dual booting windows xp & windows 2003

[pcmodder]

hey folks!

I need some help fixing my system please!

Ive installed XP on my Pc under C:\ partiton and then installed Win2k3 Server under a partition on F:\. XP was put on first, then 2k3.

Problem is i can boot into Win2k3 no probs but when i try to boot into XP from the boot menu which displays both systems XP comes up with <WINDOWS ROOT> ntoskrnl.exe is missing - please reinstall copy of this file!

I dont wanna reinstall XP cause ive loads data on there that i wanna keep, there's gota be a way i can edit the boot process or something??????

[badass]

What order did you install them in? Was it XP first, on the C:\ partition and 2k3 second on the F:\ partition?
If this is the case, is ntoskrnl.exe in c:\<windows install dir>\system32 ?
Also, there should be a file called bootsect.dos in the root of your C:\ partition.
does the contents of the windows install on C look ok?
Make sure you are set to view hidden files and unhide protexcted operating system files
I've had this problem with a dual boot 2000 and XP before. I think I installed 2000 after XP and got the same error. to fix I booted into the recovery console on the XP partition and did a fixMBR but I am not sure this will work in your case as I dont have enough info from you yet
I suspect the fixMBR may well fix your XP problem but 2k3 will then get some kind of booting error.
2000 and XP definately write to the bootsector differently, and I suspect that 2k3 does it differently to XP aswell.

[pcmodder]

I did try this a few months ago as well!

I installed XP, then 2003 and the same thing happened (ntoskrnl.exe missing) and i remember trying fixmbr using xp disc but it didnt work, cause when i tried to boot into 2003 again the error was coming up on it. So i reinstalled XP on C:\ drive.

So that is why i am at this point.! I ve decided to give it a go again and reinstalled Win2k3 last night but now my XP is banjaxed again! (ntoskrnl.exe missing)

And to answer your question BADASS:

XP is on C:\ partition
WIn2k3 on F:\ partition
ntoskrnl.exe is in C:\windows\system32\ there's one of these in F:\windows\system32\ as well (i take it this is the windows 2003 kernel)

Havent come across the bootsect.dos yet but im sure its there in c:\
Windows install seems fine on XP as i was using it b4 i resintalled Win2k3
I have already set "view system/hidden files"

any other suggestions???

[Paul Adams]

XP got SP2?
2003 got SP1?
Using RAID at all?

Post the contents of C:\BOOT.INI here, and give us the datestamp & size on these 2 files:
C:\NTLDR
C:\NTDETECT.COM

Easiest way to view this information is to start a command prompt, then enter:
C:
CD \
dir /as

It sounds like the Windows 2003 NTLDR can't read the XP kernel, which usually implies one of:
- the boot loader is 32-bit and the selected kernel is 64-bit
- the OS is on a drive type which is not "natively recognised" and needs other drivers to work

A repair option from the XP CD should recover the boot loader files, but let us see what you have first.

[pcmodder]

yea XP's got SP2 & win2k3's got sp1
no RAID as yet! would love to tho!

oh btw ive had Partition magic on my C:\ drive so ive done a search on boot.ini and found it under the partition magic program folder so here is the contents of it. If this is the right one there aint even a line pointing to Win2k3 so hows it recognising it???

boot.ini from PMPro program folder:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
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" /fastdetect/noguiboot

there is ntldr in:
c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386 29/08/02 - 229kb
f:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386 24/03/05 - 288kb
f:\windows\softwaredistribution\download\........\i386 24/03/05 - 288kb

NTDETECT.COM IN:
c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386 29/08/02 - 46.4kb
f:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386 24/03/05 - 46.6kb
f:\windows\softwaredistribution\download\........\i386 24/03/05 - 46.6kb

both drives are ntfs if your thinking theyre different!

ok thats the lot requested there! what now??

[Paul Adams]

oh btw ive had Partition magic on my C:\ drive so ive done a search on boot.ini and found it under the partition magic program folder...

Yikes, Partition Magic has put its own boot loader in?
That BOOT.INI seems to be a backup before 2003 was installed - it does indeed only have the reference to the XP partition...

If there is no NTLDR in the root then I have a feeling Partition Magic has completely replaced the boot loader with a proprietry one :s

Can you post the results of "dir" and "dir /as" from C:\ and F:\ ?
That might give us some clues...

[pcmodder]

hang on Paul! my own mistake! I didnt have view hidden system files on so that why i could see my boot.ini in c:\ and f:\

heres the proper c:\boot.ini

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(7)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(7)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Standard" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect/

ntdetect.com is in there as well - dated 17/01/06 46.6kb
also ntdlr is 25/03/03 - 288kb

dir of F:\ as well

Directory of F:\

17/01/2006 23:07 <DIR> DECCHECK
16/01/2006 21:58 <DIR> Documents and Settings
17/01/2006 23:10 <DIR> NVIDIA
18/01/2006 21:36 <DIR> Program Files
17/01/2006 23:12 <DIR> WINDOWS
16/01/2006 21:52 <DIR> wmpub
2 File(s) 21,540,345 bytes
6 Dir(s) 10,517,831,680 bytes free

F:\>dir /as
Volume in drive F has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 9067-A8FC

Directory of F:\

18/01/2006 21:26 1,811,939,328 pagefile.sys
16/01/2006 22:29 <DIR> RECYCLER
17/01/2006 00:21 <DIR> System Volume Information
1 File(s) 1,811,939,328 bytes
2 Dir(s) 10,517,831,680 bytes free


for some reason i cant cd c:\

F:\>c:\
'c:\' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

what now??

