Questions related to formatting

@rishi0922-a2xTAa • Oct 27, 2024

Oct 27, 2024

1.4K

I have a question in my mind from a long days. So today i am going to ask this.
When we makes a partition and at first if we loads XP in 1st partition and then again if we loads suppose Win 7 in another partition.
Then after somedays if I wan't to remove Win 7 with any other OS, but not to remove XP from is partition.
So if I formats that Win 7 partition with any other OS by keeping the Win XP safe, I found that after formatting Win 7 partition with other OS my XP is also unavailable and only that particular OS is loaded .
So i wan't to know what's the reason of this ?
Is XP performs as Masterboot ?

Like 0 Replies 11

Replies

Welcome, guest

Join CrazyEngineers to reply, ask questions, and participate in conversations.

CrazyEngineers powered by Jatra Community Platform

Leo

@leo-ZJQlmh • Sep 12, 2010

Hi Rishi the above problem occurs due to boot loader priority.

Previous versions of Windows(Before vista) use NTLDR which acts as boot loader for XP too, when MS launched Vista he replaced NTLDR with more powerful boot loader GRLDR. When newer loader is launched the new boot loader gets priority in boot, so the new boot loader stores information about the previous boot loader and replaces it in MBR.
So here is priority of boot loader which is standard even today,
1. GRUB (Grand Unified Boot) Linux and Unix Boot Loader
2. LILO (Linux Loader) Linux
3. GRLDR (Windows Version of GRUB Loader) For Vista and above
4. NTLDR (New Technology Loader) For XP and below

So when you formatted Windows 7 the GRLDR information got lost and you are now not able to load Windows XP because NTLDR information was stored in GRLDR. To get rid of this problem try this.

1. Boot your system with XP CD.
2. Select repair system in command prompt mode
3. Type FIXMBR .It will ask for confirmation, allow it.
4. Then type FIXBOOT. It will again ask for confirmation, allow it.
5. Then try booting normally.

It should work fine, if not, try again, even not then just reverse order of commands type first FIXBOOT then FIXMBR. Reply that worked for you or not.
Happy Computing.
optimystix

@optimystix-4yMPKC • Sep 12, 2010

tell me if I am correct. From what I understand, you mean to say that you have installed XP on 1st partition and then WIN 7 on another one. So now while booting up the computer, you can see two options- WIN 7 and WIN XP. Now sometime later you wanted to remove WIN 7 keeping WIN XP intact. But after removal of WIN XP you see that XP becomes unavailable to you.

you must have removed WIN7 by formatting/deleting the partition with a WINDOWS disc right?
Earlier when you installed WIN 7, it took over the boot controls from Xp and later when you removed WIN 7, the boot entries containing boot info of WIN 7 n XP got removed/deleted. Just now your XP too is no longer available. To re-enable it, you need to restore the boot record in XP using various software available.

Tip: In future, if you ever need to delete WIN 7 , first restore the boot records in WIN XP and then delete the partition containing 7. It will be smooth sailing for you. 😀

EDIT: you will find LEO's explanation much better than mine 😛

note that, fixboot and fixmbr is the easiest solution available but causes a problem in windows partition.It is not the most efficient way to do it and thus avoid it. Use various software boot discs available to perform the operation or use easybcd to correct it. The best option is to set WIN XP as default in the boot loader and then delete the WIN 7 partition.
rishi0922

@rishi0922-a2xTAa • Sep 13, 2010

Thanks to Leo and Optimystix for such a helpful solution.....
ramana_slv

@ramana-slv-xx4JdA • Sep 13, 2010

Hai friends I have one doubt. When ever we install dual operating system first install one OS then remaing unpartitation for another OS ...
This is one way. Another way is install entire OS in the hard disk then second OS install particular harddrive(D,E,F...) like in this which one is best and why? please tell me ...............
rishi0922

@rishi0922-a2xTAa • Sep 13, 2010

@ramana:
If you can make partition of hard disk then all the partition that you have made becomes the local disk of your hard disk. So you can install your OS in any of the local disk which have sufficient memory.
So both the way is similar and you can use any of the way you wan't .......
anandkumarjha

@anandkumarjha-jzdDMA • Sep 14, 2010

I have one more doubt that according to optimistix if we install window 7 as a second os keeping XP for the first partition then while installing window 7 it takes boot control from window XP.Now insteed of removing window 7 if we remove XP ,will window 7 get removed as window xp does not have boot control now?
rishi0922

@rishi0922-a2xTAa • Sep 14, 2010

@anand:
Win 7 will not be removed but it's loader will not load it now ....
harihar rautaray

@harihar-rautaray-Fvxdnz • Sep 14, 2010

Friends when I login it asks to choose 2 OS of same "windows 2000 proffessional"
If i choose 2nd it gives a message "Not able to find"
and if I choose 1st it boots normally
it gives 30 sec to choose

can any one tell me why 2 OS is visible

thanks in advance
Leo

@leo-ZJQlmh • Sep 15, 2010

Hi Harihar you have installed same OS twice on same system hence this problem occured. Your HDD have two same boot loader i.e NTLDR and NTLDR for the OS that boots has still information about NTLDR for OS in option two. If you have both OS installed and still error occurs, you can fix problem by bootable CD. If you don't have any OS for second option then being honest, i never encountered that kind of problem but i don't that might not be that big soup to fix.
Happy Computing.
rishi0922

@rishi0922-a2xTAa • Sep 21, 2010

Can we install all versions of Linux inside the windows ?
Leo

@leo-ZJQlmh • Sep 22, 2010

rishi0922
Can we install all versions of Linux inside the windows ?
off course.