Windows 7 Triple Boot XP/Vista/7 - error with win 7 winload.exe

[Blueguitar]

Hi All

I am trying to get windows 7 to boot after installing it along side XP and Vista.

The OS's are all on seperate HDDs, all SATA and Win 7 having the luxury of being on SSD.

I have had the system on dual boot for about 2 years now and liking the flexibility, so I don't want to completly wreck the current setup.

Win 7 installed fine and first boot was OK and I had a little play around. On restart it was missing from the Boot manager. So I added it via DualBootPro 1.0. It appeared in the list and I made sure Vista was still OK, it was. Win 7 however came up with the missing or corrupt error relating to the winload.exe and sent me back to the OS choices.

After reading similar posts on the web I can see it as being a mix up with the boot files/paths. The BCD seems logically fine to look at but there is something underlying with it I can't put my finger on.

I have used DualBootPro in the Vista install and done the obvious to add Win 7 >> Add New OS entry >> Select Win 7 >> Select Drive I: (as it appears in Vista) >> Apply Updates. Reboot

One thing the SSD must be using a "System Reserved" drive it has created, I presume this is normal for SSD buffering and alike. The drive is drive G:

Also all my boot related files for the OS's seem to be on the XP drive.

Thanks

Blueguitar

 

[SIW2]

LOL.

Sounds like you are using Vista bootmanagement on the XP drive.

Please post a screenshot of Disk Management window and the output of bcdedit - or DualBootPro 1.0 ( never heard of that) showing the bcd entries.

Ok , it's the new name for VBPro - do they make you pay for that?

 

[Blueguitar]

Hi SIW2

I have the info.

There is currently 3 OS(s) installed on your system.
The current boot timeout is: 30
Default OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Business x64
Entry 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Microsoft Windows XP x64
BCD ID: {ntldr}
Boot Drive: D:
System Bootloader: \ntldr
Entry 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Microsoft Windows Vista Business x64
BCD ID: {current}
Boot Drive: C:
Windows Drive: C:
System Bootloader: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \Windows
Entry 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Microsoft Windows 7 x64
BCD ID: {e10092c1-c3fe-11de-a57b-0018f349afcf}
Boot Drive: I:
Windows Drive: I:
System Bootloader: \Windows\System32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \WINDOWS
------------------------------------------------------

Below is the screenshot from th edisk manager in Vista.

Incidently also on that "System Reserved" G: drive has the boot files also, I presume for the Win 7 install on the SSD.

The D: drive is the XP install (in Vista) and that has ntldr and the bootmgr files on it, you're right.

 

[Blueguitar]

On a seperate note yes DualBootPro is the new Vista Boot pro. And yes I paid for it, only £6 GBP. But I read in one or two forums about EasyBCD 1.7.2 NOT being fully compatable with Win 7, I just didn't want to ruin my current dual boot with XP and Vista.

NB. I do have EasyBCD still installed.

BlueGuitar

 

[SIW2]

Easybcd 1.7.2 works great with 7. The only thing it doen't handle is the bcd entries for vhd - you probably won't be using those just yet anyway.

There is a new Easybcd v2.0 in development - it's looking good , will be available quite soon.

Boot into Vista, open an elevated cmd prompt and type:

cd /d i:\windows\system32

then press enter

bcdboot i:\windows /s d:

then press enter.

close cmd prompt.

 

[Blueguitar]

Just so I have a clear mind on this. What will that tell the boot config to do once commands are entered ? We're almost there !!!

Blueguitar

 

[SIW2]

I can't give IT courses - haven't got the time.

Good you are curious, though - in short, you will use 7 boot management instead of the Vista one. It will look exactly the same to you - but you won't get the digital signature error.

 

[Blueguitar]

Thanks for the reply.

I have plenty of IT experience, just when doing things I don't do very often or haven't done I'm stuck.

I shall try it tonight. I presume that my entries for XP and Vista will be retained using Win 7's boot manager? And if not they can be added in easily.

Thanks

 

[SIW2]

Yes, all the existing bcd entries will be there.

Have Fun.

 

[reghakr]

Get into the BIOs settings and change the default drive it s trying to boot from to another drive. In other words, chnage the orderof the hard disk to boot first.

iT MAY BE TRIAL AND ERROR AT FIRST, BUT YOU'LL EVENTUALLY GET IT RIGHT.

You should now have the choices available

 

[SIW2]

Hi reghakr,

That is something completely different.

If Blue wants to change the boot drive as well - there are extra steps after he has followed the above commands.

 

[reghakr]

Hey SIW2,

What would those steps be?

Finding the boot manager on the correct hard drive should fix the problem.

I finally discovered that after many trial and errors

 

[SIW2]

You assume bootmgr is on every drive?

The bcd entries he currently has need to be added if he uses a different bcd store.

7 compatible mbr needs to be written to the drive he boots from.

You can do some of that by running startup repair several times after switching Boot order.

Much quicker and easier to use commands.

 

[reghakr]

Thanks for the info, hope it works

 

[SIW2]

It will definitely work if the instructions are followed - I have done it dozens of times.

Blue seems to know what he is doing - so no problem there.

Just those 2 commands to get rid of the digital sig error.

If he then wants to change the boot drive - a couple more things to do - pretty easy.

 

[Blueguitar]

Oh bummer, I'm getting "Failure when attempting to copy boot files" after the second command is entered.

​

 

[SIW2]

Interesting, give the 100 mb partition a drive letter, S is good.

Go to folder options and show Hidden and protected o/s files.

Have a look on S and see what's there.

 

[Blueguitar]

It already has the drive letter G: - Shall I still change it to S: ??

Bootmgr and the boot folder are there, along with the bootsect.bak

 

[reghakr]

SIW2,

Would this have something to do with the winload.exe file?

In what order were the OS's installed really doesn't matter if the Boot Files are on different drives. i HAVE AL THE BOOT FILES ON MY OTHER DRIVES, YET when CHOOSING THAR hard drive, IT AUTOMATICALLY STARTS IN VISTA.

moving THE Hard drive that contains the 7 installation should be set as the first drive in the BIOS.

You just have to locate the Windows 7 installation hard drive and change the boot order in the BIOS to start that drive firest...giving you all your choices.

changing DRIVE LETTER WILL DO YOU NO GOOD AS YOU CAN'T MOVE THE Windows INSTALLATION BOOT FILES T ANOTHER DRIVE LETTER.

Sorry for shouting, damn keyboard

?

 

[SIW2]

If you add an entry for 7 to Vista bcd - it doesn't get recognised because it is newer - hence - "I don't like the look of that digital sig." message.

If you do it the other way - it's fine - 7 understands Vista' winload dig. sig.

You can always move the boot critical files if you want to change boot drives.