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XP buggered Vista
Wednesday, 18 February, 2009
I bought a new Dell laptop with factory installed Windows Vista 64 bit.
I created a new partition to install Windows XP from CD. It would not install until I changed the setup from SATA to IDE.
Eventually it completed dual booting, but I must go into setup and select SATA to boot to Vista or IDE to boot to XP before selecting Operating system to use. Otherwise it will not boot.
Any one know why?
Sidney Hatchl, ,
 I won;'t ask why you bought a Vista PC if you want XP.
I won't even ask if it's a legitimate XP suitable for installing on a PC.
What I will ask is why you didn't do a little research before trying to do that.
In general you can't install an older Windows after a newer version without some extra steps. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A quick check of thew Microsoft support page reveals these hits.
But I suspect that the pone you'll need is
Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration
To quote that page:
"These issues occur because earlier versions of the Windows operating system are incompatible with the new Windows Vista startup method. Windows Vista uses a new Boot Configuration Database (BCD) store. This store contains a boot menu and all the information about operating systems that are installed on the computer. Therefore, a Boot.ini file that is from an earlier version of the Windows operating system cannot be used to start Windows Vista.
In earlier versions of the Windows operating system that run on a basic input/output system (BIOS)-based computer, such as Windows XP, the boot process starts with the system BIOS. The BIOS determines the boot device, and then loads the first physical sector. This physical sector is named the master boot record (MBR). The MBR contains the partition table and the necessary boot execution code. This code searches the partition table to find the active partition and passes control to the boot sector on the active partition. Then, the boot sector on the active partition loads the Ntldr program. The Ntldr program parses the Boot.ini file. This file is used to enumerate the operating systems that are installed.
When Windows Vista starts on a BIOS-based computer, the BIOS loads the MBR and then loads the boot sector. However, boot code loads the new Windows Boot Manager program (Bootmgr). The Windows Boot Manager program parses the Boot Configuration Data file, enumerates the installed operating systems, and then displays the boot menu. If an earlier version of the Windows operating system is installed in a dual-boot configuration with Windows Vista, the Windows Boot Manager program transfers control to the Ntldr program for the earlier version of the Windows operating system. The Windows Boot Manager program does this when you select Windows Vista from the boot menu.
When you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system on a Windows Vista-based computer, Setup overwrites everything from the MBR, the boot sector, and the boot files. Therefore, the earlier version the Windows operating system loses forward compatibility "
If you search further on the Support pages at Microsoft you'll find out the correct way to do it.
But unless you have a specific need to run XP ..... WHY?
Oh, and if you need to create a recovery disk for Vista from the hard disk - do that NOW. You're lucky you still can Paul Zucker
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DavidPosted: 07/03/2009 re: XP buggered Vista Vista works fi9ne by itself. JCPosted: 23/02/2009 re: XP buggered Vista "Err JC - none of what you said is correct unless he has tried to install both into the same partition, which I don't believe he has done."
What about 'IF the partitions created...are both 'active', Gregmond?
Basically, that puts both partitions...as one and the same, does it not?
I was working on the theory....of the simple word 'incompatiablity'...stated, in the Page PZ has referred to.
The mere fact that Sydney has to change from SATA..to IDE....is suggestive that the motherboard which he is using..does not have the facility....to stay 'locked in' to either SATA or IDE....may be the source of his problem.
(Or, simply, that he has not done a "Save and Exit"....with his BIOS set-up?)
The motherboard I use, is "Vista compatiable"....and, yes, I have tried XP Pro 64-bit on it, too. (Didn't like the hassles it (the 64-bit OS) gave no more than what Vista Ultimate did..on my previous motherboard!)
And, PZ knows the story...on that issue.
What am i getting at, here, is the simple fact....that PZ (and others) have stated, is that........Sydney SHOULD have done his 'home-work'....before he started with his 'tinkering'.
Not 'after the fact'.
Which (ultimately) accounts for majority of all computer problems users do 'post', here.
And, for most of us (other users) who write in...with a suggestive solution.......are doing so, in 'a sight unseen situation'...(that is, we don't have a clue as to what else has been done to a computer..or not,because a lot 'necessary information' has been left out....in the 'details' of the problem.)
I don't have a 'crystal-ball', neither does PZ, or the Pcuser staff.....do you, Gregmond?
I don't think so, either.
Sydney didn't do his 'homework', 1st,...before he tinkered. And, now, having struck trouble.....he wants someone else (more knowledgeable)...to fix the mess he made of things, while giving very little detail of what he really did do.
So, go to the end of what I have suggested, Gregmond, you will see that I have stated...that, if all else does fail, Sydney should take his lap-top....back to where he got it from...and, ask them to fix it.
Which is, by the way, the correct thing to do.
