Windows 7 Double boot installation corrupted

[ErwinE]

I installed Windows 7 four days ago in addition to an already existing Windows XP installation.
After trying hibernation on my windows 7 system, I could not reboot any longer for 'ntldr is missing'. Recovery within Windows 7 repair options failed, so I used EasyBCD in order to be able to boot again.
Windows 7 is now able to boot but not the older and very important Windows XP installation. Windows 7 is installed on partion C (harddisk 1), while Windows XP is installed on drive D (harddisk 2). So I added within EasyBCD the additional windows installation. EasyBCD created the following boot.ini (on drive C:

[boot loader]
timeout=20
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP on D:\" /fastdetect

There is visibly a wrong information within boot.ini for the Windows XP installation, it should be rdisk 0 as is shown by the old boot.ini:

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Erwin Arbeit" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

I tried to modify the boot.ini file (created by EasyBCD) on drive C but even if I removed the 'only read' attribute, Windows 7 did not allow me to make the necessary modification ('no writing allowed'), in spite of my role as an administrator.

What can I do in order to make the necessary modifications?
Where should ntldr and ntdetect and boot.ini be located? on drive C or drive D?

Would be grateful for advice

Erwin

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing a boot issue after installing Windows 7 alongside an existing Windows XP installation. Here's how you can address the problem and make the necessary modifications:

### Steps to Correct the Boot Issue and Modify the Boot.ini File:

1. Location of Boot Files:
- The boot files like ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini should ideally be on the system partition, which is usually the partition where Windows is installed.

2. Modifying the Boot.ini File:
- To modify the boot.ini file for the Windows XP installation, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the file and select "Properties."
- Go to the "Security" tab and click on "Edit."
- Select your user account and check the "Full control" box to allow write access.
- Click "Apply" and then "OK" to confirm the changes.

3. Correcting the Boot.ini Information:
- Update the boot.ini entry for Windows XP to point to the correct disk and partition:

plaintext
     multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Erwin Arbeit" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

4. Ensuring Correct Boot Loader Configuration:
- Make sure that the boot configuration is set correctly in EasyBCD for both Windows 7 and Windows XP. Verify that the entries match the actual disk and partition setup.

5. Verifying Boot Configuration:
- Check the boot order in your BIOS settings to ensure that the correct hard drive is set as the primary boot device.

6. Recovery Options:
- If you encounter difficulties modifying files on the Windows 7 partition, you can try booting into a Live CD or another Windows installation to access the files and make the necessary changes.

7. Location of Files:
- The ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini files should be on the same partition as the Windows XP installation (Drive D), as they are specific to the operating system they boot.

By following these steps and ensuring that the boot configuration is correctly set up for both Windows 7 and Windows XP, you should be able to resolve the 'ntldr is missing' issue and boot into both operating systems successfully.

If you encounter any further issues or need additional assistance, feel free to ask!