dualboot problem: vista ultimate 64bit not found

hi,

I have a HDD with windows xp (32bit) installed on it. I took it with me to a friend to install windows vista ultimate 64bit on the hard drive, in my friends pc (disconnected his HDD and put in mine, so it was the only one in there).
When i got home i put the drive back in my pc and started it, to my surpise it only started xp.
The partition where i installed it on has 12Gb used, but you can't see anything in windows xp.
I've tried changing the boot.ini file: than when rebooting a option was shown, but when opened, it said there was no OS on the partition...
I have seached the internet for a solution, but all i could find was that vista doesn't use the boot.ini file.

Does anyone have an idea on how to open it?
(my friend told me to use a bootmanager, but i can't seem to find one that works)

 

Have you tried "repairing" your vista install?

Usually after doing a Vista install with XP existing, you need to run the Vista "Repair" in order to fix the boot files.

Try that and report back.

 

Are you talking about a computer Hard drive or a External Hard drive?

If its a computer HDD, then why did you unplug it and put it on another system? easier with a CD of Vista

And last, If i were you use this program and see if there are 2 partitions there or just one. Gnome Partition Editor

This should help in a way. But this my not solve your problem, so good luck.

 

Like Meetloaf13 stated, try to repair the Vista bootloader.

Boot with the Vista DVD and select " Repair your computer".

Then select " Startup Repair".

 

@swissalps: its a computer hard drive, my friend couldn't give me the vista install dvd because of certain circumstances, so i just brought my HDD. There are several partitions on the drive, 'Windows XP', 'Windows Vista', 'Backups' and 'Data'. I made sure that the xp and vista where seperated and so couldn't have conflicted with each other.

@Stewie and Meatloaf13: i just went to get the dvd from my friend, but there is something strange: went i try to boot from it, it keeps loading. The loadingscreen (black with the green bar moving) just stays, i've waited 30minutes. When i installed it, it only took maybe a minute or so. I can't seem to find the problem.
The computer should be able to run it:


The only thing i can think of is the bios, maybe it needs an update to run the 64bit or something...

(thanks for the help so far!)

 

The only thing I can think of is to see if AHCI mode is selected in your BIOS (it shouldn't matter). I would check there, if it is, disable it for now and try again.

Other than that I haven't a clue.

Good luck.

 

I've seached the 'AHCI'-thing in the bios, but i didn't find it.
The problem seems to be something with vista because i just tested if the 32bit version works, but the same result (infinite loadingscreen).
Apparently there has been a vista (home professional) installed on this computer a while ago, so it has to be possible. This vista was uninstalled almost immediately because my brother wanted windows xp back...
Perhaps this Vista wasn't uninstalled correctly and is still in the system. Could there still be a trace of the old vista somewhere in the bootfiles, if yes: where can i find or edit these files?

 

Go back to swissalps post, and make a gParted Live CD...boot from the CD and look to see which partitions are there. That will at least tell you where files are.

I'm afraid this one might be over my head. I don't have much experience with boot-loaders...I'm just a hack :\

 

ok, i'll do it first thing tomorrow morning and report back asap.

 

Wait, so you used your friends license?!?!??!?!?!?!?

 

no, he works at an IT company and was ably to get it. It's a valid and unused product key (licence).

 

I am just trying to figure out more info on this Vista you are trying.

But again you can't install vista right. Or were you able to get it on.

"stewie"
I don't think he wasn't asking to reboot and try it. he means turn on your XP and put in the CD and then it should ask all those options. (Thats what i think he means)

All I can say again is just give it a try "Gnome Partition Editor "
But also Are you saying you have 4 partitions ???

That could be a problem to.

OR (if i were you, this would be my last option) reinstall XP and then Vista, see if that works. But other then that I am not sure man. Hope you figure this out.

 

-i do have 4 partitions, but i don't realy see the problem. I thought it was nessesary to put the different versions of windows on different partitions so that they whouldn't interfere with each other.

-If Stewie meant that, it's not possible. The 32bit xp can't open the 64bit vista-dvd (but the 32bit vista dvd is no problem).

-i've tried the "Gparted Partition Editor", but it gives the same result as my 'Norton PartitionMagic 8.0' namely: there are 2 primary partitions, first the vista then the xp, and there are 2 logical partitions, backup and data.

But i've been thinking: my plan was to take the drive out of the computer (and put an empty one back in) and into a external enclosure. To use the drive as an external HDD (trough esata) for my laptop (->being delivered next week), with the vista and xp bootable when connected. But it's probably better to uninstall both OS and install them back on the drive while it's connected to the laptop.

The only problem then is that the new drive in this computer still can't install any vista, if someone has any idea how to clean out the bootfiles please let me know.