Dual boot, Vista & XP Pro

I have installed XP Pro on a separate HD (SATA) and Vista is on the main HD (Also SATA).
I've used Steve Sinchak's instruction sheet and reached the stage of entering the four
'bcedit' commands in the Command prompt window. I have input all these in correct syntax, including appropriate spaces and forward slashes but it says
specified identifier is not valid
The parameter is incorrect.
On the cmd prompt the location is c:\users\geoff but I have tried it in the C: prompt only and it still doesn't work. Maybe windows\system could do the trick.
I need XP as some of my hardware won't work properly with Vista Home Premium.
Can any suggest either, what have I done wrong or what do I need to do?

docusk


Post Originated from http://www.VistaForums.com Vista Support Forums

Presumably you installed XP after Vista and now have the XP boot manager.
The Vista install DVD should be able to reinstall a Vista dual boot capable
boot manager.
"Should." There are many things Vista should do but alas does not.
If the Vista DVD automated routines cannot repair the boot manager it is
unlikely you will be able to do so manually unless you have specific
expertise in that area.
All is not lost.
Under similar circumstances, when the Vista automated repair routines failed
(it is Vista after all) I have found that the automated routines for Windows
7 repaired the boot managers on machines that had Vista and XP but never had
Win 7 installed.
All it will cost you is a download of the Win7 RC and the cost of a blank
DVD.
If you have a spare partition install the Win7 RC. It will configure a
triple boot system (it has done so for me on several machines with a mix of
XP and Vista 32 and 64 bit oses.)
Once you use Win7 you may never boot to Vista again.

docusk wrote:
> I have installed XP Pro on a separate HD (SATA) and Vista is on the main HD (Also SATA).
> I've used Steve Sinchak's instruction sheet and reached the stage of entering the four
> 'bcedit' commands in the Command prompt window. I have input all these in correct syntax, including appropriate spaces and forward slashes but it says
> specified identifier is not valid
> The parameter is incorrect.
> On the cmd prompt the location is c:\users\geoff but I have tried it in the C: prompt only and it still doesn't work. Maybe windows\system could do the trick.
> I need XP as some of my hardware won't work properly with Vista Home Premium.
> Can any suggest either, what have I done wrong or what do I need to do?
>
> docusk


Normally, the older OS must be installed first unless you wish to
acquire and use some 3rd-party partition and boot management utility.
(In which case you have to follow the instructions provided by whatever
3rd party solution you select.) However, this KB Article (not for the
faint of heart or technically-challenged) explains how to repair the
Vista boot process after installing WinXP:

Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of
the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

MS-MVP John Barnett's Guide is considerably more user-friendly:
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/install...ning_vista.htm



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:10:29 -0700, docusk wrote:

>
>I have installed XP Pro on a separate HD (SATA) and Vista is on the main HD (Also SATA).
>I've used Steve Sinchak's instruction sheet and reached the stage of entering the four
>'bcedit' commands in the Command prompt window. I have input all these in correct syntax, including appropriate spaces and forward slashes but it says
> specified identifier is not valid
> The parameter is incorrect.
>On the cmd prompt the location is c:\users\geoff but I have tried it in the C: prompt only and it still doesn't work. Maybe windows\system could do the trick.
>I need XP as some of my hardware won't work properly with Vista Home Premium.
>Can any suggest either, what have I done wrong or what do I need to do?

Explain the problem more clearly by copying the contents of the
command prompt window into your message.
First run bcdedit to show the current contents of the BCD.
Then run the bcdedit command that fails.

>
>docusk
>
>
>Post Originated from http://www.VistaForums.com Vista Support Forums