Vista+OSX86=HPS+Error

[joe75]

My Inspiron E1405 came from Dell with pre-installed MCE and all their stupid {censored}. First thing I did after looking through everything was reinstall MCE and clear the drive. I made a 30Gb partition for windows, a 15Gb for mac, a 20Gb that I was undecided about between SuSE or Vista and that left a small partition I formated in FAT32 for writing between them all.

After installing MCE I didn't put the chain0 in C:\ and also forgot to edit boot.ini. I installed Jas 10.4.7 and immediately updated to 10.4.8. That installed grub in main MBR and there was no need for chain0 in windows. After 10.4.8 I was trying to install Vista and it would keep telling me there were no drives that meet criteria. So I decided to put SuSE 10.1 Remastered on the 20Gb and had no problem booting from macs grub.

After thinking why Vista would not install, I found it wouldn't install because the mac partition was left active and the betas of Vista cant turn off a active drive like XP can. I booted Vista 5744 64Bit DVD and used diskpart to do inactive and then was able to install to the 30Gb windows partition.

After installing Vista the mac drive was still inactive so I was only booting off Vista's boot and had no access to mac or linux. I didn't think about starting the other OS's in my Vista install frenzy but figured I could use my SuSE install disk or fdisk in mac terminal. I setup and played around with Vista, got board and decided to fdisk in terminal. That changed the MBR back to grub and there was all my OS's back to choose from. So I booted mac, then tried linux, after I tried Vista and got error saying \windows\system32\winload.exe was missing or corrupt. I researched it and theres not much but most is related to XP or other windows installs. I tried whatever I could think of and got nowhere. The only fix was to get in and change the MBR for Vista and set mac back to inactive. My problem was I couldn't do any thing with Vista because it would ask for a admin password that I never set and didn't even know was there. I managed to reinstall Vista after disabling macs drive, but I was left with the same problem I started with and went through the same procedure.

I am hoping someone has experienced this and maybe found a work around. I gave up and reinstalled XP Pro and I don't want to redo the drive so I don't lose my SuSE install which I have allot of time in configuring and updating.

[sadiekiller]

No idea how to fix most of the problems but i do know that usually the Admin password in recovery is just blank if it is not set. just try hitting enter when it asks for one and see what it does.

[joe75]

No idea how to fix most of the problems but i do know that usually the Admin password in recovery is just blank if it is not set. just try hitting enter when it asks for one and see what it does.

 

I didn't set a password, so I did just hit enter and it asked again, so I knew then there was some password. I tried all the dumb windows words I could think of, but you only get 3 tries before your locked out and it will only reboot. Then you gotta go through the whole process of running install again and only get 3 more tries I searched google and couldn't find Vista admin password. I don't know if I redo the mbr if it will even get pass the error because I think the file dose get corrupted by changing with fdisk in mac because the winload.exe "is" in the system32 folder

[schale01]

So I decided to put SuSE 10.1 Remastered on the 20Gb

 

ewwww

 

I gave up and reinstalled XP Pro and I don't want to redo the drive so I don't lose my SuSE install which I have allot of time in configuring and updating.

 

So now if I'm following XP, SUSE, and OSX are installed ? What is the current problem? What errors are you getting now?

 

and used diskpart to do inactive and then was able to install to the 30Gb windows partition.

I'm guessing that you set the Mac partition inactive and set the Vista partition to active. It sounds like you screwed the MBR. I'm not sure which tools you were using to make the above changes but a lot of mac HD programs don't play nice with windows and vice versa. A lot of these programs aren't built to handle multible partition types.

 

If you could describe your procedure, Partition Setup, error messages, and which programs you used I may be able to help.

[joe75]

ewwww

So now if I'm following XP, SUSE, and OSX are installed ? What is the current problem? What errors are you getting now?

I'm guessing that you set the Mac partition inactive and set the Vista partition to active. It sounds like you screwed the MBR. I'm not sure which tools you were using to make the above changes but a lot of mac HD programs don't play nice with windows and vice versa. A lot of these programs aren't built to handle multible partition types.

 

If you could describe your procedure, Partition Setup, error messages, and which programs you used I may be able to help.

 

I don't know what ewwww means, but if it has something to do with putting down SuSE, you should think again

 

I am running XP now and there is no problem, the problem is with Vista.

I know how to set up fine, the problem is Vista doesn't

 

I'm set up with XP, OSX, SuSE then a 8Gb FAT32, in that order.

Reread my initial post and its all there.

Any of your thoughts are appreciated

[schale01]

Well it sounds like everything works fine until you start switching active partitions. Have you tried booting using a different bootloader. Darwin w/ OSX or Vista bootloader should work. Though Vista bootloader might be a little combersome to setup with SUSE.

 

Also try using a different program to swith active partitions, Acronis Disk Director works well.

 

Try this:

Install Vista,

then switch active partition to Mac OSX, using Acronis.

Follow these instructions:

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...mp;#entry182718

This will use Darwin as the bootloader.

[joe75]

I tried, and those are suggestions for XP, which I have never had a problem with.

I managed to get the Vista partition back to active but I'm left still with the winload.exe error, and thats what needs to be fixed

 

SuSE uses grub which I let OSX load, on SuSEs grub I can choose Vista, but get the same error

[cbmkgd]

I am running XP now and there is no problem, the problem is with Vista.

I know how to set up fine, the problem is Vista doesn't.

 

I'm set up with XP, OSX, SuSE then a 8Gb FAT32, in that order.

Reread my initial post and its all there.

I managed to get the Vista partition back to active but I'm left still with the winload.exe error, and thats what needs to be fixed.

 

SuSE uses grub which I let OSX load, on SuSEs grub I can choose Vista, but get the same error huh.gif

Initially you said the 20G was for Suse or Vista; from the first quote we conclude you chose Suse.

