Windows XP detected as "Unknown"

Discussion in 'Acronis Disk Director Suite' started by Maal656, Jun 4, 2007.

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  1. Maal656

    Maal656 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2007
    Posts:
    8
    I have the following HD configuration:

    * Partition 1 - Ext3 (Not used)
    * Partition 2 - NTFS - Windows Vista installed on it.
    * Partition 3 - NTFS - Windows XP installed on it
    * Partition 4 - Extended partition:
    - Partition 5 - FAT 32 - Data
    - Partition 6 - SWAP - Linux Swap
    - Partition 7 - Ext3 - \ for Linux
    - Partition 8 - Ext3 - To test another Linux...
    - Partition 9 - Ext3 - Not used
    - Partition 10 - Ext3 - \Home

    Currently I only have installed Windows XP and Vista, independently, and I use the GAG program to select the operating system to be started (without any problem).

    In order to try the OSS, I've installed it in the "Data" partition (FAT32) from the Vista install. At reboot, it detects an "Unknown SO" and "Vista". The first one corresponds to the XP partition, which is not correctly detected (the vista icon work fine, and allows to start Windows Vista).

    I've tried to detect the XP without success... This partition includes all files used to start this SO, but I think they are not correctly detected by OSS.

    For example, here you have the contect of boot.ini:

    Code:
    [boot loader]
    timeout=30
    default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
    [operating systems]
    multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
    ...and this is a config file of OSS which can be found in BOOTWIZ folder:

    Code:
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
    <bootwiz>
    	<disks>
    		<id2758689479 bios_num="128" crc="67466445" real_bios_num="128" serial="19304" size="976794111" />
    	</disks>
    	<cds />
    	<partitions>
    		<id3635268778 begin="63" crc="13454" disk="2758689479" fs="ext3" number="1" serial="4954d494c6fb4537aa4aef9b6f812a3a" size="192717" type="131" />
    		<id1959060029 begin="194560" crc="36865" disk="2758689479" fs="ntfs" number="2" serial="709aa0e0b4a0e0d8" size="314572800" type="7" />
    		<id3644184937 begin="314767404" crc="29839" disk="2758689479" fs="ntfs" number="3" serial="efa713e4c713e456" size="314578971" type="7" />
    		<id682032257 begin="629346438" crc="33906" disk="2758689479" fs="fat32" number="5" serial="44b5ca5e" size="133387632" type="11" />
    		<id3814436795 begin="762734133" crc="0" disk="2758689479" fs="linuxswap" number="6" serial="" size="4208967" type="130" />
    		<id3355631887 begin="766943163" crc="40587" disk="2758689479" fs="ext3" number="7" serial="5bef2b9adfde4733a86549843b151f20" size="52436097" type="131" />
    		<id1728331305 begin="819379323" crc="45894" disk="2758689479" fs="ext3" number="8" serial="e8c9f1150210b597630508bb80b21dce" size="52436097" type="131" />
    		<id4053641065 begin="871815483" crc="64075" disk="2758689479" fs="ext3" number="9" serial="86ff909f3e9c92e5087bb56273da3278" size="52436097" type="131" />
    		<id4101451080 begin="924251643" crc="16747" disk="2758689479" fs="ext3" number="10" serial="7940d2337c004a33a3766ae1845be836" size="52532487" type="131" />
    	</partitions>
    	<oses>
    		<id2009460721 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="3644184937" bootname="bootsect.sys" icon="icon_sys_unknown" language="" lba="0" name_template="%n%l %l(%ll%l)" nthide="0" os_type="unknown" uninstall_info="1" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="1">
    			<partitions>
    				<id3644184937 active="1" />
    			</partitions>
    		</id2009460721>
    		<id3365422076 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="1959060029" bootname="bootsect.sys" icon="icon_sys_vista" language="english" lba="1" name_template="Windows Vista" nthide="0" os_type="ntvista" system_root_identifier="00000000000000000000000000000000060000000000000048000000000000000000f0050000000000000000000000000000000001000000e0ad06f300000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000\Windows" uninstall_info="1" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="1">
    			<partitions>
    				<id1959060029 active="1" />
    			</partitions>
    		</id3365422076>
    		<id1500675629 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>
    				<id1959060029 active="1" />
    			</partitions>
    		</id1500675629>
    	</oses>
    	<checkfiles>
    		<checkfile crc="0" name="io.sys" partition="3644184937" size="0" />
    		<checkfile crc="1479" name="ntldr" partition="3644184937" size="250640" />
    		<checkfile crc="32845" name="boot.ini" partition="3644184937" size="223" />
    	</checkfiles>
    	<bootmgr default_os="2009460721" disks_order_feature="1" />
    	<uninstall_info>
    		<active_lba_state>
    			<p1-1 />
    			<p1-2 active="1" />
    			<p1-3 />
    			<p1-4 lba="1" />
    			<p1-5 />
    			<p1-6 />
    			<p1-7 />
    			<p1-8 />
    			<p1-9 />
    			<p1-10 />
    		</active_lba_state>
    	</uninstall_info>
    </bootwiz>
    Any help to detect the Windows XP correctly?? Thanks
     
  2. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2006
    Posts:
    6,483
    Location:
    California
    You said that XP and Vista were independantly installed. Is the Vista partition hidden from XP or can XP see that drive when booted. Same for Vista, can it see the XP drive when it's booted? I ask because they are not marked as hidden in the OSS file. Were they hidden when using GAG ?

