Hello, looking for some help with a couple of boot issues i'm having with my Windows 7 computer.
I had better start from the beginning:
This computer has 4 HDDs, 2x 1TB HDDs for storage, 2 for my seperate windows installations.
Story:
The first operating system was Windows XP and is currently installed to the Master HDD. I was messing around and mounted a .iso backup of my Windows XP setup disc to a virtual drive. I started the install from within XP and it rebooted my computer. Since I had the original Windows Recovery Console installed it gave me the option to complete the setup or boot into XP. I decided to boot into XP and now 1 year later windows XP setup is still there and is even the default option for the windows 7 boot menu. I can run the windows XP install whenever I reboot if I wish.
Problem 1. I want to wipe this setup from my HDD. Which may be simple since I also want to format my Master HDD so that I can swap the 2 HDD's order and have it serve as a backup hard drive.
Story (cont.):
My windows XP boot menu continues to offer me 3 options. Run windows XP/Run the Recovery Console/Run Windows XP setup. Life goes on and then Windows 7 comes out. I need to give it a whirl so I install it to my Slave HDD. Install goes off without a hitch and I am able to duel boot perfectly fine into XP or 7 using the windows 7 boot manager. The only minor issue is that when I reboot I am given 4 options: 1. Previous windows installation, 2. Windows 7, 3. Windows Recovery Console, 4. Windows XP setup (default option)
Problem 2:
Now, I am at the point where I want to get rid of my XP install and everything on that hard drive. The only problem is when I bump my Slave HDD with Windows 7 to first priority in the boot order, I can't get into the windows 7 boot manager. My system POSTs fine and then the RAID message flashes like normal (note RAID is hard disabled in the BIOS and is not enabled via any software), the RAID message also flashes when I enter the BIOS setup or before the Windows 7 boot manager loads. Then right when the boot manager should load it just hangs at a black screen with the key cursor flashing. There is no HDD activity, and the system could probably hang like that for 10 years with no effect.
If I set my Primary HDD back up to first in the boot order I get back to normal.
Summary:
I want to wipe my Primary HDD clean. First though I need to be able to boot into my secondary HDD/Windows 7 OS before I can do this since currently I can only boot using the Primary HDD. The Windows XP Setup situation may be complicating the matter.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR READING THIS AND FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!!!
I had better start from the beginning:
This computer has 4 HDDs, 2x 1TB HDDs for storage, 2 for my seperate windows installations.
Story:
The first operating system was Windows XP and is currently installed to the Master HDD. I was messing around and mounted a .iso backup of my Windows XP setup disc to a virtual drive. I started the install from within XP and it rebooted my computer. Since I had the original Windows Recovery Console installed it gave me the option to complete the setup or boot into XP. I decided to boot into XP and now 1 year later windows XP setup is still there and is even the default option for the windows 7 boot menu. I can run the windows XP install whenever I reboot if I wish.
Problem 1. I want to wipe this setup from my HDD. Which may be simple since I also want to format my Master HDD so that I can swap the 2 HDD's order and have it serve as a backup hard drive.
Story (cont.):
My windows XP boot menu continues to offer me 3 options. Run windows XP/Run the Recovery Console/Run Windows XP setup. Life goes on and then Windows 7 comes out. I need to give it a whirl so I install it to my Slave HDD. Install goes off without a hitch and I am able to duel boot perfectly fine into XP or 7 using the windows 7 boot manager. The only minor issue is that when I reboot I am given 4 options: 1. Previous windows installation, 2. Windows 7, 3. Windows Recovery Console, 4. Windows XP setup (default option)
Problem 2:
Now, I am at the point where I want to get rid of my XP install and everything on that hard drive. The only problem is when I bump my Slave HDD with Windows 7 to first priority in the boot order, I can't get into the windows 7 boot manager. My system POSTs fine and then the RAID message flashes like normal (note RAID is hard disabled in the BIOS and is not enabled via any software), the RAID message also flashes when I enter the BIOS setup or before the Windows 7 boot manager loads. Then right when the boot manager should load it just hangs at a black screen with the key cursor flashing. There is no HDD activity, and the system could probably hang like that for 10 years with no effect.
If I set my Primary HDD back up to first in the boot order I get back to normal.
Summary:
I want to wipe my Primary HDD clean. First though I need to be able to boot into my secondary HDD/Windows 7 OS before I can do this since currently I can only boot using the Primary HDD. The Windows XP Setup situation may be complicating the matter.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR READING THIS AND FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!!!
