OEM Vista on HD1, clean XP on HD2..HOW?

[BillClark22]

Current setup, OEM Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit installed on Partition 1 on HD1 (Partition 2 on HD1 is HP Restore partition). Installed DDS & OSS with Typical options to C: drive. My goal is to leave HD1 as is with Vista and the Restore partition, and be able to dual-boot with Windows XP Pro installed on a single partition on HD2.
On initial reboot after installing OSS, I get the GUI with a single option of "Boot from floppy A:". If I "boot" that option, I get a blank DOS screen with a flashing cursor, have to manually restart. Ultimately, I have to goto Tools/Deactivate OSS to get back into my Vista installation. Once back in here is the Bootwiz.oss file that was created:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<bootwiz>
<disks>
<id2876046742 bios_num="128" crc="27822078" real_bios_num="128" serial="59043" size="234441647" />
<id1542630085 bios_num="129" crc="234438434" real_bios_num="129" serial="48723" size="234441647" />
</disks>
<cds />
<partitions>
<id919547787 begin="63" crc="36865" disk="2876046742" fs="ntfs" number="1" serial="7e44702a7f702ab0" size="206606273" type="7" />
<id174101610 begin="206606336" crc="7174" disk="2876046742" fs="ntfs" number="2" serial="db4f74488f7448b6" size="27826176" type="7" />
<id1818685982 begin="63" crc="36865" disk="1542630085" fs="ntfs" number="1" serial="4db76928ef6928ae" size="234438426" type="7" />
</partitions>
<oses>
<id3006417276 boot_as_ms71="1" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" icon="icon_boot_floppy" language="" lba="1" letter="65" name_template="Boot from floppy %o" nthide="0" os_type="floppy" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id919547787 active="1" />
<id1818685982 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id3006417276>
</oses>
<checkfiles />
<bootmgr default_os="3006417276" disks_order_feature="1" />
<uninstall_info>
<active_lba_state>
<p1-1 active="1" />
<p1-2 />
<p2-1 active="1" />
</active_lba_state>
</uninstall_info>
</bootwiz>

From here, where do I go to get this dumb OSS to recognize my Vista install and if that feat works, how do I go about installing a clean version of XP to the 2nd hard drive? Thanks.

Bill

PS: Sorry for the text clip of the OSS file, but I can't upload a file for some reason.

[MudCrab]

Bill,

Parts of the BOOTWIZ.OSS file are missing. I assume you didn't paste the entire file.

Try this to see if you can get Vista to boot. The Vista partition is RED. The new Vista menu entry is BLUE and needs to be added into the file using the Windows Notepad program (don't use any other program).
<disks>
<id2876046742 bios_num="128" crc="27822078" real_bios_num="128" serial="59043" size="234441647" />
<id1542630085 bios_num="129" crc="234438434" real_bios_num="129" serial="48723" size="234441647" />
</disks>
<partitions>
<id919547787 begin="63" crc="36865" disk="2876046742" fs="ntfs" number="1" serial="7e44702a7f702ab0" size="206606273" type="7" />
<id174101610 begin="206606336" crc="7174" disk="2876046742" fs="ntfs" number="2" serial="db4f74488f7448b6" size="27826176" type="7" />
<id1818685982 begin="63" crc="36865" disk="1542630085" fs="ntfs" number="1" serial="4db76928ef6928ae" size="234438426" type="7" />
</partitions>
<oses>
<id3006417276 boot_as_ms71="1" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" icon="icon_boot_floppy" language="" lba="1" letter="65" name_template="Boot from floppy %o" nthide="0" os_type="floppy" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id919547787 active="1" />
<id1818685982 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id3006417276>
<id3082839084 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="919547787" bootname="bootsect.sys" icon="icon_sys_vista" language="english" lba="1" name_template="Vista Manual" nthide="0" os_type="ntvista" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id919547787 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id3082839084>
</oses>

As for adding XP onto the second hard drive, see this thread: Need help with dual boot Vista & XP (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=178481)

If you need to do a manual install, instructions can be provided.

I would also recommend that you create an Entire Disk Image backup of the Vista drive once you have it working with OSS before you try to install XP.

[BillClark22]

Update: First, THANKS a TON to MudCrab..dude, you need to work for Acronis and fix their stupid mistakes for them. Now to the issue at hand. The Bootwis.oss file I posted was the WHOLE thing that I had created on my machine. Not sure what it was missing, but that was it. I followed your instructions and made the manual changes and the Vista boot option started working! I then rebooted the machine and selected the Boot from Disk option to see if I could restore a Ghost image of the XP install I wanted. Told Ghost to restore the image to the 2nd hard drive, upon reboot the OSS screen came up and detected the Windows XP install on the 2nd harddrive. I modified both OS options to hide the hard-drive of the other and now I have it setup exactly how I wanted it. Vista on HD1 (C), and XP Pro on HD2 (also C) and neither OS knows about the other. Again, THANKS MudCrab!!

NOTE TO ACRONIS: Get it together folks. I was so pumped about this program after chatting with your presales folks, only to be blind-sided by this HUGE shortcoming of NOT recognizing OEM installs. Acronis you should send a BIG THANK YOU to MudCrab because I was prepared to send this back for a refund. He solved my issue while I'm still WAITING for a response from your Technical Support.

Bill

[MudCrab]

-{ Quote: "First, THANKS a TON to MudCrab..dude, you need to work for Acronis and fix their stupid mistakes for them. " }-
You're welcome. I've thought about writing a program to fix common problems in the BOOTWIZ.OSS file. I may still do it.

-{ Quote: "The Bootwis.oss file I posted was the WHOLE thing that I had created on my machine. Not sure what it was missing, but that was it." }-
The <cds> and <checkfiles> sections only had the ending tags. The starting tags and contents were missing. Maybe it was created this way. I just haven't see it that way before.