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Windows boot question


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#1 pscEx

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 05:37 PM

Let me first tell something about history:

 

I still(!) use XP x86 as the primary platform for my developments. I do not like, when e.g. in Win7 Billy the Door always knows better than me, what I want to do.

 

For some test reasons I had to install XP x64 in a different partition. That brought no issue, in the boot menu I could do my choice.

 

For some other test reasons I had to install Win7. After that, in the boot menu, I had the choice between "previous" XP x86 and Win7.

That has been also no problem, because I usually wanted to boot XP x86, not to use x64.

 

Now, in the WinBuilder development, I wanted to check some x64 issues, and tried to reanimate the sleeping XP x64 partition.

 

I used EasyBcd 2.2 to add XP x64 to the boot menu. Result: BSOD

Then I added XP x64 manally to boot.ini. Result: othing new happened.

After some "fishing in the dark", which I cannot exactly remember (sorry !!!) , suddenly my PC booted into XP x64 !!!

 

But it was not longer possible to boot into XP x86.

 

Checking the file system, I found in my primary boot disk a new file ebcd.001 with the contents:

; This boot.ini was automatically generated by NeoSmart Technologies' BootGrabber.exe
; Use EasyBCD from http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1 to manage your bootloader

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP on H:\" /fastdetect

And now my current procdere:

When I want to boot into XP x64, I let ebcd.001 untouched.

When I want to boot into XP x86, I rename this file to _ebcd.001.

 

Is there any way to use BCD or an editor to bring the x86 / x64 option into the boot menu?

 

For experts, here some contents:

BCD:

Spoiler

C:\Boot.ini:

Spoiler

 

Peter



#2 ilko

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Posted 13 February 2014 - 01:35 AM

This explains what EasyBCD does, or tried to do:
http://neosmart.net/...oot/windows-xp/

Can you run from within Windows 7:

bcdedit /enum /all

You could simply avoid EasyBCD and go back to manufacturer default settings- bootmgr/BCD menu:

Windows 7

Previous Windows versions

 

The latter loads untouched NTLDR from XP x64 with configuration in boot.ini:

 

XP i386

XP x64

 

Amend boot.ini to reflect actual paths to each OS.

 

Alternatively, you could mimic EasyBCD behaviour- add BCD entry for XP x64 - patched NTLDR from XP x64, name it NTLDR64, which loads boot.in1 for example, which contains paths to XP x64:

boot.in1 :

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP x64" /fastdetect

Another entry for another patched NTLDR, could be from either 32 or 64 bit XP, call it NTLDR32, patch it to load boot.in2, which contains paths to XP i386.

 

boot.in2:

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows i386" /fastdetect

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#3 pscEx

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Posted 13 February 2014 - 11:34 AM

Thanks, ilko!

 

I got it to run with your explanations. :clap:

 

Peter






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