• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Two hard drives 1 laptop two OS.

Ruroni

Ruroni

Senior member
I have a laptop and two laptop hard drives (the laptop can house one at a time -one remains outside the notebook).

I have one 500GB HDD that is partitioned in 4 parts.
One of the partitions has windows 7 64 bit. The other partitions don't have any OSs installed.

I have a 120GB HDD partitioned into 80/40 where the 80GB part has windows XP 32 bit installed. The 40GB has windows 7.


I want to take my XP installation over to a partition on the 500GB and end up with a dual boot system: the current windows 7 that already lives on the 500GBHDD and the XP installation that lives on the 120GB HDD (I care not for the windows 7 on the 120).

What is the most pain free (and cheap) way to do this? I have an external USB enclosure for my HDDs.

Suggestions appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
Put the 120GB in the external HDD enclosure and clone the XP install to a partition on the 500GB drive, then use BCDedit to add the XP install to the Win 7. Won't cost you a penny and it's fairly simple.
 
I think I've managed to copy the XP installation onto a partition on the 500GB HDD. However, I have not been able to get it to boot.

Using easyBCDedit I was able to get the system to ask me which OS I want to start. But when I select the XP partition, something flashes on the screen to quick for me to read it.

It seems to read:

invalid BOOT.INI file
Booting from c : \ Windows \
NTDETECT failed

It goes by quickly, and then the computer reboots.
 
Last edited:
I fixed the above mentioned problem.

Now I have a different problem.

Windows 7 boots fine and runs fine.

Windows XP goes into an infinite loop of login - log off; until I interrupt it.

The machine boots and asks for OS selection.
If I choose windows XP it proceeds onto login screen where it asks for the password, once the password has been entered, it proceeds to boot the OS. But then after a short period of time while still booting, it logs off again and it then reaches the log in stage again, where it asks for the password again. It never actually loads windows. It doesn't go beyond the login/log off window.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top