Multi boot problem

[tomek1984]

I have several HD in my system: one SSD with windows 7, one WD 1TB with windows XP, and 4 others for storage. I have to use windows XP for work stuff( some programs i use for work will not work under windows 7) but for every day stuff i like windows 7.

With my old computer( see bellow) I was able to go into BIOS and switch boot device to the HD with ether windows 7 or windows xp. Switching booting HD was an easy procedure and I don't like an idea to make a partition on SSD for windows XP install, because of the SSD/Windows XP issues.

AMD 940
ASUS M4A79 Deluxe AM2+
DDR2 RAM

My new computer ( see bellow) will not even react to any booting order that I select. Only choosing Windows Boot Manager will make it boot to Windows 7, in order to boot to Windows XP i have to disconnect all other hard drives. Is there any reason this happens now on ASROCK MB, why did my old ASUS MB allowed me to switch?

INTEL i5-3570K
ASROCK Z77 Extreme6
DDR3 RAM

 

[bankster55]

Its because you put in your brand new SSD and a Win 7 X64 disk and unknowingly created a GPT UEFI drive that only boots with winbootmanager. MSDOS MBR booting drives dont need that

You could use system as is by employing EasyBCD 2.2 and adding the XP partition to Win 7 BCD. You will then have choice during boot, but will still need wbm for SSD, unless you wipe it and recreate SSD as MBR.

Fwiw, you can right click the XP [application] .exe and run it it XP compatibility mode in Win 7

 

[bobFoss]

There should be options in firmware to choose
device(hdd) and legacy(BIOS) booting for XP disk (MBR format)
and UEFI for Win7 if installed on GPT formated disk.

Only Win7/64 can be installed to boot UEFI/GPT way.

Windows 7 boot manager is \bootmgr.
XP boot manager/loader is \ntldr.

Booting XP over Windows 7 is only necessary if you install to same disk on different partitions.

If Easybcd can handle UEFI/GPT and MBR disk mixture is questionable
unless confirmed guide is published.