After restoring Window XP image, 'lost' Windows 7 (Dual Boot)

[itsonlydanny]

Hi there,

 

For quite some time, I've had a dual-boot setup - with Windows XP 32-bit as my 'default' O/S (on Drive C) and Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on Drive D. And both are on the same HDD.

 

Anyway, a few days - after a few problems - I loaded-up a back-up version of XP from an image file using Drive Snapshot v.1.40. No problems, except I could no longer boot-up into 7 (the menu/option disappeared).

 

Unperturbed, I booted-up from my Windows 7 DVD disk and did a start-up repair/fix. However, I still couldn't boot into 7. Naturally, I fired up Easy BCD (v.2.1.2, non-commercial) and had a look. Oddly, or maybe not oddly, 7 was listed but XP was not. I added XP as an entry - but still the same situation. Then I reset the BCD configuration and manually added XP and 7 to the boot menu. After looking at this, under MBR Configure Options, I selected 'Install the Windows Vista/7' bootloader to the MBR' - but still no luck.

 

NOTE: tried iReboot, selected Windows 7 (yes, it was listed!), but got the same result - back to XP upon boot up. Some additional info if it helps. I have a \boot\BCD folder on the XP partition, but I do not have a \bootmgr file - only, a 'boot.ini' file. Perhaps oddly, on the F partition/drive, where I have no O/S - which is on a separate HDD - I have a \boot folder, a 'bootmgr' file and a 'bootini' file. On my Windows 7 partition, however, I have nothing: that is, no boot folder, 'bootmgr' file or 'boot.ini' file. Changing the BIOS boot order in order to boot from the F HDD makes no difference nor nor does physically disconnecting it and then doing another EasyBCD 'repair'/'installing the Windows Vista/7 bootloader to the MBR (onto partition D,).

 

Any idea as to what I should do next?

 

Thanks,

[DanTheGamer11]

Probably won't do nothing but did ya try different ports?DOes W7 work alone?

[WhenKittensATK]

I didn't read it but chances are you may need to reinstall the bootloader.

 

Edit: Nevermind, seems you already tried that.

Edited February 23, 2012 by AZNguyen

[BluePanda]

Sounds like the tools you are using may be writing the boot information to the wrong drive. Is your "secondary" drive listed as the first boot disk in your BIOS?