Last Question/Need ADvice with EasyBCD (really need help quickly)

[Deadpixel]

Ok, I have installed XP, on a different HDD, then my vista one, and did not have to repair the MBR. I then go to configure EasyBCD, to configure Microsoft Windows XP, and the drive is E:\, because that is where it is installed, but when i click add entry, it changes the drive to E:\. Is this normal? Or do I need to do something different?

 

[eyeCpc]

If you are simply changing the boot order to have XP as the default OS you have to remember that you are in Vista's C not XP's C drive there. Once you are in XP the Vista drive will be seen as E. Your optical drive is taking the D drive letter which will be seen by both versions as D there. When first installing Vista here with the XP Home drive unplugged I couldn't add XP in afterwards with the EasyBCD.

With XP Pro reinstalled on a third drive with the others plugged in that still didn't work. From there I simply reinstalled Vista to see both XP versions added in that way and simply use the EasyBCD and boot.ini file to rearrange the default boot order that way. The msconfig also can be used to change the boot order while in Vista.

 

[EricB]

can you post pictures? I didn't have any luck with easybcd. I tried it months ago and was left with an unbootable system

 

[eyeCpc]

For changing the boot order it's not even needed. I simply used it here for renaming previous version of Windows to Windows XP on the Vista splash screen where you make the choice. The FAQ section for EasyBCd is seen at EasyBCD Documentation Home - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

Fortunately one good place to look for things Windows related is at sofpedia.com. They have a few screen shots to look over there at EasyBCD Screenshots - Softpedia

 

[EricB]

I don't see anything adressing my setup. I'm dual booting through the bios and my OS's are on separate drives.

 

[eyeCpc]

Fortunately the msconfig utility is still included in Vista while other tools are no longer seen. The article at the link here covers editing the boot.ini for XP but also shows how to change the boot order with the boot.ini section in the msconfig utility. Likewise Vista has it's own section when you open it there instead of always going into the bios unless you had unplugged one drive when installing Windows on the other and that entry is not seen as an option to load.

When Vista first loads you should see the option for "previous version of Windows" there. That will bring you to a second screen showing the xhoice for loading XP if included in the Vista mbr. The EasyBCD has one button for simply selecting the default OS there as well called the configure boot. A second one is the manage boot loader. Once you open that you simply select the version of Windows or OS you want to see auto load and set it there. For a look at the XP msconfig boot.ini section go to How to Use and Edit Boot.ini in Windows XP Vista will have a boot loader section that looks the same.

 

[EricB]

Fortunately the msconfig utility is still included in Vista while other tools are no longer seen. The article at the link here covers editing the boot.ini for XP but also shows how to change the boot order with the boot.ini section in the msconfig utility. Likewise Vista has it's own section when you open it there instead of always going into the bios unless you had unplugged one drive when installing Windows on the other and that entry is not seen as an option to load.

When Vista first loads you should see the option for "previous version of Windows" there. That will bring you to a second screen showing the xhoice for loading XP if included in the Vista mbr. The EasyBCD has one button for simply selecting the default OS there as well called the configure boot. A second one is the manage boot loader. Once you open that you simply select the version of Windows or OS you want to see auto load and set it there. For a look at the XP msconfig boot.ini section go to How to Use and Edit Boot.ini in Windows XP Vista will have a boot loader section that looks the same.

no, it don't. I can play with xp boot.ini and manipulate it a thousand ways. vista is different. I'll post pics later on

 

[eyeCpc]

With Vista installed after XP you would simply select the previous versions option and highlight XP to see it load. When installing XP last the efforts tried here with first the VistaBootPRO and later the first tool EasyBCD plus manual attempts with the BCDeditor all proved useless. Attempts with both versions failed despite the information seen in several articles.

The EasyBCD makes life easier without the need to open the msconfig and later see the prompt when restarting to not show this message again annoyance as well as even renaming previous versions of Windows to Windows XP! Here the boot.ini is edited to select the default version of XP that will automatically boot up while the EasyBCD decides on Vista or XP there.