Strange dual-boot issue with Vista and XP.

[BroadbandGamer]

I've got Vista x64 installed on my 150GB Raptor. I've got XP installed on my 74GB Raptor. If I don't hit F8 at POST Vista will boot up normally. If I want to boot up XP I have to hit F8 to bring up the boot menu. Now here's where it gets strange. After I select my 74GB Raptor and hit enter, Windows Boot Manager pops up. It says:

Choose an operating system to start, or press TAB to select a tool:

Earlier Version of windows
Microsoft Windows Vista

To specify an advanced option for this choice, press F8.

I have to select Earlier Version of Windows to boot XP. What I can't figure out is why this Boot Manager is even popping up and why there is an option for Vista when Vista has never been installed on the 74GB Raptor.

When I installed Vista RC1 I unplugged my 74GB Raptor and my 250GB back-up HDD. When I would bring up the Boot Menu and select the XP drive I didn't get this Boot Manager. When I installed my purchased copy of Vista I didn't unplug my other drives and I couldn't boot up Vista without having the Vista DVD in the drive.

So I re-installed Vista. This time I unplugged the other two drives. Booting Vista isn't a problem anymore but now I get this Boot Manager when I try to boot XP.

Anyway, I think it has something to do with having that drive connected when I installed Vista the first time. What I'd like to know is why is it doing this and is there any way I can set it so I don't get the Boot Manager when I want to boot XP?

Thanks!

 

[Aberforth]

The boot manager switches to boot.ini file to load Windows XP, And Vista cannot be loaded from only Boot.ini. Your XP hard drive has boot manager.exe in C:

 

[mwhals]

Check out this article: Dual Boot Article

 

[D1gger]

Originally posted by: BroadbandGamer
When I installed my purchased copy of Vista I didn't unplug my other drives and I couldn't boot up Vista without having the Vista DVD in the drive.

Anyway, I think it has something to do with having that drive connected when I installed Vista the first time. What I'd like to know is why is it doing this and is there any way I can set it so I don't get the Boot Manager when I want to boot XP?

Thanks!

I believe this is your answer. I just finished installing Vista dual boot with my XP installation. When you installed Vista with your XP drive plugged in (it was likely specified as your first boot hard drive), Vista installed its' boot loader in the boot sector of your XP drive.

When you reinstalled Vista, without the XP drive attached, it loaded a new boot sector on the Vista drive, but the first boot loader was still on the XP drive as well. So now when you switch to the XP drive to boot, you are getting the Vista boot loader.

If you want to eliminate this, you will likely have to boot from the XP CD and using the command line, use FIXMBR to write a new XP boot sector on the XP Drive.

 

[BroadbandGamer]

Thanks guys! That helps a lot.

 

[BroadbandGamer]

OK, I went in and did the fixmbr and it didn't get rid of the Windows Boot Manager.

Now what?

 

[D1gger]

Originally posted by: BroadbandGamer
OK, I went in and did the fixmbr and it didn't get rid of the Windows Boot Manager.

Now what?

I found this reference about how to remove the Vista Boot Loader. I haven't tried it, so use it at your own risk.

Vista doesn't use boot.ini, instead utilizing the new BCD (Boot Configuration Database), so backing up and/or editing the boot.ini file won't do any good...Windows Boot Manager is still overriding NTLDR.

Link to Article

If you have a dual-boot configuration and want to remove Windows Vista, you must:
* Be in either Vista or the older OS
* Launch the command prompt with administrative access. (Right-click the shortcut or executable and select Run as Administrator.)
* Type in the command Drive:\Boot\Bootsect.exe ?NT52 All (with the spaces) where Drive is the drive letter where the Vista DVD or mounted ISO is located.
* Reboot the computer...NTLDR should have taken control once again now that WBM is gone.