Windows 7/ XP Pro/ Dual Boot/ File Copy?

[Pezzy]

Hi all.

I downloaded the Beta version of Windows 7 and burned it onto a DVD. I had a spare hard drive (a Western Digital 320GB SATA), so I installed it onto that; it's what I'm using right now as I type this.

My previous operating system was Windows XP Pro, SP3. I've got lots & lots of files and programs on that (a separate hard drive, which also happens to be a Western Digital 320GB SATA). I'd like to get all of those files and programs over onto this hard drive with Windows 7 on it.

So let me ask..............what would you suggest...............

Is it easy enough for me to hook up my other SATA drive with Windows XP Pro on it to my motherboard and copy my files/ programs over to this SATA drive with Windows 7 on it? Will the file transfer/ copy work easy enough? Is it compatible? Are files/ programs from a Win XP operating system compatible with a transfer/ copy over to a Windows 7 operating system?

Or how about this..................

I've heard of having a "dual boot". But when I've seen information on this, it usually refers to just one hard drive, and you have two different operating systems on it, and then you can boot to the operating system of your choice. Do I have that correct so far?

But I have two separate hard drives, each with a different operating system on it (Win 7 & Win XP). Can I hook these two SATA drives to my motherboard and be able to choose which hard drive/ operating system to boot to?

I've heard of the term "Raid array" before, but have never done it. Is that what I would need to do in a situation like this?

In the distant past, I had hooked more than one HDD to my motherboard, but these were IDE drives, not SATA.

Please let me know what you think; I'd appreciate any helpful info or suggestions.
Pezzy

 

[KSoD]

Your best option will be to dual boot. Doesnt matter if you have 2 drives or not. This will be yoru best option.

Trying to just copy the data over will corrupt your programs. As you can just copy them. You will lose their registry entries along with their App Data information. So a simple copy/paste will not work.

Hook up the 2nd drive and use EasyBCD and create a entry for XP. Along with that you will have to access the XP Drive and copy over the NTLDR, NTDETECT and boot.ini files.

You wont be able to do RAID. That would require a fresh install of both versions of Windows as that uses both drives as a single drive.

 

[Pezzy]

Hi Mak; thanks for the reply.

So dual boot with the two HDD's, eh? I hadn't heard of that program called EasyBCD. I looked it up and downloaded it. The info that I read about it makes it sound like it's pretty easy to use; I hope so!

That stuff you mentioned about, "...and copy over the NTLDR, NTDETECT and boot.ini files": Is this something that's involved using that EasyBCD program? Will it guide me through this? Or is this something separate that I'll have to do after using the EasyBCD program?

And one more thing: What you mentioned about copy/ paste not working, or not the best option. I didn't mean - if I were to try that - that I would copy a program over; I meant I would copy the installation program itself, the ".exe" file, to install the program itself onto the Win 7 operating system. Because, I am familiar with what you mean by losing the registry entries for the app. What I meant was to copy the installation program(s) over and to install them from "scratch". I also have lots of picture files (.jpg & .bmp), mp3/ music files, and videos.

But if I go with this EasyBCD program...........easy enough to use? The info I read makes it sound like you can switch OS's "on the fly". True? Without shutting down & rebooting?

Thanks again for your reply, Mak; you've been a great help in the past and continue to be so.
Pezzy

 

[KSoD]

To copy the files is something you have to do yourself. In Win7 open Computer. From there click Organize. There select Folder Options.

In that windows select the view tab. In that tab check the box for show hidden files. Then uncheck the box for hide system protected files. It will give you a prompt. Click okay anyways.

Then navigate to the XP Drive and in the root of the drive, not in any folders, you should see those 3 files. from there just select them and copy them to the Win7 drive.

Then hide the files again and run EasyBCD and add a entry for XP and you should be good to go.

There are some things that might come up. Like when you add the XP drive that might become the boot drive. So you might have to boot into XP and add a entry for Win7. But if Win7 boots then the process i have listed will be your best option.

If XP still wont boot it most likely will be because teh boot.ini entry points to the wrong drive number. Which is a easy fix. But if we have to we will deal with that later.

If you copy the installation files over to Win7 you will be just fine. That should work as long as the programs are compatible with Win7.

No EasyBCD will not do it on the fly. You will still have to restart the machine and select the OS of your choice at the OS Selection screen.

 

[Pezzy]

Wow, quick response! And what a response!!! Nice detailed info.

I did some prep work from your info: I prepared Win 7 by going to those Folder Options you mentioned (show hidden files.....don't hide system protected files....). But now just to be sure about something...........

When I shut down my system and hook my other SATA drive to the motherboard that has Win XP Pro on it...........and then boot the computer again......will my system at first just boot to the Win 7 SATA drive? It won't get "confused" by the two drives with two different operating systems on it, will it?

