Dual Boot Reversal?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BChat
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B

BChat

Drive 0 = C - XP Home
Drive 1 = D - Vista Ultimate
Drive 3 = G - file storage

I have VistaBootPro on C, telling the machine to default boot to Vista on D,
or XP on C if I choose. Since I rarely go to XP anymore, I'd like to get
Vista on C (drive 0) and XP over to D (drive 1). I'd then install VBPro in
Vista and set up the dual boot option.

I thought of switching the cables on the motherboard, I thought of copying
the Acronis Images I keep - Vista to C, XP to D, and then I realized I had
no clue what to do and could go from "dual boot" to "no boot" real quickly.

I am assuming the machine goes to drive 0 before drive 1 in the start up
process, and I want Vista on the first drive it sees.

How I do this?

Thanks
BChat
 
Thanks,
I already have Vista Boot Pro - just now sure how to swap drives.
Once I get Vista to C, I may just replace XP w/Linux to see what all the
fuss is about with it.
It can't be as good as some say, or as bad as others say;-)
BChat


How I do this?
Click to expand...

Well, you can use bcedit.exe to modify the bcd store or you can
save yourself a bunch of frustration and get vista boot pro:

http://www.vistabootpro.org/

Now if you ran LINUX you could just edit grub.conf in any handy
editor :-)
 
I have a similar setup as you...

Drive 0 has 3 different OS's, Drive 1 is only with storage.

when XP is booted the XP partition is seen as C and the Vista one as D
When Vista is booted the Vista parition is seen as C and the XP one as D
Both OS when booted see the storage drive as E

I also have Ubuntu that is not seen (without explore2fs that is) from either
version of windows,
but Ubuntu can mount, read and write the NTFS paritions.


I have read about changing a drive letter after an install, for example your
vista D to C,
and I have done this, but it was not that easy... I cant recall exactly what
I did, but if its important I can search for it again.

Basically what is said is that you "cant change" the drive letter on the
parition that has an install on it...

Whenever someone says this or that cannot be done, I go ahead and prove him
wrong by going ahead and doing it anyway!.. lol
 
Thanks,

I think I am going to remove the XP drive and switch the Vista HD to the
drive 0 position.
I will then get it to boot to that drive, not sure how, but I'll think of
something.
After I get it booting to Vista on C, I reinstall XP in Drive 1 position.
I will then use VB Pro to re-create the dual boot set up.
These are both separate HDs - WD Raptors

In my original post I screwed up -
no Drive 3, should be Drive 2
separate HD - Maxtor 100 Gb - used as storage





I have a similar setup as you...

Drive 0 has 3 different OS's, Drive 1 is only with storage.

when XP is booted the XP partition is seen as C and the Vista one as D
When Vista is booted the Vista parition is seen as C and the XP one as D
Both OS when booted see the storage drive as E

I also have Ubuntu that is not seen (without explore2fs that is) from either
version of windows,
but Ubuntu can mount, read and write the NTFS paritions.


I have read about changing a drive letter after an install, for example your
vista D to C,
and I have done this, but it was not that easy... I cant recall exactly what
I did, but if its important I can search for it again.

Basically what is said is that you "cant change" the drive letter on the
parition that has an install on it...

Whenever someone says this or that cannot be done, I go ahead and prove him
wrong by going ahead and doing it anyway!.. lol
 
I put the Vista drive in 0 - booted w/DVD - did the start up repair - it
didn't work.
Kept asking me if I had installed/connected any new this/that/whatever.
Thanks for the ''instructions" - will follow them and see what happens
this is fun...........



the way to get vista to boot if you make it disk 0 is to boot with the cd
and select "startup repair "

see these instructions

http://vistasupport.mvps.org/windows_vista_repair_options.htm
 
The primary partition on the Vista drive has to be active. Otherwise,
the drive is not bootable.
 
The primary partition on the Vista drive has to be active. Otherwise,
the drive is not bootable.

<snip>
Andy,

You are correct - it wasn't.
I went to Control Panel - Admin Tools - Comp Mgmnt - Disk Mgmnt
right clicked on Vista (D:) - marked it as "Active".
rebooted - entered Set Up and disabled drive 0 - XP.
Drive 1 (Vista) was now the first drive it came - I did the repair
rebooted and it worked - booted to Vista
I shut the machine down
switched cables 0>1, 1>0
rebooted - enabled drive 0
Vista is now right where I want it.
BUT -
Vista is still D - can't rename due to it containing Page File - so it says
XP is still C
Installed VBPro - it doesn't see XP on C and if I add it, it won't boot to
it.
I still have VBPro on C - set to boot to Vista on D

I need a few more drives to mess with here:-)

Thanks to you and others for all your help.
Some progress was made, some to go, and I learned some stuff.
All is good.

BChat
 
The primary partition on the Vista drive has to be active. Otherwise,
the drive is not bootable.

<snip>
Andy,

You are correct - it wasn't.
I went to Control Panel - Admin Tools - Comp Mgmnt - Disk Mgmnt
right clicked on Vista (D:) - marked it as "Active".
rebooted - entered Set Up and disabled drive 0 - XP.
Drive 1 (Vista) was now the first drive it came - I did the repair
rebooted and it worked - booted to Vista
I shut the machine down
switched cables 0>1, 1>0
rebooted - enabled drive 0
Vista is now right where I want it.
BUT -
Vista is still D - can't rename due to it containing Page File - so it says
XP is still C
Installed VBPro - it doesn't see XP on C and if I add it, it won't boot to
it.
Click to expand...

For XP to boot, you have to copy files ntdetect.com, ntldr, and
boot.ini (rdisk(#) may have to changed) to the Vista drive.
 
<snip>
For XP to boot, you have to copy files ntdetect.com, ntldr, and
boot.ini (rdisk(#) may have to changed) to the Vista drive.
<snip>

Andy - you are correct - I did this - including changing the rdisk# and all
is well.

Thanks
BChat
 
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