BleepingComputer.com: Dual Boot Vista w/XP last step...Help Please

Hi everyone!
I am almost to the finish line trying to complete the dual booting process by intalling the Windows XP Home SP3 OS to my
current OS, which is Vista Ultimate SP1. But first, here is my system info:

Windows Vista Ultimate SP1
Intel® Pentium® Dual CPU T2370 @1.73GHz 1.73 GHz.
Memory (RAM) 1.00 GB.
32-bit OS.

The XP installation process went smoothly. All the program files and system files are there(so I thought). The Vista is in C: drive and the XP is in E: drive, which I have created and formatted. Here comes the problem. I CAN NOT BOOT FROM THE XP Home Edition although at the booting screen, it allows me the OS booting option which are Windows Vista Ultimate and XP Home SP1. Vista boots with ease but the XP on the other hand, refuses to do so. The booting window pops up and begins the process but instantly shuts down and follows with this error at the Windows Boot Manager:

File: \NTLDR

Status: 0x000000f

Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

Fine. These are the steps I took trying to solve this error.

1. Copied the NTLDR and the NTDETECT files from the Vista root drive(C:\ntldr/NTDETECT) to XP root drive(E:\ntldr/NTDETECT).
2. Used the EasyBCD 1.7.2 application to add new entry(XP) at the booting.

Unfortunately, it did not solve this problem. I have no choice but to run Vista as of now. However, when I open up msconfig. Under the BOOT tab, there is only one OS available and that is the all mighty Vista. No XP. How can I add the installed XP OS to the BOOT list using the msconfig, if possible? Also, where can I locate the boot.ini file on my computer? I'm referring to the XP drive since Vista uses boot.mgr, I believe. It was suggested on the other forum that these three files(ntldr, ntdetect, and boot.ini) should be in the same root drives of both Vista & XP. However, I can not locate this file(boot.ini). Mind you, I have all the hidden system files opened. Can someone please help me out on how to boot from the XP OS?

Thank you for any help or input.

This post has been edited by PCsavyguy: 16 December 2008 - 06:31 PM

Can you describe to us the exact steps that you took to install XP as a dual boot on your Vista system? Maybe a link to a procedure or something similar?

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_a...uide.htm?page=6
If the Windows XP bootload corrupts during the install, performing a reinstall won’t fix it, nor will going into the XP Recovery Mode and attempting to repair the MBR.

Luckily, the install was up to the stage where all you need to do is be able to boot from the Windows XP partition, and the install will pick up from where it left off.

To achieve this, follow the procedure outlined on the page titled "Restoring Vista and Dualbooting" to restore the Vista bootloader.)

This allows the system to boot into Vista, and then you can use EasyBCD to create an XP boot entry and boot into that to continue on with XP's installation.


How are you able to use Ultimate with 1gig of ram? Are you using a flash drive to supplement? Just curious.

Nice link buddy215! Thanks!

usasma, on Dec 16 2008, 06:01 AM, said:

Sure:
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_wi...screenshots.htm

buddy215, on Dec 16 2008, 06:38 AM, said:

I followed the installation tutorial step by step and successfully booted into the XP OS automatically. Then I completed the Vista repair procedure to gain access in order to use the EasyBCD to add new entry at the Boot prompt. Another success. But now, when I select the XP option at the boot screen, it would just prompt the forementioned error which I described on my first post. As for your question regarding RAM, I'm not sure nor I have much knowledge of computer particularly RAM but when I clicked on the System icon in the Control Panel, all the OS system info are presented and I copied them. Is it too much or too little amount of RAM?

This post has been edited by PCsavyguy: 16 December 2008 - 06:29 PM

Have you tried the procedure at the link that buddy215 recommended?

Most of what I have read says that Vista Ultimate needs 4 gigs of RAM to fully use all of the eye candy.
That is all that a 32 bit system will handle.

I have not done the Vista/XP dual booting, but I thought the site I linked to was very thorough in trouble shooting your
problem. Suggest you go back thru reading it. After a good night's sleep.

http://www.crucial.com/store/drammemory.aspx
Use the crucial advisory memory tool in the link above. It is a good site to purchase from. Good Guarantee. Good Products.

I went through this procedure not long ago. Had Vista on, created a new partition and installed XP.
Fixed the Vista boot loader with VistaBootPro. Won't boot XP. "ntldr missing or corrupt" error.

The step by step in this link should fix you up if you have have XP install CD with the repair console:

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm#b

What happens is when you install XP from the CD it puts ntldr and ntdetect.com onto the root of drive C:\ no matter what partition you install XP into. When you fix up the Vista boot loader, it tries to boot XP from the partition you installed but ntldr and ntdetect.com aren't there. You just need to copy those 2 files to the root of the partition where you installed XP.

In the above procedure once you press R for repair console the key you press next may vary depending on which partition has XP but you should be able to figure it out.

After you copy those 2 files all should work as expected on the next boot.