XP/XP64 further dual boot issues. ntoskernel.exe

All,

after your tips from my previous xp/xp64 dual boot configuration, I have reently solved my installation problems and actually managed to get both installs running. I installed XP then XP64 - on to the same sata disk on seperate partitions. so c:\windows = xp d:\windows = xp64

The XP64 installation picked up the XP32 install and added it to the boot.ini for me. So now when I'm presented with the boot menu, I see xp and xp64, which is great.

Xp32 boot works fine, however when I boot into xp64 I see

warning <windowsroot>/ntoskernel.exe is missing

however ntoskernel.exe is present in both c:\windows and d:\windows

My boot.ini looks good

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional x64 Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Which also looks like the windows root variable is fine.

Is there any other reasons that I'm overlooking of why this file cannot be accessed ?

Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ikonia

I installed XP then XP64 - on to the same sata disk on seperate partitions. so c:\windows = xp d:\windows = xp64
...
Is there any other reasons that I'm overlooking of why this file cannot be accessed ?

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It could be the fact that you are using a SATA HDD and for some reason XP x64 does not have a driver present for the SATA controller.

Did you have to do a bit of F6'ing during the install of XP x64 to feed it a driver for your SATA controller or did it work natively?

The file ntoskrnl.exe should be present in %systemroot%\SYSTEM32, and is specific to the build of Windows on the partition - so the one on C: should be different to the one on D:

XP x64 will need a later NTLDR on the active partition to boot properly too - if the 32-bit XP one is present then that might be a problem.

Check the file size & date stamps on C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM against the ones in the I386 folder on your XP x64 CD/DVD to make sure they match.
(dir c:\ /ah from a command prompt to view the hidden files)

You could also try a repair install from the XP x64 CD/DVD.

Hello Paul,

thanks for the input.

To respond to your comment.

First of all, yes the Sata drivers where loaded from a floppy at install time, which I am %100 certain of. more so because XP can't see my sata controller at all without the drivers, so for it to have installed at all suggests this wasn't a problem at all

NTLDR, now this is interesting.

In my head, there would be an NTLDR on each disk 32bit on c:\ 64 bit on d:\ then the boot loader would load the correct one based on the options (such as %winroot% or whatever) that are in the boot menu. eg: load the ntoskernel.exe from d: would use ntldr from d: However I don't think I understand the windows boot process enough for that to be true.

This is backed up by there only being 1 ntldr file in existance, which is on c:\ - which as the 32bit install was last to be installed, I'd expect it to be the 32bit version of the file.

My questions in regard to this is, what happened to the ntldr that would have been installed at the time of 64bit install, as I assume that must have been installed on d:\ as at that time there was nothing on c:\

My second question is, although this clearly looks like a problem, this to me would not explain why the bootloader can't fine ntoskernel.exe for the 64bit install, as ntldr should be executed after ntoskernel.exe ?


ntldr on the c:\ (32) is 250kb and on the XP64 cd its 289kb so clearly your initial comment is correct. the NTLDR is 32bit.

Additional questions are - how do you manage this ? dual boot system then I assume 2 ntldrs will be needed, or can the 64bit one be used to boot the 32bit os.

So many questions, that open more questions.

Feedback appriciated.

Hello Paul,

thanks for the input.

To respond to your comment.

First of all, yes the Sata drivers where loaded from a floppy at install time, which I am %100 certain of. more so because XP can't see my sata controller at all without the drivers, so for it to have installed at all suggests this wasn't a problem at all

NTLDR, now this is interesting.

In my head, there would be an NTLDR on each disk 32bit on c:\ 64 bit on d:\ then the boot loader would load the correct one based on the options (such as %winroot% or whatever) that are in the boot menu. eg: load the ntoskernel.exe from d: would use ntldr from d: However I don't think I understand the windows boot process enough for that to be true.

This is backed up by there only being 1 ntldr file in existance, which is on c:\ - which as the 32bit install was last to be installed, I'd expect it to be the 32bit version of the file.

My questions in regard to this is, what happened to the ntldr that would have been installed at the time of 64bit install, as I assume that must have been installed on d:\ as at that time there was nothing on c:\

My second question is, although this clearly looks like a problem, this to me would not explain why the bootloader can't fine ntoskernel.exe for the 64bit install, as ntldr should be executed after ntoskernel.exe ?


ntldr on the c:\ (32) is 250kb and on the XP64 cd its 289kb so clearly your initial comment is correct. the NTLDR is 32bit.

Additional questions are - how do you manage this ? dual boot system then I assume 2 ntldrs will be needed, or can the 64bit one be used to boot the 32bit os.

So many questions, that open more questions.

Feedback appriciated.

appologies for the dual post. Not sure what happened there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ikonia

In my head, there would be an NTLDR on each disk 32bit on c:\ 64 bit on d:\ then the boot loader would load the correct one based on the options (such as %winroot% or whatever) that are in the boot menu. eg: load the ntoskernel.exe from d: would use ntldr from d: However I don't think I understand the windows boot process enough for that to be true.

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Partition marked as active on the primary disk is the one with the bootstrap.

Quick run-down of the boot process components (borrowed from Windows Internals):

MBR (Master Boot Record)
Reads and loads partition boot sectors (16-bit real mode)

Boot sector
Reads the root directory to load NTLDR (16-bit real mode)

NTLDR
Reads BOOT.INI, presents boot menu and loads NTOSKRNL.EXE, BOOTVID.DLL, HAL.DLL and boot-start device drivers. If a 32-bit installation is booted, switches to 32-bit protected mode; if a 64-bit installation is booted, switches to 64-bit long mode (16-bit real mode, 32/64-bit protected mode)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ikonia

My questions in regard to this is, what happened to the ntldr that would have been installed at the time of 64bit install, as I assume that must have been installed on d:\ as at that time there was nothing on c:\

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Woah, back up a sec - in your original post you said you installed XP and then XP x64, on C: and D: respectively... now you say C: was empty when you installed XP x64 on D: ?
If you installed the 32-bit version of XP after the 64-bit, or ran some FIXMBR tool (or similar) in 32-bit XP then this would have overwritten the system partition's bootstrap code.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ikonia

My second question is, although this clearly looks like a problem, this to me would not explain why the bootloader can't fine ntoskernel.exe for the 64bit install, as ntldr should be executed after ntoskernel.exe ?

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See the boot process above, NTLDR switches to 32-bit or 64-bit and is responsible for loading the kernel - if your NTLDR is only 32-bit then I would assume it incapable of loading the 64-bit kernel or drivers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ikonia

Additional questions are - how do you manage this ? dual boot system then I assume 2 ntldrs will be needed, or can the 64bit one be used to boot the 32bit os.

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Install 32-bit OS first, then 64-bit OS - otherwise you can run into this problem.

I'm not at home for a few days and I don't have access to any 64-bit machines here to check what tools are on the OS CDs for fixing the bootstrap - you can try a repair from the XP x64 CD, and I'll try to dig up some info on FIXMBR or whatever and get back to you.

your bang on - I did install 64 then 32, c:\ wasn't empty.

nice run down on the boot pocess, always handy to have it straight in my head.

I see whats going on here and it makes sense in my head.

Big thanks for the input and for making this so clear and simple

all working.

Spot on paul, it was actually the ntldr being 32bit that was the problem, nothing to actually do with ntoskernel.exe on either 32/64 installs.

thanks for explaining the process, easy to fix a problem when someone makes it so clear.