Dual Boot XP and Vista

[jasonhtml]

ok, but what am i supposed to do? edit the boot.ini?

to make sure, these are the steps you want me to take:

1. repair XP
2. edit XP's boot.ini to have Vista on the list
3. restart my computer and it should let me choose my OS?

another question: why do i have to do this from XP and not from Vista?

 

[EricB]

ok, but what am i supposed to do? edit the boot.ini?

to make sure, these are the steps you want me to take:

1. repair XP
2. edit XP's boot.ini to have Vista on the list
3. restart my computer and it should let me choose my OS?

another question: why do i have to do this from XP and not from Vista?

you can't manually edit vista boot.ini. you can xp.
you said that you already ran the repair from vista

your boot.ini should be something like this

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center Edition" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT /USEPMTIMER

 

[jasonhtml]

ya, it does look like what you posted, but you didnt say what im supposed to do... am i supposed to add vista to xp's boot.ini then???

 

[EricB]

I mention it earlier

i can only boot into Vista

now run the boot config from the xp repair to find your xp

 

[jasonhtml]

so load up the XP cd and run FIXBOOT in the recovery console?

 

[EricB]

so load up the XP cd and run FIXBOOT in the recovery console?

yes sir

 

[KSoD]

From within XP go to Start>Run>msconfig. Go to the boot.ini tab and write down the info there.

Google for EasyBCD. From there Add the Vista bootloader. Edit it to include the info from the XP you jsut installed.

Restart and teh Vista bootloader should show both Vista and XP and you should be able to boot into either easily.

 

[synergy]

Try using a disk management app like Partition Magic or Acronis Disk Director/OS Selector

 

[AND_YOU_ARE]

If you don't have a lot of data to loose on either install, just have one drive plugged in when you install the OS. When both are installed on separate drives, plug them both back in, and then you will have a boot option with the choice of either OS.

In the past I have installed Vista and XP on the same drive with the use of partition software to create a second drive for Vista. XP was installed first, and then Vista. I did not have any problems going through the normal install process.

 

[jasonhtml]

@EricB: im sorry, but nothing you say seems to work. i ran it and all it does is allow me to boot XP and doesnt give me a choice of which OS to boot from.

@Makaveli: ok, im trying what you said just now. im going to restart after i finish typing this message...

@synergy: i dont see the point in this because the OSs are on separate drives all ready

@and_you_are: i dont want to reinstall everything unless i absolutely have to. i bet there is a way to get this working one way or the other.


EDIT: Thank you so much Makaveli! it worked 100%. problem solved.