Re: WinXP dual boot install to separate HD breaks Win2k

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

Your post is a little too vague to provide any useful information.
Statements such as
- I copied the boot.ini file (which file? what does it look like?)
- giving the same error (what error might that be?)
may mean a lot to you but they mean nothing to the reader.

Let's have a look at your current boot.ini! Tell us where
exactly Win2000 and WinXP reside (drive and directory)!

As I said before, the WinXP versions ntldr and ntdetect.com
are perfectly OK for Win2000, regardless of the service pack.



Well, I've already provided that information earlier in this thread. I've been trimming the replies to keep the individual messages brief (good etiquette). A click of a button on your newsgroup reader should sort the messages by thread.

To repeat, in summary:

Win2KSP4 on C:/WINNT (SATA) (clean install)
Then WinXPSP2 installed to D:/WINDOWS (IDE) (clean install)
Win2K will no longer boot, with error "Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM" immediately after boot selection (no progress bar).
Making a boot diskette A: with the same new boot.ini on C: after the WinXP install but using the ntldr and ntdetect.com files from prior to the WinXP install (retrieved from backup), allows Win2k to boot fine (but WinXP won't).
Using ntldr and ntdetect.com files from a WinXPSP1 CD behaves the same as the WinXPSP2 files. I still need to try original XP files (as soon as I find them). I can also try just the prior ntldr file with the new ntdetect file (and vice versa), as it likely is just one of the two causing the problem, but I'm not sure if a mismatch in their versions would cause a different problem.

boot.ini:

[boot loader]
timeout=20
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Recovery Console" /cmdcons
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Dual boot problem
    ... Boot the machine with your WinXP CD. ... problem then arises about providing the load files for the ... If ntldr and ntdetect.com could simply be copied ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Can I install XP on a second drive and keep W2K on first drive ?
    ... have to mark the WinXP partition "active" in order for ... WinXP's boot loader to run and to put up the boot menu ... > XP's NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files, ... > install CD to the root directory of the boot drive/partition. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: WinPE Dual Boot
    ... WinPE; to the best of my knowledge, boot.ini is not available for what ... Why not use the facility of WinXP's boot files and just use them ... WinXP and WinPE, ntldr and boot.ini and ntdetect.com can be ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Make Parallell Win XP Pro Install Bootable
    ... ntldr and ntdetect.com files ... >> primary partition as long as the boot.ini file designates ... WinXP I would be at least a step or two ahead ... > to boot into the F: ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: How do I solve this boot.ini problem with WinXP?
    ... I've redone it all and I've made a bit of progress but, alas, WinXP still ... I copied those two files from the CD into the root of the 2K partition by ... Win2K didn't object. ... full boot menu in the DOS-like screen. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers)