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Windows messed up my boot record?

VhdbloodVhdblood
edited January 2009 in Technology
So, after I installed the beta of Windows 7, I thought it would be a good time to go ahead and install a fresh copy of XP also, so just like normal, I popped my disk in and went to work. I installed it just like normal, putting it on the C: partition, with my storage on D:, and Windows 7 on F:

The only problem is, now when I boot up the computer, it no longer gives me the option to boot into Windows 7, it just goes into XP. Is this Windows 7's fault, XP's Fault, my fault, or what? Also, how do I fix it? Am I going to have to reinstall Windows 7?

Edit: Also, I don't even know if this is possible, but I know in XP, you can use the recovery console to do a FIXMBR and a FIXBOOT. Does anyone know if you can do this with Windows 7 in any way?

Comments

  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    No, that's not possible. Windows would never mess something up.
  • FunfetusFunfetus
    Is this Windows 7's fault, XP's Fault, my fault, or what? Also, how do I fix it? Am I going to have to reinstall Windows 7?
    I know that if you install XP after installing Linux, it'll overwrite the bootloader, or whatever that is. So it's probably XP. I'm not much help, though, because I don't know how to fix it other than reintalling Windows 7.
  • ......
    Windows messed up my boot record?
    Of course! Do you really think Windows would let you dual-boot so easily? It is XP's fault. It does not recognize Windows 7 on the F: partition, thus does not setup the MBR with an appropriate bootloader, just reinstall Windows 7 and all should be swell.

    At least you didn't install Windows 7 on a Logical partition while Ubuntu was already installed.
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    Windows messed up my boot record?
    Of course! Do you really think Windows would let you dual-boot so easily? It is XP's fault. It does not recognize Windows 7 on the F: partition, thus does not setup the MBR with an appropriate bootloader, just reinstall Windows 7 and all should be swell.

    At least you didn't install Windows 7 on a Logical partition while Ubuntu was already installed.
    Okay, looks like I'll go ahead and suck it up. At least with Windows 7 I don't have to install drivers and it's a pretty short install time.

    Also, I have installed XP over Ubuntu before. :P Not fun.
  • ......
    Also, I have installed XP over Ubuntu before. :P Not fun.
    Installing Windows 7 beta on a Logical partition with Ubuntu on another partition is worse. Using Gparted to make an NTFS partition for Win 7 is not a good idea, after you have made space for a Windows 7 created NTFS partition in your Extended partition, you install it, computer reboots, switch to the Ubuntu live CD, fix Grub, manually add a Windows 7 beta boot entry, reboot, select Windows 7 beta after each reboot during further installation. That requires just too much freaking time, but it was fun. :]
  • AprecheApreche
    Check this out. Install both Windowses XP. Then use a Linux Live CD. Don't install the entire distribution. Just install grub to the mbr. Voila! You're using grub, but all it does is choose between the two Windowses. You might have to do a little grub configuring, but that's it.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    @Scott: I was going to suggest that but learning GRUB takes a while. It is a sure-fire way to get yourself out of it though.
  • ......
    edited January 2009
    @Scott, that is a method, but you'd have to reinstall, or at least re-setup, Grub every time you reinstall one of the OS's. It's generally just easier to just reinstall in order. Using Grub is however the only viable option when you have more than 2 operating systems running on the machine.

    @Vhdblood, some little advice I bumped into somewhere. Do not go near the XP partition when using Windows 7. It will basically destroy the XP partition.
    Post edited by ... on
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited January 2009
    Actually, the GRUB settings are stored in a partition (not sure if NTFS works though) then the program just contains a setting that points to the real ones. Which raises the question, does it work with an only NTFS system? Once you get used to it though, GRUB is super easy and useful if you swap stuff around a lot.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    edited January 2009
    @Vhdblood, some little advice I bumped into somewhere. Do not go near the XP partition when using Windows 7. It will basically destroy the XP partition.
    What exactly do you mean by this? Not browsing it? Or just not installing things to it? I'm not sure what you mean, but clarification would be nice to avoid future problems.

    Also, I'm back up on Windows 7. That wasn't too bad.
    Post edited by Vhdblood on
  • AprecheApreche
    Actually, the GRUB settings are stored in a partition (not sure if NTFS works though) then the program just contains a setting that points to the real ones. Which raises the question, does it work with an only NTFS system? Once you get used to it though, GRUB is super easy and useful if you swap stuff around a lot.
    Hmm, yes. You would probably have to make a tiny non-ntfs partition just for the grub settings.

    Actually, one thing I have known people to do in the olden days is to put grub on a floppy disk. For example, my college roommate's computer would boot Windows. However, he had a Linux installation on the computer. He had a boot floppy that contained grub and its configuration.

