restore Team and others closely related to it.

How restore points and other recovery features in Windows Vista are affected
when you dual-boot with Windows XP
http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/archive/2006/07/14/441829.aspx

What’s wrong with my System Protection?
http://tanveerbadar.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/whats-wrong-with-my-system-protection/

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

I don't know how difficult it could be. I'm not a developer working with
this at MSFT. We asked them to fix it several times and had direct chat
discussions with them during the Beta, and they said they didn't consider
it worth the time, and they didn't have enough time. You could post a
comment directly to them on Jill Zoeller's blog if you sign in:

How restore points and other recovery features in Windows Vista are affected
when you dual-boot with Windows XP

http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/archive/2006/07/14/441829.aspx

Directly from Dan Stevenson who works with this at MSFt:

"Why this fix is not trivial for Windows XP: Backporting volsnap.sys to
Windows XP would require significant development and testing time. The
entire Volume Shadowcopy Service (VSS) subsystem in Windows Server 2003,
Windows Vista, and Windows Server "Longhorn" would need to be backported to
Windows XP and would likely break a number of third-party backup
applications that rely on the current version of volsnap.sys in Windows XP.

The workaround: To avoid losing Windows Vista shadow copies on a disk that
you don't need to access from Windows XP, disconnect or power off the disk
prior to booting to Windows XP."

I believe that a large component of their decision not to backport was that
given the time it would take, they didn't feel it would impact enough people
who dual boot. I'm not in agreement with this, and think it should have
been fixed. But I also have dual booted through about 20 builds of Vista
beta and using the shortcuts I put on my Vista desktop to XP, or just
quickly typing in the filepath, it hasn't been any problem for me.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi JCO--

Not a bad idea at all in this and other situations, but I haven't felt any
impact of this phenomenon because I simply shortcut to XP from the Vista
desktop on a dual boot and that saves me time copying anything and also
considerable space on my Vista drive.

CH

Personally, I would insert a Harddrive Cradle on the front of the computer
so that you can simply turn one HD off and the other on. That way you
simply change the OS by switching harddrives. Its so simple and safe.
Cradles work great because you can easily keep 2 or 3 Harddrives plugged
into the computer at all times. Then you have a switch that turns power
to the HD on or off.

Simple click of the switch does it all.

One of the most common questions I've seen asked here is if it's
possible to hide the Windows Vista partition from Windows XP
installations because of the bug where Windows XP will delete the
system restore points for all Vista installs on that machine if it
sees the drive [1]. One solution is to use Bitlocker drive encryption
which rarely works and another is to use 3rd party paid products like
PQBoot or Acronis OS Selector - none of which are very compatible nor
free; and tend to create more problems than they solve.

Here is another solution which uses the 100% free EasyBCD and the
NeoGrub component - unlike other options, these were built for,
around, and on Windows Vista, so compatibility is a non-issue.

You can use NeoGrub to boot into multiple Windows XP installations and
hide all Vista installs in the progress as well; circumventing the
system restore bug entirely.

These are the detailed step-by-step instructions:
http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/hide-vista-partition-from-xp/

EasyBCD can be downloaded for free from http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
NeoGrub Documentation (WIP):
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/NeoGrub

Hope this helps!

[1]: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185

-Computer Guru
http://neosmart.net/

 

[JCO]

I understand!
But for those that want to use both systems, I'm simply giving them another
option to the Dual Boot concept on a single harddrive (which can cause all
sorts of issues).

Hi JCO--

Not a bad idea at all in this and other situations, but I haven't felt any
impact of this phenomenon because I simply shortcut to XP from the Vista
desktop on a dual boot and that saves me time copying anything and also
considerable space on my Vista drive.

CH

Personally, I would insert a Harddrive Cradle on the front of the
computer so that you can simply turn one HD off and the other on. That
way you simply change the OS by switching harddrives. Its so simple and
safe. Cradles work great because you can easily keep 2 or 3 Harddrives
plugged into the computer at all times. Then you have a switch that
turns power to the HD on or off.

Simple click of the switch does it all.

One of the most common questions I've seen asked here is if it's
possible to hide the Windows Vista partition from Windows XP
installations because of the bug where Windows XP will delete the
system restore points for all Vista installs on that machine if it
sees the drive [1]. One solution is to use Bitlocker drive encryption
which rarely works and another is to use 3rd party paid products like
PQBoot or Acronis OS Selector - none of which are very compatible nor
free; and tend to create more problems than they solve.

Here is another solution which uses the 100% free EasyBCD and the
NeoGrub component - unlike other options, these were built for,
around, and on Windows Vista, so compatibility is a non-issue.

You can use NeoGrub to boot into multiple Windows XP installations and
hide all Vista installs in the progress as well; circumventing the
system restore bug entirely.

These are the detailed step-by-step instructions:
http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/hide-vista-partition-from-xp/

EasyBCD can be downloaded for free from http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
NeoGrub Documentation (WIP):
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/NeoGrub

Hope this helps!

[1]: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185

-Computer Guru
http://neosmart.net/