[How To] Boot up Windows XP using the Windows Vista Bootloader + any other OSes you want!

[Daft_Punk]

Its done! Feel free to ask any questions that relate to this topic, ONLY if it is using my method please.

 

Well this tutorial is quite simple so let me begin. There are different versions such as having Windows XP already Installed or not, same for Vista, or no OS at all if you have a newly built computer or a wiped hard drive. Lets begin shall we?

 

A) With Windows XP Pre-installed:

 

OK, so now you have a Windows XP machine eh? Well the first step of course is to boot into windows. Now this is a little tricky but nothing to fret over.

 

1) Somehow, you must get the boot folder from C:\Windows on a Vista comp I don't think that I should upload that folder because I'm pretty sure that would result in a warning because of copyrights, etc.

 

2) Now once you have done that DO NOT REBOOT, go download EasyBCD (I am windowsmac on the forums at neosmart), the version as of the time I post this is 1.7.2. Install it and run the app.

 

3) So once you have done that, a message comes up probably with a boot error such as "Boot drive corrupted" or something of the sort. Click Yes/OK and find the targeted boot drive when it prompts such a message.

 

4) Now another window will come up saying where to put the boot drive, so SELECT THE C:\ DRIVE. Don't select a different one. Make sure that the Windows XP install is on the 1st partition, it makes it easier but you don't have to.

 

5) Now EasyBCD should come up! It takes a while so give it time! Now you might error such as "No Windows Installations Found!" and I'm pretty sure you should get it, I'm not sure what the specific error is, but don't worry just click OK.

 

6) THIS IS IMPORTANT: Go to "Manage Bootloader" and in the "Bootloader Installation Options" choose "Reinstall the Vista Bootloader", then select "Write MBR" and your done with that part. DO NOT RESTART YET PLEASE

 

7) Go to "Add/Remove" entries and delete the Windows Vista Entry. An error may come up such as "No Operating Systems found!", ignore it. Then in "Choose an Entry" choose the Windows tab and in the "Type" put Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3. Name it "Microsoft Windows XP" and make sure the "Drive" option says C:\ because that's your boot drive for XP.

 

8) Install Entries of your other OSes now! If you want to install others after Windows then pay attention because if you install linux it will overwrite the bootloader:

 

i) Go to http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vist...-disc-download/ and burn as an ISO.

 

ii) Reboot with the disc as the first boot device (this can be changed in the BIOS)

 

iii) Choose your language and keyboard setup and click Next.

 

iv) choose the "Repair your Computer" option

 

v) Something will come up that looks like this:

 

vi) Choose "Startup Repair", now it will restore the bootloader.

 

vii) Go back into EasyBCD once again and make sure your entry of Windows XP is there, it may say "Earlier version of Windows"

 

viii) Go to Linux or whatever your new Operating System will be and locate it with the drive option and there you go!

 

9) So thats all you need to know about Windows XP + Linux/BSD/Mac OS X Leopard, but for Leopard you must go to Terminal after you partition the hard drive of course and type:

 

i) diskutil list

 

ii) fdisk -e /dev/Hard drive number goes here

 

iii) write

 

iv) update

 

v) y

 

vi) q

 

Then boot from the Vista Recovery Disk and follow these instruction for command prompt:

 

i) diskpart

 

ii) select volume [number of hard drive goes here for XP]

 

iii) select partition [number of partition goes here for XP]

 

iv) active

 

v) exit

 

vi) bootrec /RebuildBCD

 

10) Now you must make Leopard active:

 

i) diskpart

 

ii) select volume [number of hard drive goes here for Leopard]

 

iii) select partition [number of partition goes here for Leopard]

 

iv) active

 

v) exit

 

And that is for Leopard with XP, but the Vista bootloader.