But from the second quote you talk about Vista: where is it?

 

Anyway... when you installed Vista, which was the primary active partition? Did you hide the XP partition? For windows will install its boot data in primary active partition, even though you install the main os in another partition. So is it possible initially vista used the xp partition for its boot files?

 

If upon install the xp partition was hidden and the target vista partition been made active, then the vista partition would have been 'self sufficient', not dependent upon another partition to boot, and grub/acronis os selector might not have had problems with it (although with aoss you would need another trick to recognize vista).

 

Whenever you install an os, I suggest you disable any third party bootmanager to test the os install by itself; that way you can pinpoint where the problems occur without having to include other variables. When it works, then re-enable the bootmanager and let it take care of the systems.

[joe75]

I thought my post was pretty descriptive and I tried to explain everything effectively.

 

I or no one els can install any beta of Vista while another partition is active

 

Forget XP, my concern is only with VISTA

 

To install Vista I had to make OSX inactive. Then Vista installed like it should with no problems. After,I had to put OSX active to boot to it, that would have to be for any loader. I also had to rewrite the MBR in OSX to get Darwin back, that is what screws Vista. After, I can boot to Vista, but get middle finger saying winload.exe is missing or corrupt, the file is not missing, so I think it's corrupted. I tried to redo MBR with Vista and XP, they rewrite but I still get error.

 

I'm hoping some has seen the same error and got past it

[cbmkgd]

I thought my post was pretty descriptive and I tried to explain everything effectively.

With the statement: "SuSE uses grub which I let OSX load, on SuSEs grub I can choose Vista, but get the same error", in the present tense, it seemed you had still vista on, which contradicted the previous statement: "I'm set up with XP, OSX, SuSE then a 8Gb FAT32".

But that's ok, maybe I pay too much attention to some details .

 

I or no one els can install any beta of Vista while another partition is active.

No quite true: if there is an active partition (fat32 or ntfs, with or without another windows os), and vista is to be installed on another partition on that disk (let's say there's only one disk), then Vista will accept to be installed on that second (unactive) partition, and will put its boot files on the active partition, just like win2k and winxp did in the past.

 

When you 'unactivated' the osx partition, I'll assume you made the 30G partition active.

Also, some people have had better success by deleting and recreating that target partition with vista's own partition tools during the install.

 

Personally, to echo schale01, switching the active flag back and forth with diskdirector never gave me the winload error. I'll try to reproduce something similar, since it's been seen around elsewhere with nothing to do with osx.

 

After,I had to put OSX active to boot to it, that would have to be for any loader. I also had to rewrite the MBR in OSX to get Darwin back, that is what screws Vista.

Strange. Even after my vista install, to make osx's darwin loader take charge again I only had to make that partition active. Sorry that i can't help more.

[joe75]

But that's ok, maybe I pay too much attention to some details

 

 

Vista will not let me install while OSX is active, on any partition, existing or created during install It tells me "there are no drives that meet criteria". It will put its files into OSX boot but I will still get the error. I never set Windows disks to active, theres no need, I let the install handle whats needed. XP will ask if it can deactivate OSX during install, Vista will not, and to be sure I tried 3 different builds. I don't know if it hasn't been implemented into the betas or maybe has something to do with Vistas new loader. I have been using "Vista" since before Vista and never seen that error. In my PC I have almost the same set up on a 160Gb drive and have Vista and OSX side by side, and I regularly install new betas when they come out. Thats what pisses me off about the whole thing. The only difference is XP is installed on a different drive in the PC.

 

Thanks

[cbmkgd]

Vista will not let me install while OSX is active, on any partition, existing or created during install.

ah, ok, you're previous statement seemed more general.

True, if there's any non-fat or non-ntfs active partition to which vista doesn't know how to write (even if its e.g. fat32 with only the filetype changed to some non-ms type), vista won't want to install, sometimes saying it can't set drive letter or such. They provided vista with a nice simple partitioner, but without the possibility to change active status. Hope this will change in final version.

 

I never set Windows disks to active, theres no need, I let the install handle whats needed.

I never trust these installers with my os partitions, don't know how they'll mess 'em up, I don't take any chances, so I restrict them.

 

Just out of curiosity, where is (or was) your vista's "Boot" folder after its installation? In vista's partition?

[joe75]

Just out of curiosity, where is (or was) your vista's "Boot" folder after its installation? In vista's partition?

 

Glad you asked. There was a "Boot" folder in \Windows, there was also BCD files in C: that I don't see on my PC install They looked like BCD command files and I didn't mess with them. I also looked in \system32 for winload.exe and it was there. I copied winload.exe from my PC install and tried to replace it but I couldn't find a way to get to it. I tried a couple of things but failed. I haven't set up to rite ntfs yet in suse, but I thought I could have replaced it that way, I gave up before that.

 

Today, I formated the OSX partition because I had messed everything up compiling and playing with the new kernel

I formated to fat32 and lost the XP install. I installed beta 5840 with no troubles, and I'm waiting to see how it will go when I install the new 10.4.8

 

I found this today : http://www.vistabootpro.org/ , it may be useful for someone.

 

Thanks again

[joe75]

cbmkgd, I'm happy to say whatever was wrong with 5840 did get fixed in 6000.

I have no problem now with booting the new Vista or any of my other installs.

 

Now to tackel AMD/8.1

[vassalle]

did you use the gates copy from the bay by any chance?

[joe75]

yes, but not from the bay

[THo04]

So it looks like the only way to fix the "cannot find/corrupt windows\systerm32\winload.exe" problem is to download the new RTM Vista v6000?

[guyin916]

\using Acronis.

 

Acronis, ewwwwwwwwww!