MERGING C WITH OTHER PARTITION(2 OSs)

[arena2]

Hi all!!

Here is the problem.

partiton c: win xp sp2 30GB, boots from there
partition f: win 7 sp1 16GB

I formated C, and of course the pc could not boot...(before formating, everything was fine with a boot loader giving the options to boot from either OS)

Reinstalled xp on C

installed ecb(on c) but ecb can not access boot record. Now only xp running...

What I want is to merge C with F maintainng win 7 and of course to let the pc boot normally.

Thank you!

 

[Aquinus]

Ideally what you should do is just delete both partitions when you're installing Windows XP and create 1 that is the size of the disk, but if you want to do it inside Windows, you'll want to use the Disk Manager (Start menu -> Run, Type in diskmgmt.msc, hit enter.) Inside here you can delete the partition you don't want and re-size your partition to the size of the drive.

 

[arena2]

Ideally what you should do is just delete both partitions when you're installing Windows XP and create 1 that is the size of the disk, but if you want to do it inside Windows, you'll want to use the Disk Manager (Start menu -> Run, Type in diskmgmt.msc, hit enter.) Inside here you can delete the partition you don't want and re-size your partition to the size of the drive.

ok

but If I delete C(win xp) then merge, will it boot with win 7??

 

[Aquinus]

ok

but If I delete C(win xp) then merge, will it boot with win 7??

Yes, but only if the Windows 7 bootloader is what the MBR points to. The windows install disk can recover this if it doesn't.

 

[95Viper]

The windows install disk can recover this if it doesn't.

^This^

Then when you get back into windows 7 you can manipulate your disk with windows disk management or some partitioning software of your choice.

 

[arena2]

currently I can only run XP....
I assume that the MBR points to xp loader

 

[95Viper]

If windows 7 is still on your drive in a partition this should work.
If you have a windows xp partition, it will probably show both OSes in the repair window.
Delete the partition with xp, as it seemed from your post that is your goal, then run the recovery.

Look here for a guide--> How To Easily Repair Windows 7 Boot Problems Using Startup Repair

 

[erixx]

Next time, before doing this mark "Show hidden folders, system files, etc" in folder options. It will show your boot files and folders. And plan accordingly.

You could repair W7 and it will rebuild boot. Contrary, Win XP does not "know of" a windows 7 as XP was created years before and cannot rebuilt anything related to w7...

 

[arena2]

no win 7 dvd

problem is that I do not have the win 7 DVD.....

 

[erixx]

get and ISO (you can d/l an official ISO from MS.com) and make a dvd/pendrive

 

[arena2]

ok but what about manipulating ecb(currently not spoting boot record as I said) ??? probably

 

[erixx]

acronims galore.. someone will help you with "ecb", for me it is European Central Bank.

 

[Tatty_Two]

currently I can only run XP....
I assume that the MBR points to xp loader

In your xp, Goto "start" >>> "run" >>> type in "Msconfig" then select the "boot.INI" tab ..... is just the one OS shown there at the top?

 

[arena2]

In your xp, Goto "start" >>> "run" >>> type in "Msconfig" then select the "boot.INI" tab ..... is just the one OS shown there at the top?

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="microsft win xp home ed..."/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

[Tatty_Two]

Ok well at least that answers that question, xp is not recognising the existence of 7, if I remember rightly thats normal, 7 would recognise xp but not vice versa and I am guessing that in itself is the problem here if, as you say, the full Win 7 installation remains on that particular partition, your play with xp sent that primary and it won't recognise 7.

One way to get around this is to download "easy BCD", you can get it from Softpedia or CNet free, once you open that up it should all make sense, it should recognise both installations and allow you to set them both, it's ages since I last used it and am at work now but I remember it being pretty straitforward, it sorted similar problems I had about 18 months ago.

 

[arena2]

Ok well at least that answers that question, xp is not recognising the existence of 7, if I remember rightly thats normal, 7 would recognise xp but not vice versa and I am guessing that in itself is the problem here if, as you say, the full Win 7 installation remains on that particular partition, your play with xp sent that primary and it won't recognise 7.

One way to get around this is to download "easy BCD", you can get it from Softpedia or CNet free, once you open that up it should all make sense, it should recognise both installations and allow you to set them both, it's ages since I last used it and am at work now but I remember it being pretty straitforward, it sorted similar problems I had about 18 months ago.

As I said easy BCD Easy BCD cannot access the boot record unless I upload something manually something that does with registry ..sorry I don't remember the pop up message.....

 

[arena2]

...the message says " could not access boot configuration....would you like to manually load a BCD registry for Easy BCD to manage? Please note that Easy BCD requires the win7/loader and will not work in only xp environments"

 

[Tatty_Two]

try it!

 

[arena2]

try it!

Do not know how!

 

[Tatty_Two]

Does this help?

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...boot-win-7-partition-not-booting-anymore.html

Follow down thread.