How to add Windows 7 beta to OS Selector?

Discussion in 'Acronis Disk Director Suite' started by XIII, Jan 12, 2009.

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  1. XIII

    XIII Registered Member

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    Hi, new here...

    This weekend I downloaded and installed the Windows 7 beta (64-bits) on a separate partition that previously contained Vista (I formatted the partition with the Windows 7 installation program). Before installation I de-activated OS Selector to make sure that Windows 7 would install fine, which it did. It boots and I can use it. Next, I tried activating OS selector again, which worked (OS selector is installed on another partition, containing DOS as OS). However, the entry for Vista is (of course) invalid now (since that OS is no longer on my PC) and OS selector seems unable to identify Windows 7 if I try to add it semi-manually by pointing it to the boot sector of the primary, active, and bootable Windows 7 partition.

    How can I add Windows 7 to my OS Selector setup?

    (I don't mind editing configuration files by hand if that's necessary)
     
  2. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    I haven't had time yet to test the Windows 7 beta with OSS (I just downloaded it last night).

    Can you attach your BOOTWIZ.OSS file (as BOOTWIZ.TXT) and let me know which partition contains the Windows 7 installation? Please don't paste the contents of the BOOTWIZ.OSS file into a post. Instructions can be found here.
     
  3. XIII

    XIII Registered Member

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    I didn't even had time to test Windows 7 by itself (except for installing/booting), but that's one of the reasons I want to add it in OS selector: occasionally using it next to my normal production environment.

    That won't be needed anymore. Your pointer to the bootwiz.oss file was sufficient to solve the problem myself... Thanks!

    My solution: I copied the Vista entry in the XML-like file, changed the id to a random value that was not used yet, and modified the partition identifier in that entry to match with the identifier of the Windows 7 beta partition in the disk section (which probably changed because I formatted the partition as part of the installation procedure). [I kept the old Vista entry, because I might restore the Vista partition in the future]
     
  4. XIII

    XIII Registered Member

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    Still, what I'd like to hear from others: did OSS detect Windows 7 Beta on your PC?

    And if not, can you add it via the GUI?
     
  5. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    It sounds like you just installed Windows 7 Beta into a prepared partition and then had the installer format it. Is that what you did?

    I ask because when I installed it, I let it use the entire drive and it actually setup a small 200MB NTFS Boot partition.

    In any case, OSS didn't detect it. However, doing the manual addition was the same as for Vista and then OSS booted it fine.
     
  6. XIII

    XIII Registered Member

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    Yes.

    I did it that way, because in the past I once installed Vista over a formatted XP partition and discovered that Vista could not boot from that (NTFS52 vs NTFS60 format), so to be safe I let Windows 7 format the partition during install (in case the format changed again). Somehow, I'd rather kept the partition itself (making it easier to restore the previous Vista contents from an image in the future?) and thus decided not to delete it before installation (and let Windows 7 create it again).
     
  7. rabadumpf

    rabadumpf Registered Member

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    @mudcrab
    How du you do this with win7?
     
  8. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    rabadumpf,

    A rough outline of the procedure can be found here in Post #14. Every BOOTWIZ.OSS file is different (different partitions, IDs, etc.) so adjustments need to be made to be correct for your computer. In other words, you always start with your BOOTWIZ.OSS file and make only the changes necessary. That's why I have to ask for each BOOTWIZ.OSS file so I can modify it for that computer.

    If you still have problems after reading the thread or don't feel comfortable making the changes yourself, attach your BOOTWIZ.OSS file to a post and I'll make the change for you.
     
  9. sahallie

    sahallie Registered Member

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    Hi all! Long time reader, 1st time poster...

    I am having the same problem with Win7 and XP dual boot. Both OS's boot fine when hiding/ setting active using DD10 but OSS refuses to see the Win7 setup.