And, for him to be prepared..... to pay for the cost(of repairs)...of getting his lap-top working again. (And, for the 'talking-down' he will...for messing up his computer like he has done.)
He was being too smart for his own good..and, paid the price.
(Simple enough, isn't it?) DazPosted: 22/02/2009 re: XP buggered Vista You could install XP on its partition first, then install Vista on its partition second (then install linux in its partition third etc). Vista recognizes that XP is there and puts the OS entry in there for you (Previous version of Windows or something like that). I think I used BCedit on Vista to change the OS display name back to Windows XP to make it clearer. Xp 1st, Vista 2nd, then others (grub etc usually will recognize the other OS boot managers somehow and leave them intact). The other complications (SATA/IDE, 64bit/32bit) can be sorted by following this basic order, plus some fiddling (drivers etc). Also its possible for Vista to recognize the system restore points somehow of the xp partition and mess with them.
There are a lot of driver deficiencies in XP 64bit, but I have to say XP 64bit if you can get it going it really flies in comparison to 32bit XP. haven't tried Vista 64bit yet. GregmondPosted: 20/02/2009 re: XP buggered Vista One thing I forgot to mention.
"It would not install until I changed the setup from SATA to IDE". XP has limited drivers for SATA built in, it would need to have a "RAID" driver installed (generally from a floppy, but the drivers would normally be on the motherboard CD, not sure if Dell would supply it).
GregmondPosted: 20/02/2009 re: XP buggered Vista Err JC - none of what you said is correct unless he has tried to install both into the same partition, which I don't believe he has done.
Accross several drives/partitions I have, XP Pro 32bit, Ubuntu 8.10 64bit, Vista 64bit, Windows 7 64bit all running fine. Several different boot managers run on different partitions, but they all do co-exist (after some fiddling with partion settings for each). Drivers would only be an issue if they were in the same partition and if they were, then he wouldn;t get one of the other to boot.
As PZ said, if he had done this in a different order, he wouldn't have an issue. It is fixable from where he is up to, just needs to be done correctly so he doesn't screw it up.
From what I read, it actually works, it only requires him to do a bios change to get each to start.
Fixing the boot loader with a Vista bootloader (if done properly) should rectify the issue.
He should make sure he has any recovery disks for Vista before proceeding so that if he gets it wrong, he can rebuild from scratch.
Oh and ALWAYS have a copy of any data on another system.
JCPosted: 20/02/2009 re: XP buggered Vista If the XP version is 32-bit, like Frank has stated, and the Vista is 64-bit, no wonder this laptop is 'confused'.
Totally confused.
Every 'driver'(in every program) and this does include the motherboard drivers.....is 'in competition'...with each other. (XP 32-bit verses Vista 64-bit)
The only Windows OS that does use both.......is the XP Pro 64-bit OS!
(and, even then, the 'drivers' used for it......come from the Windows 2003 Server OS. With a lot of 'fiddling-around'..to get things right!)
When you think that you DO have it right, it (XP 64-bit OS) will throw itself 'into a fit'...using the 2003 Server drivers!
Why?
Because they are NOT the correct drivers! (Even though Microsoft will 'advise' you to use them.....because there are NO new drivers 'available'.)
Microsoft's way of 'cost-cutting'.
In fact, NOBODY has really gone into REALLY 'developing' these 64-bit drivers......for XP 64-bit OSs.
Again, why?
Because Vista was 'coming onto the Market'....(technology outpacing itself, in other words.)
Sidney, you might be able to 'recover' Vista.....IF you DELETE the WHOLE partition that you put XP into.
The MBR might( and, I'm really saying "might" here) still work.
If it does NOT, you could install XP(whatever version it is that you have)....by doing a COMPLETE re-installation!
Of XP, from the BIOS Boot-up method. (That is, to RESET the 'Boot-up sequence'...to CD 1st.)
To make this work properly, do a Full Format (not a 'Quick' one) of the whole hard-drive.
Why?
To RESET the MBR 'files'....of the badly corrupted lot your 'fooling-around' has caused.
If you want Vista back, I sure hope you DO have the "Installation Disc"...for it.
The 'same' will APPLY...to Vista. (The 're-installation' of it.)
So, which one is it to be?
XP?
Or,Vista?
You could take it back..to where you brought your laptop...BUT, I think they won't be too happy....with you,either, for making such a mess of your laptop.
I wouldn't be, either, if you bought it to me.
FrankPosted: 19/02/2009 re: XP buggered Vista That`s one for the books, why on earth did you do that for?. You probably installed the 32 Bit version of XP but i am not sure if that would make any difference while dual booting.
Oh well, you might have to choose between the two, and hopefully you can restore Vista from the harddrive or reformat and load XP hopefully Pro Edition.
Frank N Stein |