Windows 7 Went dual-boot, caused major issues.

[swatsor]

I went dual-boot, and now my Vista partition is somehow really messed up. I'll give as much info as possible on what I think the problem is:

My Windows 7 x64 Partition reads under Disk Management:
"Healthy (Boot, File Page, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)"

My Windows Vista x86 Partition reads:
"Healthy (System, Active, Primary Partition)"

Vista loads desktop, explorer crashes, sits on blank screen with error messages relating to .dll files flashing
Windows 7 works just fine, but it won't install video drivers whatsoever, and will not work with my optical drive.

Any ideas guys???

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing some complex issues with your dual-boot setup between Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Here are some steps you can consider to troubleshoot and potentially resolve these problems:

Windows Vista Issues:​

1. Explorer Crashes: It appears that there might be a corruption issue with Windows Vista, especially with DLL files. You can try to boot into Safe Mode (F8 at startup) and run a system file checker scan to repair any corrupt system files. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and type sfc /scannow.
2. Blank Screen: The blank screen issue could be caused by a graphics driver problem. To troubleshoot this, try booting into safe mode, uninstall the current graphics drivers, and then install the appropriate drivers for your system.

   Windows 7 Issues:​

3. Video Driver Installation: If Windows 7 is unable to install video drivers, try downloading the latest drivers directly from the manufacturer's website. Make sure you are installing the correct drivers for your graphics card and Windows 7 version (32-bit or 64-bit).
4. Optical Drive Issue: If your optical drive is not working in Windows 7, check Device Manager to see if there are any errors related to the optical drive. You may need to update the drivers for the optical drive or check for any firmware updates.

   Dual-Boot Considerations:​

5. Boot Loader: As the boot partition is crucial for dual-booting, ensure that the Windows 7 boot loader (BCD) is correctly configured to load both Windows 7 and Windows Vista. You might need to repair the boot loader using the Windows Vista installation disc or a bootable USB.
6. Data Backup: Before proceeding with any major troubleshooting steps, it's always a good idea to back up your important data from both Windows 7 and Windows Vista partitions to prevent data loss. By addressing these issues step by step, you should be able to isolate and potentially resolve the problems you are facing on both Windows Vista and Windows 7 in your dual-boot configuration.