    I have 7 partitions:

    1 = XP System (boot files and oss)
    2 = Win7 System (boot files)
    3 = Win7 OS
    4 = XP OS
    5 = XP OS
    6 = XP OS
    7 = XP OS

    I am attaching my bootwiz.oss file

    Thanks in adavance.
     

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  10. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    sahallie,

    Welcome to the forum.

    Can you verify that Partition 2 is the one you set Active when you boot Windows 7?

    Did Windows 7 create this partition as part of the installation or did you set it up that way?

    Also, are you using the latest build of DD/OSS (2,160 or later)?
     
  11. sahallie

    sahallie Registered Member

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    Yes, the Win7 (partition 2) is active when I boot into it using DD10.
    Yes, Win7 created both partition 2 and partition 3, both primary.
    Yes to DD 10 #2160.

    Thanks for the help.
     
  12. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    sahallie,

    Here is the modified BOOTWIZ.OSS file. Hopefully, it will work for you.
     

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  13. sahallie

    sahallie Registered Member

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    Mr. Crab Sir,

    YOU ARE AMAZING!!!

    How the heck did you figure that out? It works perfect. Even the Win7 icon is right in the OSS menu. Thank you so much. I tried for two days to get this stupid thing to work.

    Do you work for Acronis? If not, you should. I keep thinking they (Acronis) will fix OSS so it works better with Vista but I guess it must not be important to them. Anyways, thanks again man. You are the best.
     
  14. seashore

    seashore Registered Member

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    Hi Mud Crab,

    I don't know if it is right to post my question here in someone else's thread, but I think it might be better to keep to keep Windows 7 vis à vis OSS all in one place. I f want ot you can remove it and I will post in a new thread.

    (for ref: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=228593). I took your advice and did not make any changes as such - only deactivated the OSS still intact on a 100 MB partition on its own. Unassigned the Vista Drive Letter. Though it still removes restore points, but the set up is very nice for me as I often need to get files from the XP partition and can access them easily. Thus separating the systems completely or running Bitlocker encryption might not have been so wise. It is quite convenient the way it is. The system is also very solid and stable.

    I have in all three installations: XP ; Backup and Vista. However, I also have the Windows 7 ready for installation since 3 days and am wondering how to go about it. I have an unallocated drive with about a 147 GB available and would love to install it.

    Any ideas how to go about it?

    Had been away for a while so belated "good health and good wishes" for 2009.

    seashore
     
  15. seashore

    seashore Registered Member

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    Hi Mud Crab,

    I don't know if it is right to post my question here in someone else's thread, but I think it might be better to keep to keep Windows 7 vis à vis OSS all in one place. I f want ot you can remove it and I will post in a new thread.

    (for ref: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=228593). I took your advice and did not make any changes as such - only deactivated the OSS still intact on a 100 MB partition on its own. Unassigned the Vista Drive Letter. Though it still removes restore points, but the set up is very nice for me as I often need to get files from the XP partition and can access them easily. Thus separating the systems completely or running Bitlocker encryption might not have been so wise. It is quite convenient the way it is. The system is also very solid and stable.

    I have in all three installations: XP ; Backup and Vista. However, I also have the Windows 7 ready for installation since 3 days and am wondering how to go about it. I have an unallocated drive with about a 147 GB available and would love to install it.

    Any ideas how to go about it?

    Had been away for a while so belated "good health and good wishes" for 2009.

    seashore
     
  16. rabadumpf

    rabadumpf Registered Member

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    @MudCrab
    here is my bottwiz.

    You see in Disc Direktor:
    vista is installed on disk 3, partiton 1,
    windows 7 is installed on Disk 3, partition 2,
    Bootmanger OSS is installed on disk 3, partition 4

    Linux swap ist on disk 1, parttion 1
    Linux root is on disc 1, partition 2
    Linux home is on disc 1, partiton 3

    MudCrab, please can you make a bootwiz, so i can choose and start vista, windows 7 and linux.
    Thank you.
     