    A modern day solution might be to install grub onto a shitty old USB thumb drive. Then your computer would boot to say, Windows 7 by default. However, if you boot from the thumb drive, it would load grub and let you choose Windows XP.
  • ......
    Actually, the GRUB settings are stored in a partition (not sure if NTFS works though) then the program just contains a setting that points to the real ones.
    *facepalm* YOU STILL HAVE TO REINSTALL GRUB TO THE MASTER BOOT RECORD TO UNDO THE RESULTS OF RE-INSTALLING WINDOWS!
    What exactly do you mean by this? Not browsing it? Or just not installing things to it? I'm not sure what you mean, but clarification would be nice to avoid future problems.
    God, is it that hard? Just don't go near the XP partition while using the beta, period. It ain't that hard, don't go near the freaking partition, whether file browsing or installing stuff, just do not go near it.
  • AprecheApreche
    *facepalm* YOU STILL HAVE TO REINSTALL GRUB TO THE MASTER BOOT RECORD TO UNDO THE RESULTS OF RE-INSTALLING WINDOWS!
    Which is trivially easy. Boot a live cd and type one command.
  • JoeLamerJoeLamer
    Edit Windows XP start up options so that one entry points to Windows 7 boot loader on drive F: ?
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    What exactly do you mean by this? Not browsing it? Or just not installing things to it? I'm not sure what you mean, but clarification would be nice to avoid future problems.
    God, is it that hard? Just don't go near the XP partition while using the beta, period. It ain't that hard, don't go near the freaking partition, whether file browsing or installing stuff, just do not go near it.My fault, I thought you had some useful information. If you aren't a complete moron, you can browse the XP partition and it isn't going to magically die.
  • AprecheApreche
    Edit Windows XP start up options so that one entry points to Windows 7 boot loader on drive F: ?
    You might want to do the reverse. Have the Windows 7 bootloader boot XP.
  • ......
    edited January 2009
    My fault, I thought you had some useful information. If you aren't a complete moron, you can browse the XP partition and it isn't going to magically die.
    I have some useful information, but you did not ask why not to get near your XP partition (i.e. you didn't ask for the useful information), you merely asked what I meant with not getting near the partition. Do you notice the difference here. If you wanted the former, you should've asked the why question. But if you want to be like that, be my guest, go browse your XP partition, go look through every nook and cranny of it with explorer under Windows 7.
    Which is trivially easy. Boot a live cd and type one command.
    I never said anything on the contrary Scott. I merely reacted to the post Omnusha wrote without actually thinking beforehand. He wrote a freaking reaction starting with 'actually' that had nothing to do with the post he was reacting to! Also, while it's trivial to re-install Grub, it takes an annoyingly long time to do so.
    You might want to do the reverse. Have the Windows 7 bootloader boot XP.
    It automatically does that, hence my earlier advice to install the OS's in the order, XP then 7, so that the Windows 7 bootloader recognizes the XP partition and adds it in. That doesn't work the other way sadly.
    Post edited by ... on
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    My fault, I thought you had someusefulinformation. If you aren't a complete moron, you can browse the XP partition and it isn't going to magically die.
    I have some useful information, but you did not ask why not to get near your XP partition (i.e. you didn't ask for the useful information), you merely asked what I meant with not getting near the partition. Do you notice the difference here. If you wanted the former, you should've asked the why question. But if you want to be like that, be my guest, go browse your XP partition, go look through every nook and cranny of it with explorer under Windows 7.
    Why shouldn't I get near the Windows XP partition?
  • ......
    Why shouldn't I get near the Windows XP partition?
    Windows 7 will/might still screw with the files, rendering XP unbootable. This based on the experiences of another guy who at first dual-booted XP and Win 7, with build 6801, but ended up with XP being unbootable after interacting with the XP partition while using Windows 7. He didn't give much details, but it's best not to temp faith, aye?
  • JoeLamerJoeLamer
    Edit Windows XP start up options so that one entry points to Windows 7 boot loader on drive F: ?
    You might want to do the reverse. Have the Windows 7 bootloader boot XP.
    I understood from the first message that vhdblood had a a working and booting XP but no access to installed Windows 7, so adding Windows 7 back to the boot menu would be the quickest and easiest fix. Getting the Windows 7 bootloader back and having it to load XP is doable too without OS re-installation but it requires a bit more work and use of the tools that are on Windows 7 boot disk. I once did this with Vista and Windows 7 uses a similar BCD boot system but since I don't recall the actual procedure Google is your next help. In any case OS re-installation (or use of Linux boot loaders) is unnecessary unless you really want to go that way.
  • VhdbloodVhdblood
    Edit Windows XP start up options so that one entry points to Windows 7 boot loader on drive F: ?
    You might want to do the reverse. Have the Windows 7 bootloader boot XP.
    I understood from the first message that vhdblood had a a working and booting XP but no access to installed Windows 7, so adding Windows 7 back to the boot menu would be the quickest and easiest fix. Getting the Windows 7 bootloader back and having it to load XP is doable too without OS re-installation but it requires a bit more work and use of the tools that are on Windows 7 boot disk. I once did this with Vista and Windows 7 uses a similar BCD boot system but since I don't recall the actual procedure Google is your next help. In any case OS re-installation (or use of Linux boot loaders) is unnecessary unless you really want to go that way.
    The only problem is, there's no repair option or anything on the Windows 7 disk. I have since reinstalled Windows 7 to fix this, but I looked on the CD and all it has is one option to install the OS. I imagine this will change for the final version, but for now, it seems this isn't a possibility.
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