Tri-Boot XP, Vista, Win7 Need Advice..

**cheesepuff** · #11 20th Apr 2009, 19:57

if you use 3 different HDD's then its very simple. when you boot up just use the boot menu (this is accessed before any OS is loaded) and select which HDD has the OS you want on it.

**philthomas** · #12 21st Apr 2009, 02:23

If the Vista install is failing due to missing/corrupt files, this may not be your drive, but could be a Ram issue.
Try swapping the Ram around, using just 2gb at a a time and see if this helps.

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #13 21st Apr 2009, 08:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesepuff

if you use 3 different HDD's then its very simple. when you boot up just use the boot menu (this is accessed before any OS is loaded) and select which HDD has the OS you want on it.

Yeah but I don't have 3 HDDs of the sizes I want, I'll get it working with partitions eventually

Quote:

Originally Posted by philthomas

If the Vista install is failing due to missing/corrupt files, this may not be your drive, but could be a Ram issue.
Try swapping the Ram around, using just 2gb at a a time and see if this helps.

Already tried.. no luck.

I'd read about Vista installer screwing up if theres more than 2GB of RAM (but obviously seeing it later on) so I tried that out, but didn't work..

I think it is my drive, seeing as its not the RAM and I've read numerous stories of almost identical situations.

Bear in mind that XP installs fine, therefore its less likely to be a component failure I guess.

And seeing as I'm getting a new drive soon anyway I may as well hold out on that and if that doesn't work either.. well I'll come back to this thread

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #14 24th May 2009, 07:49

Ok, I have it working now (have had for a couple of weeks)

With:
Windows 7 RC1 x64
XP PRO x86
XP PRO x64

A few issues here, firstly on boot screen I get options:
Earlier version of Windows
Windows 7

and under earlier versions are the XP's.

Also, the drive letter for the boot volumes is different on every OS I boot?!
I want C = XP x86, D = XP x64 and E = 7 which is what I do get if I'm on XP x86

So, I installed VBP on W7, and trouble is I don't know what to enter, because I don't know wat drive letter to put!

So this is what I have at the moment, drive letters according to W7:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {939c6cb6-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
displayorder {ntldr}
{939c6cbb-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
{939c6cba-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
{current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier {ntldr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
path \ntldr
description Earlier Version of Windows
Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier {939c6cbb-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
path \ntldr
description Windows XP PRO x86
Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier {939c6cba-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
device partition=D:
path \ntldr
description Windows XP PRO x64
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7 Ultimate RC1 x64
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {939c6cb8-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {939c6cb6-456b-11de-9b8f-a49e3ac5ad78}
nx OptIn

Although I left in the "Earlier versions", just in case I'd done something wrong.

Also, although I set x86 to be B:\, it just comes up as partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1

which is worryingly the exact same as what earier version says, which then gives me options for both XP's

But on XP x64 I did nothing different, put drive letter as D:\, as 7 says it is, and it comes up fine as partition=D:

Any help would be great, my first multi boot

**Carbon** · #15 24th May 2009, 08:51

Set them in VBP the same as XP would see them, I think. Can't remember how I did it but I'm pretty sure it was that way.

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #16 24th May 2009, 09:19

Which XP?

All three are different..

**Carbon** · #17 24th May 2009, 12:45

Oh, gotcha. Usually only 7 will see itself as C:...well then it's kind of impossible to do without a little trial and error.

Is the objective here to make the drive letters standardized or make the bootloader think that? If the former, you can just remap them in 7 under System Information, iirc. The other way around will take some trial and error.

I can't offer any more advice than that as all I had to do was make sure the bootloader was there and switch my drive letters around.

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #18 24th May 2009, 13:31

Ok, I tried to sort it out, but I had huge issues and had to do a repair on all OS's..

Yeah, you're right, what I want to do is have the exact same drive letter for everything, accross all my drives.

I've tried for so long, but the trouble is Disk management won't let you change C:\ (But then it randomly does sometimes..) or whichever one you're booting from (never does)

So how do accomplish this? I went to system information like you said, but couldn't find anything for actually changing any of the info there, what am I missing?

**Carbon** · #19 24th May 2009, 14:38

Disk Management is what I meant, ugh. I'm pretty sure 7 is going to always see what it is as C, but I wouldn't be surprised if XP let you remap its drives...I can't really help any further, I'd google around and see if there's a solution. All the drive letters being that way is a PITA.