A reader has asked about how to add Windows XP to Windows 7 Boot Manager. Here are the steps. You do this when you cannot boot to Windows XP after installing Windows 7 or Windows Vista.
- Open an elevated command prompt.
- Type the following to create a boot loader for Windows XP.
bcdedit /create {ntldr} /d "Windows XP" - Type the following to set the device to where Windows XP is installed. I used D: in this example. Replace it with the drive letter of your XP installation.
bcdedit /set {ntldr} device partition=D: - Type the following to set the path.
bcdedit /set {ntldr} path \ntldr - Type the following to add this boot loader to the boot up screen.
bcdedit /displayorder {ntldr} /addlast - Reboot the computer.
[Update: 3/11/2009] Some readers have reported that they still have problems after following these steps. I have tried to reproduce the error and fix it. The error I got is different, but it’s similar in nature. Please see this post about how I fixed the problem.
[Update: 11/9/2010] I have a new post about doing this using EasyBCD.
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My system also rebooted after xp-record selection. But specifying “NST” before ntldr solved my problem!
amida168 wrote:
“Type the following to set the device to where Windows XP is installed. I used D: in this example. Replace it with the drive letter of your XP installation.
bcdedit /set {ntldr} device partition=D:”
but it’s true when partition D: is Active
WOW!!!!
I did have to reinslall Windows XP because it was full of virus.
Then when I did try to reinstall Windows Seven, I had problems with the cd/dvd driver. It was not my day.
Now everything is in place.
Finally my dream has come true.
I do this all the time. When I reinstall WIndows XP I also have to redo Seven. Not anymore!!!
I’m just going to change the boot order and that’s it.
Good Work.
This is the final configuration
Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {3277e0b4-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \NST\ntldr
Maybe this will help some of them 😉
I trayed a few times.
Bootloader Path: \NST\ntldr – is wrong for me.
This works:
Bootloader Path: \ntldr
BCD ID: {c7349210-9e83-11e0-8c45-78acc098a108}
and I have Windows XP on partition F:
also the whole is:
Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {c7349210-9e83-11e0-8c45-78acc098a108}
Drive: F:\
Bootloader Path: \ntldr
This is the final configuration
Windows Boot Manager
——————–
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=DeviceHarddiskVolume1
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {3277e0b1-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
resumeobject {3277e0b0-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
displayorder {3277e0b1-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
{3277e0b4-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
——————-
identifier {3277e0b1-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
device partition=C:
path Windowssystem32winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {3277e0b2-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot Windows
resumeobject {3277e0b0-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
nx OptIn
Real-mode Boot Sector
———————
identifier {3277e0b4-3b38-11e1-a981-93187caface9}
device partition=C:
path NST
tldr
description Microsoft Windows XP
Maybe this will help some of them 😉
hi
i lost my xp boot, after installing win7 (removing the 100mb system partition).
Your solution helped me, but i still had a few bugs, i had to copy this 3 files from xp instalation to win7 root.
the files are:
boot.ini
ntldr
ntdetect.com
this files are hidden so you need to go to control panel and folder options to show hidden and system files.
Hope it helped
Thank you man, this worked like a charm, and this was something i was looking for a long long long time.
Good work. Although i would like to take a step further and would request if you could make a video tutorial.
What a person will learn visually with sound and picture is more profound in one’s mind then just text in HTML page.
Thank you.