Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows Vista and 7 => Topic started by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 06:20:22 PM

Title: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 06:20:22 PM
Hi, I have a corrup  version of windows xp on my D: hard drive and a good Vista premium on my C: drive. My problem is that my vista boot sector is located in the D: drive and I can't boot vista without the D: drive being connected.  Hopefully someone can help me on this.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: SuperDave on March 01, 2008, 06:29:38 PM
How do you know it's corrupted? Do you still want to run both systems?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 06:44:20 PM
No I don't want to run xp no more. it shows the xp logo but freezes. although I do want to keep the files I have in driveD:, but I want to create a new boot sector to boot from my C: drive.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 07:31:15 PM
How did you install Vista? Do you have Vista DVD?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 07:38:20 PM
yeah, I have the dvd. But when I try to fix it from the dvd the drive c: with vista does not show, and when I plug in the drive with xp it does.

I installed vista on a new hard drive, but I think it installed the boot sector in the other drive.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 07:48:50 PM
How are you trying to fix it?
Are C, and D separate drives, or partitions of the same drive?
Do you have any important data on either drive?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 07:51:30 PM
They are seperate drives. I have vista on drive C: and corrupted xp on drive D:. I want to be able to boot vista from C:, but I can't because D: has the boot sector.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 07:52:40 PM
Quote
Do you have any important data on either drive?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 07:54:47 PM
Quote
How are you trying to fix it?
Vista doesn't have Repair option.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 07:59:18 PM
yeah, I have important data on both of then. I don't want to delete nothing from either of them. I just want to know if it's possible to create a boot sector in vista, since it doesn't have one and that's why when I unpplug the one with xp vista doesn't boot.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 08:06:42 PM
Run Vista DVD from within Windows (drive C), and select option "Upgrade". It works the same way, as installing over the top, so your data should be safe. It may fix your problem. Pay close attention what is installed where.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 08:09:51 PM
ok i'll try that. thanks
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 08:12:26 PM
hey I clicked install and it said, "this computer does not have enough space for temporary files".
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 08:22:24 PM
What is your situation in size of hard drive/free space?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 08:23:34 PM
my c: drive is a western digital with 500gb.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 08:26:12 PM
I assume, you have plenty of a free space?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 08:27:27 PM
yeah, I don't know why it says that though. should I create a partition?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 08:38:14 PM
No, no.
Surely, we can't read that error to the letter, but...
Download, and install CCleaner: http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds. Get "Slim" version.
Read CCleaner instruction here: http://www.jahewi.nl/ccleaner/ccleaner.html, and run CCleaner
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 09:01:09 PM
well I ran cc cleaner, restarted my pc and now it works. So I just pick upgrade and choose the windows vista that I have. Will this delete anything.?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 09:12:55 PM
It shouldn't. I said "shouldn't", because in computer world there is nothing for sure.
This type of reinstall, just overwrites existing Windows files (not your data) with new copies, so in theory, your data should be untouched, but you know how sometimes things go wrong.
If you have really important data, I'd back them up, just in case.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 09:15:19 PM
ok. I'll take the risk here and upgrade. I'll let you know how it went when I finish. Thanks for all the help.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 09:24:11 PM
You're welcome :) Bring me good news.
If it doesn't work, and you have external HD, we may try another option.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 01, 2008, 10:44:08 PM
it was at the last step of the installation and it failed. It said it couldn't upgrade that version of windows or something like that. I don't have an external hard drive, so I guess I'll just have to keep booting up from my old hard drive. Thanks for the help though. I really appreciated.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 01, 2008, 10:46:19 PM
How is your boot order set in BIOS?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 02, 2008, 10:51:52 PM
well normally I have the hard drive D: as first. than my dvd drive and then my other hard drive.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 02, 2008, 10:58:23 PM
Set it up to DVD, C (Vista), D (XP)
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 02, 2008, 11:00:46 PM
ok. and what should I do after that?.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 02, 2008, 11:02:25 PM
See, if it's gonna boot straight to Vista. You can always reverse it, if it doesn't work.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 02, 2008, 11:14:24 PM
it booted up normally. It shows the boot menu and I pick vista. But when I disconnect drive d: it does not boot at all. So is there no way to create a new vista boot sector on drive c:, am I stuck with having to but up from drive D:?.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 02, 2008, 11:50:22 PM
How do you know, that after changing boot sequence, you still need drive D to be hooked up?
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 03, 2008, 12:25:46 AM
I unplugged it and it gives me something like, choose the coorect boot drive error.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: ghrark on March 03, 2008, 01:28:25 AM
was xp installed before vista? was the xp drive the original drive and then you bought the new one for vista? that should clear things up. its looking for the multi-boot option that comes with XP so in theory you should be able to change the boot order in xp but since its corrupted im not sure what to do here.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 03, 2008, 02:30:25 AM
yeah xp was isntalled before vista. I then bought another drive which I installed vista to.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: Broni on March 03, 2008, 05:49:26 PM
Well, I guess, you'll have to back up your data, reformat both drives, and start from the scratch.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: patio on March 03, 2008, 06:41:35 PM
Hi, I have a corrup  version of windows xp on my D: hard drive and a good Vista premium on my C: drive. My problem is that my vista boot sector is located in the D: drive and I can't boot vista without the D: drive being connected.  Hopefully someone can help me on this.

This still needs clearing up...there are contradictions on the info posted.
We need to know how and what was installed in what order that created this dilemna...
If Vista was properly installed on C: the boot files aren't going to wind up on D: no matter how you fudged with it.
As you have probably learned by now Vista handles boot files a bit differently than you may be used to.
This is why the details may be important.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 04, 2008, 12:31:01 AM
I had windows xp media center for about 2 years. Than I had some problems with viruses, so I decided to purchase a new hard drive and vista. I installed vista on to my new drive.  When ever I booted the computer it asked me what windows installation did I want to boot into. I have tried changing the boot order and disconnecting the xp drive, but will not boot into anything except for the dvd drive without my old xp drive being connected. Hope this clarifies things a little more. If not ask me what info you need.
Again thanks for the help!
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: patio on March 04, 2008, 05:29:17 AM
Post a list of your physical drives....partitions....and where each OS is installed please.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 04, 2008, 06:46:35 PM
drive D: xp
drive C: vista

I had drive D:xp than I installed drive C: with vista.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: patio on March 05, 2008, 06:34:51 AM
Backup all the data you need and start over...
XP needs to be installed first as it is older.
Then a clean install of Vista.

So:  XP on C:
        Vista on D:

I'd also suggest using VistaBoot Pro to manage that dual-boot setup. It will run alot smoother. Install it after the XP install is up and running.
Your drivers will need to be installed under each OS as well.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: eman619 on March 05, 2008, 10:42:51 PM
I don't want to run xp no more. I just want that drive as storage for the files that I have in it. I guess I'll just keep booting up from drive D:.  Thanks for all the help and suggestions. Really appreciated.
Title: Re: Help with windows vista!
Post by: patio on March 06, 2008, 05:16:17 AM
I'd still re-install Vista to the larger of the 2 drives and wipe the other drive clean for storage if i wanted things to run smoothly...