How to move boot loader files?

[Michael Leithold]

Hi there,

I made a new dual boot installation with Windows XP on one partition
first and with Windows Vista on another partition second.
The Vista installation created some files (e.g. boot folder) on the
first partition.
Now I want to delete the XP installation. How can I move the Vista boot
loader files?

Thanks, Michael

 

[Don]

Hi there,

I made a new dual boot installation with Windows XP on one partition
first and with Windows Vista on another partition second.
The Vista installation created some files (e.g. boot folder) on the
first partition.
Now I want to delete the XP installation. How can I move the Vista boot
loader files?

Depends on what you do with the unused disk space. How will you
be reorganizing (resizing/moving/deleting) the partitions.

In any case, having a working knowledge of VistaBootPRO will be
very helpful before you start:

http://www.vistabootpro.org/

 

[Michael Leithold]

Hello,

I want to delete the first partition (that one with Windows XP) and
create a new Partition for a Linux installation.
I've heard of this tool. Though I didn't know it can move the boot loader.

Kind Regards, Michael

 

[Don]

Hello,

I want to delete the first partition (that one with Windows XP) and
create a new Partition for a Linux installation.
I've heard of this tool. Though I didn't know it can move the boot loader.

I think it will install a new copy of Vista's boot loader rather
than move it. And be aware that installing *any* OS will usually
overwrite the Master Boot Record (sector 0) on your boot drive,
which is why booting is such a pain. Each OS will undo whatever
the previous OS did.

I personally use GRUB as my boot manager because I know it so well.
I always have a GRUB boot floppy handy so I can undo my most recent
booting disaster very quickly. These days, I suppose installing
GRUB on a USB-stick makes more sense than a floppy disk -- I'll go
try it right now, in fact, to see if it works )

 

[Don]

I think it will install a new copy of Vista's boot loader rather
than move it. And be aware that installing *any* OS will usually
overwrite the Master Boot Record (sector 0) on your boot drive,
which is why booting is such a pain. Each OS will undo whatever
the previous OS did.

I personally use GRUB as my boot manager because I know it so well.
I always have a GRUB boot floppy handy so I can undo my most recent
booting disaster very quickly. These days, I suppose installing
GRUB on a USB-stick makes more sense than a floppy disk -- I'll go
try it right now, in fact, to see if it works )

It works! Thanks for the suggestion ;o) No more boot floppies for moi.

The reason this is so important is that once you delete your first
partition your Vista won't boot. If you screw up your linux install
(not a rare event) you won't be able to boot that either. If you
have *some* bootable device like a GRUB USB-stick, then recovery is
almost trivial, otherwise it can be a nightmare.

Before you do anything else, boot from your Vista install DVD and
make sure you understand all the repair gizmos included on it. I've
read that it includes a way to repair your boot files, but I've never
had to do it myself. I'm pretty sure that doing such a repair *now*
would just put all your boot stuff back where it is -- not helpful.

You need to run it *after* deleting your first partition, so that
\boot and friends wind up in your Vista partition where they belong.
But *after* you delete your first partition it's too late to go back and
change your mind, so you really need to be prepared *before* you start!

 

[Michael Leithold]

Hi there,

I tried it and nothing changed. If I "uninstall" the boot loader, it
will only restore the previous master boot record. The files for the
boot manager will stay in place. And if I "reinstall" the boot loader,
it will only restore its own master boot record. So this is no help.
But I checked the Vista boot DVD and it has a repair function for the
boot loader. I can only guess that it will put my Vista back to work
once that I've deleted my XP installation.
bcdedit.exe has a lot more options that Vista Boot Pro, I guess. I've
not finished reading the documentation yet. But maybe I will get some
information on how to do it from there.

Michael

 

[Michal Kawecki]

Hello,

I want to delete the first partition (that one with Windows XP) and
create a new Partition for a Linux installation.
I've heard of this tool. Though I didn't know it can move the boot
loader.

If you move Vista bootmanager onto second partition and delete first,
then very probably your Vista system partition letter will be change to
C and your system will not boot anymore.

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello,
Before you do anything you need to make sure that the second partition is a
primary partition. If it 's not a primary partition it cannot host the
boot files.
right-click on my computer and choose manage.
Choose disk management.
What is reported as the status column for the drive that has Windows VIsta
on it?
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
|>Date: Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:10:04 +0200
|>From: Michael Leithold <[email protected]>
|>User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.10 (Windows/20070221)
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|>Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|>Subject: Re: How to move boot loader files?
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microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:14853
|>X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
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|>Hi there,
|>
|>I tried it and nothing changed. If I "uninstall" the boot loader, it
|>will only restore the previous master boot record. The files for the
|>boot manager will stay in place. And if I "reinstall" the boot loader,
|>it will only restore its own master boot record. So this is no help.
|>But I checked the Vista boot DVD and it has a repair function for the
|>boot loader. I can only guess that it will put my Vista back to work
|>once that I've deleted my XP installation.
|>bcdedit.exe has a lot more options that Vista Boot Pro, I guess. I've
|>not finished reading the documentation yet. But maybe I will get some
|>information on how to do it from there.
|>
|>Michael
|>

 

[Michael Leithold]

Hi,

it is a primary partiton. I didn't know I can install Windows on a
logical partition ...

Michael

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello Michael,
Windows installs to a Logical drive in an extended partition just fine.
However the boot files do need to be on a Primary Active Partition.
So if people are moving the boot files I ask them just to make sure that
the partition is primary just to be safe.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
|>Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:22:11 +0200
|>From: Michael Leithold <[email protected]>
|>User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.10 (Windows/20070221)
|>MIME-Version: 1.0
|>Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
|>Subject: Re: How to move boot loader files?
|>References: <[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
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<[email protected]>
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|>Hi,
|>
|>it is a primary partiton. I didn't know I can install Windows on a
|>logical partition ...
|>
|>Michael
|>

 

[Michael Leithold]

Ok, but the question remains: How do I move the boot files? Do I just
*move* them? I guess not.

Michael

 

[Don]

Hi,

it is a primary partiton. I didn't know I can install Windows on a
logical partition ...

Definitely. I multi-boot between Win2K, XP, and Vista, and each is
in a logical partition, but the only reason Darrell mentioned it is
that the boot files from all three had to be in a very small *primary*
partition which I added just for the purpose of holding and sharing
boot files (including grub which is in C:\boot\grub right next to
the Vista boot files).

The potentially confusing part is that letter C:\ because that
partition appears to be C:\ when I run XP or W2K, but it morphs
into D:\ when I run Vista.

The point is the boot files need to be in the first *primary* Windows-
readable partition on the boot disk, so that's where you want to move
them. If you have only one NTFS partition on your disk after your
XP is gone, then that's where the boot files go by definition. (If
your first primary partition is ext3 that's okay because no version
of Windows will count it as a partition.)

I believe the boot-repair tool on the Vista install DVD will put the
boot files where they belong when you run it, but it won't hurt to
just copy them over before you delete XP. Just remember it will
also over-write any master boot record you install from linux, so
be prepared to deal with that issue also.