can only boot into xp

[AMDX2]

I have 2 hard drives. Vista home premium sp1 64bit was installed on the
first and I just installed windows xp pro on the second drive.

now i can't get into vista anymore even when selecting that hard drive for
the boot drive in my bios. i only can boot into xp.

how do i fix that so i can boot in vista and then boot in xp when i want? my
hope is i want to get in bios and select boot menu then what drive i want or
have that option when i start the pc like from os choice menu that comes up
for some people on their systems when they dual boot.

thanks.

 

[Nepatsfan]

I have 2 hard drives. Vista home premium sp1 64bit was installed on the first
and I just installed windows xp pro on the second drive.

now i can't get into vista anymore even when selecting that hard drive for the
boot drive in my bios. i only can boot into xp.

how do i fix that so i can boot in vista and then boot in xp when i want? my
hope is i want to get in bios and select boot menu then what drive i want or
have that option when i start the pc like from os choice menu that comes up
for some people on their systems when they dual boot.

thanks.

You might want to see if this program helps with this issue.

VistaBootPRO 3.3
http://www.vistabootpro.org/

Install the program in XP.
Launch the program and click on System Bootloader.
Under System Bootloader Maintenance, select Windows Vista Bootloader.
Select All drives and hit the Install Bootloader button.
Restart and see if you can access Vista.

On a side note, here's an issue that you might want to consider addressing.

No restore points are available when you use Windows Vista or Windows Server
2008 in a dual-boot configuration together with an earlier Windows operating
system
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185/en-us

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Michael Jennings]

Here is a list of instructions for what Nepatsfan suggested:
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/install_windows_xp_on_machine_running_vista.htm

 

[AMDX2]

You might want to see if this program helps with this issue.

VistaBootPRO 3.3
http://www.vistabootpro.org/

Install the program in XP.
Launch the program and click on System Bootloader.
Under System Bootloader Maintenance, select Windows Vista Bootloader.
Select All drives and hit the Install Bootloader button.
Restart and see if you can access Vista.

On a side note, here's an issue that you might want to consider
addressing.

No restore points are available when you use Windows Vista or Windows
Server 2008 in a dual-boot configuration together with an earlier Windows
operating system
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185/en-us

Good luck

Nepatsfan

Yeah cept i aint about to loose the system restore feature and all this
seems way too complex for me. i just want to from within xp clear the boot
inof and then be able to boot into vista and have durring the boot a menu
that says vista and windows xp. i don't know if you can accomplish this all
from within xp. to clear the boot info and reboot having the vista boot menu
show vista and xp.

 

[Nepatsfan]

Yeah cept i aint about to loose the system restore feature and all this seems
way too complex for me. i just want to from within xp clear the boot inof and
then be able to boot into vista and have durring the boot a menu that says
vista and windows xp. i don't know if you can accomplish this all from within
xp. to clear the boot info and reboot having the vista boot menu show vista
and xp.

The usual method of creating a dual boot system is to install the older
operating system, in this case Windows XP, first and then install the newer OS,
Vista. That way, Vista's bootloader will take both operating systems into
account and present you with a menu when you start the computer where you can
choose which version of Windows you want to run. You did the exact opposite,
installed the older OS last. That's why you can't boot into Vista. XP wiped out
Vista's bootloader and replaced it with its own.

As for fixing your problem, you could boot from the Vista installation DVD and
select the 'Repair your computer' option. You'd have to ask someone in the Vista
newsgroup but I believe if you do that you'll lose the ability to boot into XP.
With that in mind, I suggested you try VistaBootPRO. Running VistaBootPRO from
within Windows XP is the easiest way to restore your ability to boot into Vista
and retain the option of booting into XP. Once you restore the Vista bootloader,
you'll see a menu at startup that gives you an option to boot into Vista or XP.

As for System Restore on Vista, I believe that when you get Vista up and running
again you'll find that any restore points that were created prior to installing
XP will be gone. You might want to ask for some clarification on the Vista
newsgroup but the only way I know of preventing that from happening on a dual
boot system is to hide the Vista installation from XP.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[AMDX2]

See thats the issue, i aiont gong to use that vistaboot thing since it
deletes system restore data, so thats out of the question.

 

[Doum]

See thats the issue, i aiont gong to use that vistaboot thing since it
deletes system restore data, so thats out of the question.

I don't think it's VistaBootPro that deletes restore points but it's the
fact that you run Vista with an older OS without hiding the Vista part
from the older OS. Your restore points in Vista are probably already
gone.

Doum

 

[Nepatsfan]

First off, I think you've misunderstood the point I was trying to make in my
earlier response. System Restore is a feature available in Windows Vista. I'm
getting the impression that you have it confused with some sort of system
recovery that many computer manufacturers provide to restore the computer's
operating system. The files for this recovery are usually stored on a hidden
partition. That's not what I'm talking about.

As Duom has already pointed out VistaBootPRO isn't the reason why you lose
restore points. The reason is pointed out in the Microsoft article I cited
earlier.