[Paul Adams]

for some reason i cant cd c:\

F:\>c:\
'c:\' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

what now??

That's not a valid command.
First you type:
C:
to switch to the C: volume, then you type:
cd \
to change directory to the root, then you type:
dir
to list the files which are not hidden and/or system, then you type:
dir /as
to list the files with the system flag set

But no matter, you have given me the details for NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM so I'll check which version they are...

[Paul Adams]

ntdetect.com is in there as well - dated 17/01/06 46.6kb
also ntdlr is 25/03/03 - 288kb

Just checked my XP retail CD with SP2 slipstreamed:
NTLDR is dated 2004-08-04 13:00 and is 250,032 bytes
NTDETECT.COM is dated 2004-08-04 13:00 and is 47,564 bytes

I have to wonder why the heck your NTDETECT.COM is dated yesterday, but your NTLDR appears to be what I think is the Windows 2003 RTM version...

My Windows 2003 Server ISO with SP1 slipstreamed has:
NTLDR dated 2005-03-24 19:42 - 295,536 bytes
NTDETECT.COM dated 2005-03-24 19:42 - 47,772 bytes

[pcmodder]

OK heres the dir of c:\

Directory of C:\

19/10/2005 16:28 0 AUTOEXEC.BAT
19/10/2005 16:28 0 CONFIG.SYS
21/10/2005 17:38 <DIR> Documents and Settings
19/10/2005 18:06 <DIR> Inetpub
23/11/2005 12:51 <DIR> Program Files
19/10/2005 16:09 <DIR> SOFTWARE
17/01/2006 21:22 <DIR> WINDOWS
2 File(s) 0 bytes
5 Dir(s) 4,475,305,984 bytes free

C:\>DIR /AS
Volume in drive C is SYSTEM
Volume Serial Number is 00EE-58F6

Directory of C:\

17/01/2006 00:17 302 boot.ini
19/10/2005 16:28 0 IO.SYS
19/10/2005 16:28 0 MSDOS.SYS
17/01/2006 00:13 47,772 NTDETECT.COM
17/01/2006 00:13 295,536 ntldr
16/01/2006 22:29 <DIR> RECYCLER
17/01/2006 00:21 <DIR> System Volume Information
5 File(s) 343,610 bytes
2 Dir(s) 4,475,305,984 bytes free

[Paul Adams]

Check you have Service Pack 1 applied to Windows 2003:
Right-click "My Computer", click Properties

If it is not applied, then download and install it.

If it is applied already, then boot off your XP CD and when it gets to the list of options, select to go to the Recovery Console.
It will ask for the partition you want to repair, enter the number next to C:

Type the following commands:
cd \
dir nt* (this should list the 2 files we are interested in, with their dates & sizes)
fixboot (enter 'y' to confirm)
fixmbr (enter 'y' to confirm)
dir nt* (check if the files are changed)
exit (PC now restarts)

I'm still not sure if Partition Magic has been screwing with the boot loader - I don't know why you have a file dated yesterday.

[pcmodder]

ok paul i'll give this a go now!

yes win 2k3 has sp1 on it!

[pcmodder]

hey paul i tried to boot into recovery mode using XP CD and i get a blank screen (doesnt even bring up the usual "windows is inspecting your hardware")

so i tried the same using WIN2003 disc - this lets me into recovery mode and into

1. C:\Windows
2. F:\Windows

so i choose 1:ENTER and it asks me for admin password - well! i cant even remember this now cause i rarely log on as administrator. So where now?? U know any progs or hacks to reset the SAM file for C:\

I used to have a Knoppix Linux CD that i heard could be used to reset the SAM file, but ive lost it , have searched absolutely everywhere, i googled about it last night and apparently newer versions of knoppix dont have ntfs drivers. I do have a copy of other Linux systems e.g. Fedora/Ubuntu so just asking to see if you know if these can be used to reset it???

[pcmodder]

ok , got the admin password issue sorted and have tried your instructins on fixing boot and mbr

both appeared to work but when i dir nt* in c:\ both ntdetect.com and ntldr are still the ones dated 17/01/06 and sizes 47772b and 295536b respectively!

rebooted and tried to go into xp but still showing up the error "ntoskrnl missing"

????

[pcmodder]

[QUOTE=pcmodder]

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(7)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(7)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Standard" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect/

what does the /noexecute=optout mean????

[Paul Adams]

i tried to boot into recovery mode using XP CD and i get a blank screen (doesnt even bring up the usual "windows is inspecting your hardware")

Erm, that's not good - your XP CD isn't even bootable now?
Does it work in another machine?
Does it even try to boot from the CD?
Does it say "Press a key too boot from the CD..." for a few seconds before booting from the hard disk?
If you have the 2003 CD in the drive and get the "Press any key to boot from the CD..." message, but don't press a key, do you get the boot menu and does XP then work?

have tried your instructins on fixing boot and mbr

both appeared to work but when i dir nt* in c:\ both ntdetect.com and ntldr are still the ones dated 17/01/06 and sizes 47772b and 295536b respectively!

rebooted and tried to go into xp but still showing up the error "ntoskrnl missing"

I'm getting the feeling Partition Magic has really been messing around with this - is it installed under XP or 2003?
If it's install under XP, did you install it before 2003?

what does the /noexecute=optout mean????

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is enabled for all processes by default, unless you explicitly add an exception (Skype is an example of a program that crashes if DEP is enabled for it, so requires an exception).
Comes in 2 flavours - hardware and software - I've only seen hardware DEP used on 64-bit OS's though.
Process Explorer from SysInternals can show the DEP status of every running process on your system.