![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
easy q: how to dual boot XP and 7 and get XP to be default bootup?
- Thread starter Deusfaux
- Start date
okay I think I have a new problem.
I deleted reformatted the win 7 disk, and reinstalled it on a new different disk.
I can set BIOS boot priority to either and not touch it and it works fine
HOWEVER, XP still has the which OS choice thing come up, and picking XP works of course, but picking Win 7 does not.
How do I correct it / inform it where win 7 is now?
I deleted reformatted the win 7 disk, and reinstalled it on a new different disk.
I can set BIOS boot priority to either and not touch it and it works fine
HOWEVER, XP still has the which OS choice thing come up, and picking XP works of course, but picking Win 7 does not.
How do I correct it / inform it where win 7 is now?
explain to me - is the stuff that's causing this behaviour on the XP disk, or on the Win7 disk?
when in win 7, there's only win 7 showing up in the bootloader
I would have assumed on the Win 7 disk, but then the fact that there is an OS choice only when the BIOS is set to boot from the XP disk first make me think it's on that disk.
when in win 7, there's only win 7 showing up in the bootloader
I would have assumed on the Win 7 disk, but then the fact that there is an OS choice only when the BIOS is set to boot from the XP disk first make me think it's on that disk.
Last edited:
Hi, Deusfaux,
Check the "Win7 ABCs - Great list of Windows 7 tutorials by MVP Shawn Brink!: entry 'Windows 7 - Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP'.
The bootloaders for XP and 7 are not the "same" and this requires manual intervention. EasyBCD helps in doing this.
Hope this helps.
Chuklr
do I even need to be using this software or doing anything special?
Since I'm using 2 different hard drives, it seems like it's always gonna be just as much effort upon start up to have to pick one OS or the other.
Without doing anything I can hit F8 then pick the right drive. And by changing the boot order I can change the default.
I'd still have to interact with the keyboard during bootup to pick an OS right?
So... there's nothing to be improved or gained here? No point messing with bootloaders and stuff?
Since I'm using 2 different hard drives, it seems like it's always gonna be just as much effort upon start up to have to pick one OS or the other.
Without doing anything I can hit F8 then pick the right drive. And by changing the boot order I can change the default.
I'd still have to interact with the keyboard during bootup to pick an OS right?
So... there's nothing to be improved or gained here? No point messing with bootloaders and stuff?
KayossZero
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2003
- Messages
- 420
Using the latest version(s) of EasyBCD which is EasyBCD 2.0 RC4 (Build 107) http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=642 you can easily do what you want.
Open EBCD and click "Edit Boot Menu" set XP as the top entry (Default) and set the "Boot Default OS after" to 0 seconds if you want instant XP boot with no nag screens.
Another app I recommend 100% is their iReboot tool http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=11
"iReboot is NeoSmart Technologies' simple yet effective reboot helper tool. iReboot sits in your taskbar at startup (only taking up 400KB of memory!) and lets you choose which operating system you want to reboot into. Instead of pressing restart, waiting for Windows to shut down, waiting for your BIOS to post, then selecting the operating system you want to boot into (within the bootloader time-limit!); you just select that entry from iReboot and let it do the rest! If you liked EasyBCD, you'll just love iReboot!"
Open EBCD and click "Edit Boot Menu" set XP as the top entry (Default) and set the "Boot Default OS after" to 0 seconds if you want instant XP boot with no nag screens.
Another app I recommend 100% is their iReboot tool http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=11
"iReboot is NeoSmart Technologies' simple yet effective reboot helper tool. iReboot sits in your taskbar at startup (only taking up 400KB of memory!) and lets you choose which operating system you want to reboot into. Instead of pressing restart, waiting for Windows to shut down, waiting for your BIOS to post, then selecting the operating system you want to boot into (within the bootloader time-limit!); you just select that entry from iReboot and let it do the rest! If you liked EasyBCD, you'll just love iReboot!"
I don't think you understand what I'm saying.
I mean, the BIOS appears to give me just as much control as this program does - so I see no point in using it.
With the BIOS I can choose which is the default, and I can also ignore the default and choose which drive I want manually by using F8.
I don't see any benefit to using EasyBCD - maybe it helps when you'd doing multi boots on ONE hard drive.
I mean, the BIOS appears to give me just as much control as this program does - so I see no point in using it.
With the BIOS I can choose which is the default, and I can also ignore the default and choose which drive I want manually by using F8.
I don't see any benefit to using EasyBCD - maybe it helps when you'd doing multi boots on ONE hard drive.
DeaconFrost
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2007
- Messages
- 11,587
You've encountered the reason I avoid multi-boot systems at all cost. The bootloader for Win7 is on the XP drive, so regardless of which option or drive you choose, it will boot to Windows 7 as the default.
You have two options. You can run a repair install on the XP drive so that boots alone, and do the same to the Windows 7 drive as well...so each one boot individually, and totally independent of the other. Then, BIOS switching is all you'll need to do.
Or, as a better option, step into current times and virtualize. Leave Windows 7 installed natively, and run XP in a VM, using any one of the free VM apps, like VirtualBox.