I see in the Vista General newsgroup you've tried fixing this problem using
bcdedit.exe. VistaBootPRO does the same thing as bcdedit.exe except it provides
a graphical interface as opposed to using the command prompt. As a matter of
fact, it allows you to change the timeout value and the text for the entries on
the boot menu on the "Manage OS Entries" tab.

Nepatsfan

 

[AMDX2]

First off, I think you've misunderstood the point I was trying to make in
my earlier response. System Restore is a feature available in Windows
Vista. I'm getting the impression that you have it confused with some sort
of system recovery that many computer manufacturers provide to restore the
computer's operating system. The files for this recovery are usually
stored on a hidden partition. That's not what I'm talking about.

As Duom has already pointed out VistaBootPRO isn't the reason why you lose
restore points. The reason is pointed out in the Microsoft article I cited
earlier.

I see in the Vista General newsgroup you've tried fixing this problem
using bcdedit.exe. VistaBootPRO does the same thing as bcdedit.exe except
it provides a graphical interface as opposed to using the command prompt.
As a matter of fact, it allows you to change the timeout value and the
text for the entries on the boot menu on the "Manage OS Entries" tab.

Nepatsfan

So by using the bcdedit I did the same thing as the Vista thing? lol.
I know what you mean by system restore, I know it's not the same as system
recovery which is a partition made for that. I just didn't/don't want to
loose that ability. XP does it too.

Since you said that Vista thing is the same as what I've already done is it
posisble or likely my Vista restore points are gone? Also you said it was
easier as it's a GUI based program so i'll like that much better and will
give it a go now.

When you loose the restore points, is that only the ones created before
using that Vista thing or does it mean forever thus rendering system restore
useless?

 

[AMDX2]

I don't think it's VistaBootPro that deletes restore points but it's the
fact that you run Vista with an older OS without hiding the Vista part
from the older OS. Your restore points in Vista are probably already
gone.

Doum

Yeah I know that vista app isn't the one that deletes. I was just saying is
all.

I don't know how to copy from dos.

 

[Nepatsfan]

So by using the bcdedit I did the same thing as the Vista thing? lol.
I know what you mean by system restore, I know it's not the same as system
recovery which is a partition made for that. I just didn't/don't want to loose
that ability. XP does it too.

Since you said that Vista thing is the same as what I've already done is it
posisble or likely my Vista restore points are gone? Also you said it was
easier as it's a GUI based program so i'll like that much better and will give
it a go now.

When you loose the restore points, is that only the ones created before using
that Vista thing or does it mean forever thus rendering system restore
useless?

Odds are that any restore points that were created in Vista were deleted the
first time you booted into Windows XP. You can check by booting Vista and
running System Restore. Here's what you'll probably see displayed.

Vista System Restore
http://home.comcast.net/~nepatsfan2005/VistaSR.jpg

If you're curious, click on where it says System Protection and create a restore
point. Restart your computer and boot into XP. Restart your computer again
except this time boot into Vista. Run System Restore. The restore point you just
created will be gone.

This will continue to happen any time you boot into XP. The only way I know to
prevent this from happening is to hide the drive where Vista is installed from
Windows XP. That's done by editing XP's registry as described in the Microsoft
article I cited earlier.

Nepatsfan

 

[AMDX2]

Odds are that any restore points that were created in Vista were deleted
the first time you booted into Windows XP. You can check by booting Vista
and running System Restore. Here's what you'll probably see displayed.

Vista System Restore
http://home.comcast.net/~nepatsfan2005/VistaSR.jpg

If you're curious, click on where it says System Protection and create a
restore point. Restart your computer and boot into XP. Restart your
computer again except this time boot into Vista. Run System Restore. The
restore point you just created will be gone.

This will continue to happen any time you boot into XP. The only way I
know to prevent this from happening is to hide the drive where Vista is
installed from Windows XP. That's done by editing XP's registry as
described in the Microsoft article I cited earlier.

Nepatsfan

Except I don't want to hide vista as it's on its own hard drive and i want
to have as much space as possible for downloads etc. So I can't hide the
vista hard drive.

So just by having xp means no longer will vista be able to system restore
anytime you boot in xp? that's a load of crap that it doesn't work anymore.
i totally am blown away and don't see how it's even possible when i bet you
linux wouldn't do any of this.

if by doing the install this way makes vista not work in restore anymore
then i'll be happy with using the bios boot option menu to do this and
select either hard drive. then at least i won't loose system restore.

or is there anyohter way so system restore aint broken?

 

[Nepatsfan]

Except I don't want to hide vista as it's on its own hard drive and i want to
have as much space as possible for downloads etc. So I can't hide the vista
hard drive.

So just by having xp means no longer will vista be able to system restore
anytime you boot in xp? that's a load of crap that it doesn't work anymore. i
totally am blown away and don't see how it's even possible when i bet you
linux wouldn't do any of this.

if by doing the install this way makes vista not work in restore anymore then
i'll be happy with using the bios boot option menu to do this and select
either hard drive. then at least i won't loose system restore.

or is there anyohter way so system restore aint broken?

You might want to ask about the issue with system restore in the Vista General
newsgroup. It's possible that someone there knows a method where you don't have
to hide the Vista drive from XP.

Good luck

Nepatsfan