can't boot into XP after attempted Vista install

[okravetz2]

So I ordered the Vista Beta 2 DVD from M$. I have a spare HDD, so I
figured my info was safe.
Upon trying to install Vista, it decides that none of my 3 HDDs are
good enough for it to install itself on. So I figure...OK, let's go
back to XP and see how I can fix this. But now it won't boot into XP.
The computer can't find any boot record on any HDD other than the DVD
drive.

So, first I try fixmbr from the XP CD Recovery Console. But that was
useless.

Next, I tried fixboot. It seemed to do something, but it still
couldn't boot.

Then, I found out that Vista messes with your boot.ini file. So after
finding instructions on what to do, I try to delete the existing
boot.ini in order to rebuild it, but it doesn't exist.

So I figure, I might as well run bootcfg /rebuild. It finds my XP
installation, and I enter all the appropriate info ("Windows XP
Professional SP2", "/fastdetect /noexecute=OptIn")
but then it gives me the error:

"Failed to add the selected boot entry to the boot list"

So, figuring I typed something in wrong, i try to run bootcfg /rebuild
again, but as soon as I select 'yes', I get a BSOD! From the XP CD!

The stop error I get is 0x8E: SPCMDCON.SYS

I'm entirely lost. Is there anything I can do short of reinstalling
XP? Or should I do a repair install?

 

[John John]

This is a question that is bound to be asked more often when Vista is
officially released. Vista installs its own completely different boot
loader.

Ways of restoring the ntldr loader:

(You can boot with the Vista DVD to use these tools)

1- Use the BootSect.exe utility found in the Boot folder or on your
Vista DVD.

Use option /nt52 to restore the ntldr boot loader

2- Use fixntfs.exe (in the boot folder) to remove the Vista boot
loader. You should be able to access the tool from a command prompt
while in XP. Issue command:

fixntfs.exe -xp

The command has to be run from the C:\boot folder.

3- Boot to the XP Recovery console and issue commands:

fixmbr
and if necessary fixboot

That should restore the XP ntldr boot manager. After doing the fix
clean up the boot.ini file if necessary. One could also use the Bootcfg
/rebuild command in the Recovery Console to rebuild the boot.ini file.

4- This is the long way out if nothing seems to work. On some sites I
have read that the other methods don't work and that this alternative
has worked for these folks. Simply boot with your Windows XP cd and
install a new copy of XP on another free partition (like where Vista
was). DON'T INSTALL IT WHERE YOUR CURRENT XP IS INSTALLED! You can
then, from your first XP installation, format the new installation edit
the boot.ini file accordingly.

Please let us know how you fixed the problem as I am sure that the
question will be asked frequently once Vista is officially released to
the general public.

John

 

[okravetz]

I don't know how to access bootsect.exe or access the command prompt in
XP. Vista doesn't want to install and XP doesn't want to boot. All I
have access to is the Vista instasll DVD and the XP Recovery Console
from the XP install CD.

If you can think of anything before I try step 4--the longer method,
I'd be glad to hear it.

Thanks.

 

[John John]

If you cannot boot to XP or Vista then your only option might be step 4.

John

 

[okravetz]

So, I tried installing XP to the drive I was going to install Vista on.
It didn't work. After doing the initial installation, it rebooted to
complete setup, but said something about not being able to boot to the
drive. So anyway, I copy the boot.ini, ntldr, and ntdetect from that
install, copy it to the original XP where it was missing, but with no
luck. So I try running chkdsk from the Recovery Console. It gets past
60-some-odd %, then goes back to 50% and stays there.
Any suggestions would be welcome.