Windows 7 x64 - Drive Letter Change - BSOD

[JN2Wheels]

Hello!
Dual Boot Win7 x64 beta
XP x32

After installing Win7 into a new partition, the OS started up fine from the new dual boot screen, but I didn't have access to my Win XP partition from within explorer. In disk management, I was able to add a letter to my WinXP volume (I took the next available "O") and it popped up in explorer no problem. However, after restarting, Win 7 begins to load, then BSODs way too fast to think about catching with camera. I got the option to run startup repair at the restart, and I did so. The conclusion there was that I had plugged in a device during the last session that was now causing problems. That is bogus, unless that device is my newly lettered partition. I read many a thread in here about re-lettering a partition that had lost its letter in the intall (usually the other OS volume in a dual-boot environment), but didn't see those posters then have issues upon restart.

I can boot into XP, although here now NONE of my drives have letters.

Any Help? I really was diggin' my win7 time, and really enjoyed taking advantage of all my RAM and x64 versions of CS4 and CAD.

Thanks.

-JN

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like reassigning drive letters resulted in a boot issue with Windows 7. Here's a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this problem: 1. Use Windows XP to Correct Drive Letters: - Boot into Windows XP where you can still access all drives. - Go to Disk Management in XP. - Try to revert the drive letters to the original configuration. Ensure each partition has the correct letter assignment, especially for the Windows XP partition. 2. Using Windows 7 Boot Repair: - Boot from the Windows 7 installation DVD or USB. - Choose the "Repair your computer" option. - Select the Windows 7 installation and then choose Command Prompt. - Use the bootrec command-line tool: - Type bootrec /RebuildBcd and press Enter. - Type bootrec /FixMbr and press Enter. - Type bootrec /FixBoot and press Enter. 3. Check Partition Table: - Sometimes, changing drive letters can affect the partition table. Ensure that the partition layout and settings are correct using disk partitioning tools in Windows 7 recovery options. 4. Verify Boot Configuration: - Double-check the boot configuration data (BCD) in Windows 7 to ensure the correct partition and boot settings. Incorrect entries can cause boot failures. 5. Restore Drive Letters: - If reverting drive letters in XP didn't work, try assigning drive letters again in Windows 7 recovery console or using disk management tools. 6. Backup Important Data: - If all else fails, consider backing up critical data from both Windows XP and Windows 7 partitions before attempting major changes or reinstallations. By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the boot issue you're encountering in the dual-boot setup between Windows 7 and XP.