And then..........if everything goes smooth, you say to navigate to the Win XP drive, to the "root" of the drive and get those 3 files to copy them. By "root", you do mean the "Windows" folder in the "C" drive, correct? Or further into the Windows folder? Like the "System" folder or the "System 32" folder?

And when you say to copy those 3 files over to "the Win 7 drive".....where precisely do I copy them to in the Win 7 drive? To the "Windows" folder like in XP?

Thanks again, Mak! Great info!!
Pezzy

 

[KSoD]

After hooking up the 2nd drive, the one with XP, it will depend on your BIOS Settings which drive will be seen as the boot drive. Which is why i posted the information above about having to boot to XP and add a entry for Win7.

You could go into the BIOS and have the drive with Win7 be the boot device which would be preferred.

By root i mean what i said.

Then navigate to the XP Drive and in the root of the drive, not in any folders, you should see those 3 files

The root of the drive is just by opening the drive. Jsut double clicking in the C:\ Drive and seeing those folders listed is considered the root of the drive.

You will copy them to the root of the drive. Just like they are in the XP drive. Not in any folders.

 

[Pezzy]

Hi Mak.

Well..........sort of so far so good.........sorta.

I hooked up my other SATA drive with Win XP Pro on it, and there was no problems booting back up with the two hard drives connected; I had my system set up to boot to the SATA HDD with Win 7 on it.

I did like you said and navigated over to the root of the XP drive, the C:\ drive, and I found those three files and copied them over to the root of the Win 7 drive.

Then I launched EasyBCD and went to the "Add/ Remove Entries" and went through the steps to add Windows XP. I did it and saw a brief message pop up that it was successful.

I then rebooted my system, and yes, I did get a screen which offers me which OS to boot to: Windows 7 or Windows XP. I choose Windows XP to see if it will work, but it comes back with an "error" message telling me it can't find that file called "ntldr". I was sure I copied over all 3 files you told me to: ntldr; NTDETECT; and boot.ini.

So since it won't boot into XP with this error message, I choose Windows 7 and it boots fine.

I then check the C:\ drive in Windows 7 to see if that "ntldr" file is there, and sure enough, it's there.

Any idea why I got the error message claiming the "ntldr" file wasn't there.....when it is?

I was sooooooo close.......just a little bit away.

Another little nudge in the right direction, Mak?

Thanks!
Pezzy

 

[KSoD]

Troubleshooting Windows XP - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

Try some of the tips listed in the Wiki to try and solve that issue.

 

[Pezzy]

Hi again, Mak; thanks for the link.

I checked out the info from the link (and also googled it), and evidentially this "ntldr" error is quite common. The info from your link even has a link in it to get the NTLDR and NTDETECT files. So, I did that, and replaced the ntldr file that I had copied over to the root of my Win 7 drive.

But, upon rebooting, I still get the same error message that claims it can't find the ntldr file (or that it may be corrupt).

In the link you provided, it also mentions this piece of info:

"....as this error message says, NTLDR could not be located. Make sure the Windows XP entry in EasyBCD points to the system drive and keep in mind that this is not necessarily the same as the drive that Windows XP is installed to."

This thing about "points to the system drive"; check out this screenshot of my EasyBCD:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll217/PezzyDude/EasyBCD.jpg

Do you see in the window where it says "Entry #2"? And the line where it says "Drive"? After "Drive" it has "\Device\HarddiskVolume1". Is this perhaps the problem? That it's not pointing to the system drive? Should it be like "Entry #1" where it has "Drive: C:\"?

Thinking perhaps this was the case, I tried putting my cursor into this little window so I could attempt editing this line of "\Device\HarddiskVolume1", but it doesn't allow it to be edited.

Do you yourself know much about the EasyBCD software program? In the program itself, at the top where it has "Files/ Tools/ Help", if you click on "Help" and then documentation, it launches your browser window to EasyBCD Documentation Home - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
....and this site is pretty close to the link you gave me. I browsed through this web site, and perhaps I missed it, but I didn't see where it says if it's possible to edit that window where entries #1 & 2 are.

Do you know anything about this? Perhaps my ntldr file is fine, but that my Windows XP entry in EasyBCD isn't pointing to the system drive. Or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about and I'm just babbling here

Please let me know if you can help me any further with this ntldr error (or pointing the entry in EasyBCD to the system drive).

Thanks!
Pez

 

[KSoD]

Alright 2 things. First try to remove the XP Entry and re-add it but make sure to use the C:\ Drive as the start point.

Also give me a screen shot of your Disk Management Screen. Start>Right click on Computer>Manage>Disk Management.

This will give me more insite as to what is happening.