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Thread ID: 76651 2007-02-08 04:13:00 Windows XP Wont Boot, Please Help! kLOTTiS (7106) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
523748 2007-02-08 04:13:00 Hey guys,

I have a computer with relatively new specs, and it has 2 Hard Drives, One 250gb and one 20gb. I have recently installed a trial version of Windows Vista on the 20gb HDD while the other Hard Drive was unplugged to make sure it didn't try to Upgrade or Damage my MBR. I have used it for a couple of days and decided that since it was only a 30 day trial, that I would not install any programs that I could have on my XP install. I have Vista running with my XP Hard drive as a Slave, However yesterday when I needed to burn some family videos onto a DVD for my sister who left Auckland this morning , It came up with an error something along the lines of "Invalid Boot Disk Please Insert Boot Disk" shortly after the "Press Del to enter setup" on a Phoenix or Award Bios. So I missed out on giving her the disk, Not a huge deal, I can post it to her on a later date.

However I cant boot into my XP Install, Vista is still working (for now) and I can access the data through Vista

Can somebody please help! I would really really like my computer back :p Using Vista is not an option and I have around 20 days left until Activation Expires

All I remember doing to the other Hard drive is creating a folder called Local Disk ( C; ) - Thats with a semi-colon and putting a couple of mp3s and photos in there. Would that make a difference?
kLOTTiS (7106)
523749 2007-02-08 04:20:00 It came up with an error something along the lines of "Invalid Boot Disk Please Insert Boot Disk" shortly after the "Press Del to enter setup" on a Phoenix or Award Bios.

Is it on the hdd, thats got XP on it? The boot option in the BIOS?

There's no floppies in the disk drive, if u have a disk drive is there? Or cd's in the cdrom?
Speedy Gonzales (78)
523750 2007-02-08 04:23:00 Once you had Vista installed did you boot the machine with both hard drives plugged in? Vista has probably altered the mbr on the big XP drive.
I've heard (read) it doesnt tolerate dual booting very well.
Vista can be really nice like that........
This doesnt solve your problem tho.
You could try a third party boot manager such as XOSL
www2.arnes.si
racepics (7812)
523751 2007-02-08 04:49:00 Is it on the hdd, thats got XP on it? The boot option in the BIOS?

There's no floppies in the disk drive, if u have a disk drive is there? Or cd's in the cdrom?

It has a floppy drive, but its empty and there was nothing in the CD or DVD drives
kLOTTiS (7106)
523752 2007-02-08 04:50:00 Once you had Vista installed did you boot the machine with both hard drives plugged in? Vista has probably altered the mbr on the big XP drive.
I've heard (read) it doesnt tolerate dual booting very well.
Vista can be really nice like that........
This doesnt solve your problem tho.
You could try a third party boot manager such as XOSL
www2.arnes.si

Not on the first boot, I put the slave (XP) in about the 3rd time I booted into Vista
kLOTTiS (7106)
523753 2007-02-08 07:17:00 Can u see the XP hdd, if u boot Vista up??

If u can check the boot . ini file on the XP hdd . Copy and paste what it says here .

It may have something wrong in it, or its got an invalid entry .

You'll have to untick the protected system files in my computer to see it .
Speedy Gonzales (78)
523754 2007-02-09 04:22:00 Can u see the XP hdd, if u boot Vista up??

If u can check the boot . ini file on the XP hdd . Copy and paste what it says here .

It may have something wrong in it, or its got an invalid entry .

You'll have to untick the protected system files in my computer to see it .

Hmmm . . . I had a look for boot . ini on my XP Drive (Which is mounted as F: in Vista) and couldn't find it, Where abouts should it be? I did a search and found boot . ini . backup maybe its gone completely but has a backup?
kLOTTiS (7106)
523755 2007-02-09 04:52:00 This was found in F:/Windows/pss (Normally C:/Windows/pss)
along with system.ini.backup and win.ini.backup and @ vista sidebar .lnkStartup
:D
It doesnt look like a system folder to me
kLOTTiS (7106)
523756 2007-02-09 06:09:00 It should be on F (whatever XP is on) on F .

Its not in a folder, well its not in a folder on this . Just C:\boot . ini
Speedy Gonzales (78)
523757 2007-02-12 03:00:00 Just to clarify

F:/ is Windows XP
C:/ is Vista

Sorry to confuse you.

There is no boot.ini file in F:/ Root Directory and hidden files and folders are being shown
kLOTTiS (7106)
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