    When you previously booted into XP was XP's drive letter C: ? If the Vista drive was visible what was it's drive letter.

    It's usually better to hide Windows OS partitions from eachother.

    I assume you have deleted the Unknown OS menu entry and run the detection wizard to try and make it find XP. What options are you setting in the wizard? Are you setting the XP partition as active and bootable? Are you hiding the Vista partition?

    If the Vista partition needs to be hidden (that's the recommended way) you could try this: Boot to the OSS menu. Unzoom the boot menu if necessary to get the regular menu bar. Delete the unknown OSS menu entry. From the Tools menu run Disk Director. Select the XP partition and mark it Active. Select the Vista partition and mark it Hidden. Apply the changes. Then try the detection wizard again or just reboot and see if OSS finds XP.

    You could also try editing the OSS file so the information is correct. It may work, but if OSS hasn't setup the files correctly XP may not boot.

    Here is a sample of what one of my XP entries looks like:
    Code:
    		<id1605370137 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="811448379" bootname="bootsect.sys" icon="icon_sys_win" language="english" lba="1" multi="multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS" name_template="XP - Games" nthide="0" os_type="ntxp" uninstall_info="1" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="1">
    			<partitions>
    				<id3178522466 hidden="1" />
    				<id811448379 active="1" />
    				<id1002412294 hidden="1" />
    				<id353106529 active="1" />
    			</partitions>
    Here is what yours should look like (you can copy and paste this, if you want, replacing the "unknown" id entry):
    Code:
                    <id2009460721 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="3644184937" bootname="bootsect.sys" icon="icon_sys_win" language="english" lba="1" multi="multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS" name_template="Windows XP" nthide="0" os_type="ntxp" uninstall_info="1" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="1">
    			<partitions>
                                    <id1959060029 hidden"1" />
    				<id3644184937 active="1" />
    			</partitions>
    		</id2009460721>
    This will hide the Vista partition when XP is booted.

    When using GAG I assume that you were booting directly into Vista and XP and you didn't previously have XP and Vista booting with Vista's boot loader. If you did you Vista's boot loader, you may want to run an XP repair (after setting the XP partition "active" and hiding the Vista partition), that will let XP boot and OSS should find it when it's reactivated.

    It can be quite troublesome to get OSS to recognize an OS correctly after it's turned it into an "unknown." Hopefully this will help. Post back if you get it figured out or have more questions.
     
  3. Maal656

    Maal656 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2007
    Posts:
    8
    Hello MudCrab. First of all, thank you for your information...

    Both SO are independantly installed. If I start XP its partition has letter C:, and if I start Vista, its partition also has letter C:. With GAG I could both hide and unhide the partition of the other SO without problems... Also, neither the Vista boot loader or XP boot loader are "installed".

    If tried this method without success. After the activation of the XP partition with Disk Director, the OSS didn't find any new OS, and the detection wizard only found the "Unknown OS", which is not bootable (If I tried to start it I get the following error: "Acronis OS Selector was unable to load Unknown Operating System operating system: the file system type of the operating system is not supported").

    It works!!! I have edited the "unknows SO" in bootwiz.oss as you stated and now I can boot both Vista and XP!!! I just did only a minor modification: language="spanish" instead of language="english" (I really don't know what's the purpose of this data...). I will also change it in the Vista icon, since my Spanish Vista is detected as English Vista o_O

    I think in next revisions of this program acronis should include a tool to configure an icon manually, when the detection wizard fails, in order to avoid to edit files manually...

    Just some questions:

    • In my XP icon properties, both "folders" and "files" are empty. It is important? Should I include something on them?
    • I though that, in order to hide the Vista partition for XP, it was necessary to "hide" its partition in the "Partitions" screen, and activate the "Force Hiding Partitions". However, if I activate this checkbox and I try to start XP, I get an error message and the OS is not bootable... When this chekbox should be used? (Without activating it, the Vista partition is not shown from XP, and I have it activated in the Vista Icon without any problem...)
    • I've installed the OSS from my Vista partition in the "Data" logical partition, which can be accessed from both XP and Vista (I selected this partition when I was asked during installation of OSS). What should I do to "install" OSS also in XP, and have access from this operating system to this program?
     
  4. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2006
    Posts:
    6,483
    Location:
    California
    You're welcome.

    If it's working correctly you may not want to mess with it. My XP entries show the following under Folders: C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, C:\Documents and Settings It shows the following under Files: C:\ntldr, C:\ntdetect.com, C:\bootfont.bin, C:\ntbootdd.sys, C:\boot.ini

    Mostly the entries in the Folder section have to do with using OSS to create "duplicate" copies of an OS in the same partition.

    Do not check the "Force Hiding Partitions" option for either OS. This is only used in rare situations and is not necessary with XP or Vista.

    You'd want to set it up so that in XP the Vista partition is checked as Hidden and in Vista the XP partition is checked as Hidden.

    The way you currently have it, does the XP partition show up in Vista?

    When you're in XP, just install the DD suite again (if you haven't already). Then run the OSS install program. It will find the existing installation and update it. I've done this on my computer without problems.

    Since you're using DD/OSS with Vista, I assume you're using the latest build (2,160). If you're not then you should update to it. Also make sure that you have the same build installed on ALL the Windows partitions you install it in. Don't install a previous build into XP, for example, and build 2,160 in Vista. This will cause OSS corruption when you run the program.
     
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