OSS and the windows dual boot screen

Hi all,

Just installed DD and OSS - all is working well with my Vista/XP dual boot so far, but I would like to remove the 2nd screen which gives me the option of booting between vista and xp (the windows variety one). I originally used easyBCD to show my XP and Vista OS's.

Can anyone run me through this?

Cheers

Drop

 

Can anyone help??

 

Can you clarify if you have separate boot entries for XP and Vista in OSS? (In other words, does the OSS menu show XP and Vista as separate OS menu options.)

If OSS only shows one, which does it show (XP or Vista)?

Which OS was installed first? (I'm assuming XP.)

Before you installed OSS, were you using Vista's bootmanager?

If XP and Vista show up as separate OS menu items in OSS, do they both then go to Vista's bootloader menu when you select them?

When you boot into XP is the XP Windows drive C: ?

When you boot into Vista, is the Vista Windows drive C: ?

When booted into on OS, can it "see" the other OS's partition (can XP see the Vista partition and Vista see the XP partition)?

Depending on your setup, it may be easier to use EasyBCD to remove the XP entry and then setup OSS to boot directly to the XP partition.

In the normal way Microsoft works, both XP and Vista will be booting from the same partition. Getting them separated after the fact can be a little difficult.

 

Thank you for your reply MudCrab.

Can you clarify if you have separate boot entries for XP and Vista in OSS? (In other words, does the OSS menu show XP and Vista as separate OS menu options.)

Yes, I have Vista and XP as option in OSS and Vistas Bootmanager (via easyBCD) I have XP as the default.

Which OS was installed first? (I'm assuming XP.)

XP

Before you installed OSS, were you using Vista's bootmanager?

Yes, with the easybcd program.

If XP and Vista show up as separate OS menu items in OSS, do they both then go to Vista's bootloader menu when you select them?

Yes.

When you boot into XP is the XP Windows drive C: ?

Yes.

When you boot into Vista, is the Vista Windows drive C: ?

No. It shows up as D: Drive.

When booted into on OS, can it "see" the other OS's partition (can XP see the Vista partition and Vista see the XP partition)?

Yes, both OS's see each other.


If it warrants it I could always do a fresh XP install in another partition. Can you run me through the "best" way to setup an OSS Dual boot Vista/XP ssytem? I have the latest TI to image them, but would like to make it as simple and reliable as possible. I would also like the option of playing with ubuntu in the future. I have 2 sata drives atm.

Again, thank you for your help.

Drop aka Michael

 

Can anyone help me get rid of the 2nd OS selection screen (the vista one)?

 

I haven't forgotten you, it's just that your problem is not one that is really easy to fix.

If Vista were installed first and it wasn't booting from the XP partition it would be easier.

Do you have a standard retail Vista DVD (or Microsoft OEM Vista DVD)?

Do you have a backup image of the Entire Disk in case you need to restore? (A True Image backup, for example.)

If you have a backup image of the Entire Disk, have you done successful restores in the past so you know it works correctly?

Would you reinstall Vista, if you ended up needing to to get your setup to work?

----

You can try and separate XP and Vista by doing the following, but I don't know if it will still allow Vista to boot or if the drive letter will remain D:. (I think it will, but I haven't tried it before.)

First, uninstall OSS.

Next, you need to "break" the link between the XP partition and the Vista partition. That is to say, get Vista booting from its own partition.
To do this, boot the DD CD and start DD. Select to use Manual Mode.
Reformat the XP partition (this will ERASE EVERYTHING ON THE XP PARTITION). Apply the changes.
Then Hide the XP partition. Apply the changes.
Then set the Vista partition as Active (the Vista partition must be a Primary partition). Apply the changes.
Remove the DD CD and insert the Vista DVD.
Reboot the computer. If asked to press a key to boot the DVD, press a key.
Go through the process until you get to the option to repair.
Select the repair option. It should find your Vista install and setup the boot files on the Vista partition.
After the boot repair is finished. See if Vista boots properly. Hopefully, it will.

Install OSS (either from Vista or from the DD CD).
Hopefully, it will find the Vista installation correctly.
Right-click on the Vista menu entry. Select Properties. Check that the Vista partition is marked Active and the XP partition is marked Hidden.
Make sure OSS will boot into Vista okay.

If you still have an XP menu option showing up in Vista's bootloader, use the EasyBCD program to remove it.

Next, Install XP back into its partition.
Boot to the OSS menu.
Insert the XP CD. Wait for it to be displayed in the menu.
Right-click on the XP CD. Select Properties. Set the Vista partition as Hidden and the XP partition as Active. Save the changes.
Double-click on the XP CD menu entry to boot the CD. If asked to press a key to boot the CD, press a key.
Install XP to the XP partition.
When the computer reboots, it will either return to OSS or it will continue the XP installation.
If it boots to OSS, check the new XP menu entry and make sure the XP partition is marked Active and the Vista partition is Hidden. Save any changes. Then click the XP menu entry to boot into it and continue the installation.
XP should finished installing.
When it's finished, reboot. If OSS comes up then you should be done.
If OSS does not come up, then either install OSS from XP or boot from the DD CD and reactivate OSS.

----

You could also try to do the boot repairs on the specific OS's and see if that would work.

Uninstall OSS.

Boot from the DD CD. Start DD. Select Manual Mode.
Hide the Vista Partition. Apply the changes.
Set the XP partition as Active (if not already set). Apply changes.
Boot from your XP CD (press a key if needed).
Run the XP Repair to fix your XP boot.
You computer should now boot directly into XP.

Reinstall OSS (either from XP or from the DD CD).
Make sure XP boots properly from the OSS menu.
Make sure the XP entry has the Vista partition Hidden and the XP partition Active.
If OSS shows any entry for Vista, delete it.

Boot from the DD CD and Deactivate OSS (don't uninstall).
Select XP as the default OS.

Boot from DD CD and start DD. Select Manual Mode.
Make the Vista partition Active (the Vista partition must be Primary) and Apply the changes.
Make the XP partition Hidden. Apply the changes.

Boot from the Vista DVD (press a key if needed to boot from it).
Proceed to where you can select to do a Repair.
Do the Repair and reboot.
The Computer should now boot directly into Vista.

Reactivate OSS (you can either do this from the DD CD or by installing OSS in Vista).
Reboot.
Hopefully, the Vista entry will show up in the OSS menu.
For the Vista entry, make sure the XP partition is Hidden and the Vista partition is Active.
For the XP entry, make sure the Vista partition is Hidden and the XP partition is Active.

Finally, make sure that you can successfully boot into both XP and Vista from OSS.

----

There may be other ways to accomplish what you're trying to do. I prefer to avoid the "mixing" in the first place.

I don't know if OSS keeps the BCD files for each boot. I know it keeps the boot.ini files for previous Windows so perhaps it keeps the BCD files. If so, then another thing you could try is to edit each BCD file and remove the entry you don't want.

Boot into Vista and edit the BCD file (using BCDEDIT or EasyBCD) and remove the XP entry. Make Vista the default.

Boot into XP and edit the BCD file and remove the Vista entry. Make XP the default.

If OSS keeps copies of these files and updates them correctly, then this may solve the "second menu" problem. Note that your XP and Vista will still be booting from the XP partition and will not be separated.

----

Any of these procedures may render your system unable to boot into either OS. If that happens, you'll need to restore your backup image so you can try again.

 

Thank you MudCrab - you are a pillar of this society! I'll try the easier options first.

Typical of microsoft to bork up a simple thing as a dual boot scenario.