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Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows Vista and 7 => Topic started by: jacksctt on July 02, 2009, 05:10:37 AM

Title: vista and winxp on separate drives
Post by: jacksctt on July 02, 2009, 05:10:37 AM

hello

i installed win xp on one drive and then i stalled vista on the other,i installed each os without the other drive connected,they both are sata drives,when i boot up i dont get the option to choose which os,it defaults to win xp on bootup,any idea's on what i need to do to correct this to get the option
                                                            thanx

Title: Re: vista and winxp on separate drives
Post by: patio on July 02, 2009, 06:10:37 AM

When installed this way you need to enter Setup at boot time and choose which HD you want to boot...

Title: Re: vista and winxp on separate drives
Post by: killerb255 on July 08, 2009, 11:53:48 AM

You should have left both drives connected to make life easier for you.

Normally, you would install XP first on the primary drive (or partition), then install Vista on the secondary drive (or partition).  At that point, Vista will do all the work for you to modify BCD to give you a menu to boot from either OS.

Now you have to modify BCD to see your Windows XP partition and boot from it.  At this point, BCD is unaware that XP even exists...

One of these might be able to help you out, since BCD is quite a bit more complicated than XP's tried-and-true NTLDR/NTDETECT.COM/BOOT.INI combo:

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
http://www.vistabootpro.org/

EasyBCD is free, but Vistabootpro is not.