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  17. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    rabadumpf,

    Try this file and see if it works. I didn't set any partitions hidden so you'll need to make those changes yourself from OSS if necessary.

    Your Vista entry is a little odd (the Vista partition isn't set Active), but I guess it's working okay for you.
     

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  18. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Are you sure you want to setup OSS?

    With a separate drive, you could disconnect the other drives and then install to the Windows 7 drive. Then reconnect the drives as they were and use your BIOS boot menu to select Windows 7 when you want to boot it.

    I would think that Windows 7 should correctly add itself to the current MS boot loader Vista uses if you choose to install it into your current setup.

    I assume you have a current backup of the drive (or will make one before you install Windows 7) in case something goes wrong.
     
  19. rabadumpf

    rabadumpf Registered Member

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    @MudCrab:
    Thanks you very much!! It works perfect! Great from you!
    Now i can hide the partition i not need with OSS.
    I am wondering too: When i work in vista, the partition w7 is in DD active, and not the vista partition. I don´t now why.

    Another Question: Now i make images from vista and W7 with ATI. When i restore one of this image wtih ATI in the same partition (of course), must i change the bootwiz.oss again?
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2009
  20. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    I noticed that also. Normally, the Vista partition would be the Active partition. When you look at the settings in OSS for your Vista entry, is the Active checkbox grayed out for the Vista partition or can you check it? If you check it, does Vista still boot okay?

    Before you try this, can you look in Disk Management and see which partition Vista has marked as Boot and which as System? You can post a screenshot if you want.

    You can make images from Vista. Whether you can or not from Windows 7 depends on if TI will work or even install. If TI won't work in Windows 7, you can just image that partition from Vista or from the TI CD.

    The BOOTWIZ.OSS file should be okay after a restore and shouldn't require fixing to work.
     
  21. rabadumpf

    rabadumpf Registered Member

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    I do the image from ati with the bootable cd, it´s works fine.

    Now i have do in OSS the following:
    OS vista: i check vista partition as active (it was not market as active) and hide the w7 Partition.
    OS W7: i was already active, i hide the vista partition.

    Vista, w7 and Linux boots fine without problems.
    The picture is the result when i start vista. Ist´s ok, i think.



    But now why disk 1 was in #16 disc 2 and now disc 2 (Linux) is in #16 disc 1 (Linux).
    Why is this so?
     

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    Last edited: Jan 18, 2009
  22. Nordlicht

    Nordlicht Registered Member

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    Hi,

    I've installed Windows 7 and would like to boot Win7 with OSS. Today I've have a look to my bootwiz.oss and I not sure, how to change the bootwiz.oss.

    @MudCrab, please can you make a bootwiz, so i can choose and start XP and, windows 7

    I've three bootable XP-Partitions on my first disk (Standard, Spiele, Test); Windows 7 is installed on my second disk ("Windows7")

    Thank you.

    Nordlicht
     

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  23. Nordlicht

    Nordlicht Registered Member

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    Hello,

    I've changed the bootwiz.oss. Starting Windows 7 I get an error:

    "Bootmgr missing"

    Nordlicht
     

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  24. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Before you made changes to the BOOTWIZ.OSS file, was Windows 7 booting properly?

    How did you install Windows 7? Were the XP partitions Hidden and the Windows 7 partition Active?

    Do all of your XP installations boot properly at this point or does one of them start with the Windows 7 boot manager?
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2009
  25. Nordlicht

    Nordlicht Registered Member

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    Yes
    One partition (Standard) was "active", the other where "hidden". I've installed Windows 7 on free diskspace
    First starts the OSS and then - after selecting one XP Installation - start the Windows boot manager.

    Perhaps it better to select an other way to install Windows 7:

    1. Start with DDS bootdisk
    2. Set all XP Installations "hidden"
    3 Create a partition to use with Windows 7
    4. Boot with Windows 7 boot disk and install windows 7

    Is this the better way ?

    Nordlicht
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2009
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