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    Used OS disc to fix Windows 7 not being detected as OS

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by thinkpad knows best, Feb 13, 2010.

  1. thinkpad knows best

    thinkpad knows best Notebook Deity

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    Now a new problem arose, now Windows XP isn't detected, so it's only one OS or the other, i thought the Windows 7 OS disc would rebuild the boot file but would intelligently recognize Windows XP as an OS and include bootmgr in the startup process so that i could truly dual boot, but it hasn't. With Windows XP repair, i can use the recovery console and use the "fixboot" comand which rebuilds all boot directories so that the OS is detected, but with Windows 7 repair i cannot use manual recovery console to do this. My problem before was that i installed Windows XP on a separate partition and Windows 7 and XP were not presented as options upon startup, it was just XP, so i used my Windows 7 disc to repair the boot configuration.

    How do i get both OS'es to be recognized as OS'es by one another? I installed Windows 7 on a separate partition in my ThinkPad T43 and i could choose to boot either one no problem upon startup, how do i fix this so i can truly dual boot? I heard you should install XP first then Windows 7, but i'm not in the mood to back everything i have up.
     
  2. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

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    I don't know what step you're on, but the general process goes like this:

    1. Install older OS.
    2. Install newer OS.
    3. Edit the boot record either manually or using a program like EasyBCD to recognize both OSes.
     
  3. thinkpad knows best

    thinkpad knows best Notebook Deity

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    Ah, thought so, i was trying to locate the boot file in Windows 7, which one is it? What file extension?
     
  4. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    It's located on the system partition. \boot\bcd

    It's a binary file, so use BCDedit or easyBCD to edit it.
     
  5. thinkpad knows best

    thinkpad knows best Notebook Deity

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    Ok so i have NTLDR and NTdetect.com for Windows XP, where the hell do i put it once extracted so that this works?
     
  6. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    in the root directory.