Need to reformat xp drive after Windows 7 install.

[KSoD]

I cant really help if i dont have all this information. Getting bits and pieces from you and from him here and there after i make suggestions isnt helping us solve this.

What has been done, what hasnt been done? Has he just tried to format with GParted and then boot and fix the Win7 Boot with the Win7 DVD?

 

[Ste]

We haven't tried any of that yet, we just want to know how to prevent it from not booting again with a file missing error.

I guess he will do the Gparted thing.

 

[KSoD]

Well Win7 does use the NTLDR. It doesnt use the boot.ini file though. The BCD still does use the NTLDR as that is 2nd on the list behind the NTDETECT i believe. If anything, just copy the file from the DVD to the root of the Win7 drive.

From every indication i am seeing, the boot information is being stored on the XP Drive. Despite the fact that the Win7 drive is labeled as it is. That can be the only explanation as to why Win7 will boot once XP was restored but not after it was removed.

Let me try to explain. It doesnt matter what the drive is labeled. If the XP Drive was the first drive when Win7 was installed, and then after Win7 was installed it was placed as the 2nd drive, it still contains the boot information. The first partition of the first hard drive is where this information is stored at the time of installation. Changing the boot priority AFTER install doesnt do you any good.

So the only thing i can say is to show ALL files. Even the system proptected ones. Copy over ALL boot information from the XP Drive to the Win7 drive. Then remove the XP Drive and see if it works. If not you will have to use the Win7 DVD and repair the boot or rebuild the BCD.

 

[Jdimstr333]

I tried copying over ANY boot files from xp and it said I need administrator access. I am the administrator.

Anyway, the last time it did ntdlr missing was when the xp partition said boot and windows 7 was secondary. However, this time windows 7 is the primary and boot and windows xp is the secondary. I switched it around when I reinstalled. Before in xp there were 6 boot files and 7 only had 2. Now that they are switched, xp has 2 and windows 7 has 6 or 7, all of them

At least I got my windows.old file deleted and nothing screwed up.

 

[EricB]

since you just add windows 7 you should start over.

put windows 7 on the 500 gig and use the terybyte for your data. I would personally set up a 25 gig swap file first then a 150 gig win 7 file then use the remaining partition for something else.


the boot info was on the 500 gig drive. when you install win 7 on the other drive it detected that the 500 gig had the original boot info so it put it's boot info there too. when you delete that partition you jacked up both boot files.

you can fix it, but the simplest route would be to start over if you aren't worried about your data. from what I gather you deleted it anyway. right?

http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/how-keep-windows-7-fast-stable-222795/

 

[Jdimstr333]

I didn't just add it. It's been on here for almost a month now. All of my files are on here and I'm not starting over again.

 

[EricB]

I didn't just add it. It's been on here for almost a month now. All of my files are on here and I'm not starting over again.

ok. you got to start over to fix your problem. but there is an easy way. your 500 gig is empty right. take the terabyte out of the computer. install win 7 on the 500 gig. put the terabyte back in.

Now be careful. delete all files that are data files on the terabyte.

now windows 7 might not let you delete the system files. that's ok. copy all of your dadta file to the 500 gig. now format the terabyte drive. then you can copy the data back to the terabyte and link your docs, pics and music folders to that

 

[Jdimstr333]

Alright Mak. I just finished doing everything you said. I'm restarting after formatting, nothing glitched, nothing was greyed out, it didn't prompt me to restart like the the last 3 times. All boot files are move over i even made copies of them. This will work! I can feel it!

Alright. It worked. I didn't do the gparted thing, I just wanted to make you feel good. Windows 7 let me format it this time so I did it. Everything works fine now, I can use my 500gb as a backup.

Another question, I moved the boot files that were left in xp over but they were the same ones as the ones in 7 just smaller. When I moved them I choose "move but do not replace" so I kept both files. Now that this worked, can I delete the, example: boot.stat (2) because they were already in there?

 

[KSoD]

So copying over the boot files worked? Great. Glad it is sorted. Knew we could work it out as soon as we got all the info needed.

Yes you should be able to delete those files. As they will not be recognized at the startup due to the file name.

 

[Jdimstr333]

Thanks mak for some instruction. I really appreciate it!