lost vista after xp install and I can't access vista dvd...

  • Thread starter Thread starter bpascal123
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bpascal123

Hi,

Until yesterday acomputer which doesn't fully belong to me (it's used
by the family) was working mainly under Vista. I wanted to install Xp
and went straight for it.

Now Vista doesn't start but Xp only does. And I am not sure I can
access Vista Dvd easily, I wasn't there when the computer came and I
am not sure where the Dvd went. It's a Dell XPS 400.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Pascal
 
Hi,

Until yesterday acomputer which doesn't fully belong to me (it's used
by the family) was working mainly under Vista. I wanted to install Xp
and went straight for it.

Now Vista doesn't start but Xp only does. And I am not sure I can
access Vista Dvd easily, I wasn't there when the computer came and I
am not sure where the Dvd went. It's a Dell XPS 400.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Pascal
Click to expand...

* Working mainly under Vista * ; apart from * installing XP * , what
other system was also on it ?
 
Until yesterday acomputer which doesn't fully belong to me (it's
used by the family) was working mainly under Vista. I wanted to
install Xp and went straight for it.

Now Vista doesn't start but Xp only does. And I am not sure I can
access Vista Dvd easily, I wasn't there when the computer came and I
am not sure where the Dvd went. It's a Dell XPS 400.

Can anyone help?
Click to expand...

....

What you are saying is that you took a computer that was in use by mutliple
people and without a backup plan - decided you would install an additional
OS onto it in hopes you could dual boot?

Can you be VERY specific about how you carried out the dual boot setup given
the machine started with Windows Vista and you wanted to add Windows XP?
Srep-by-step of what you have done - from before the moment you ver put a
Windows XP CD in the PC... Also be very specific with the hardware in
question (what you have, how old it is, etc.)
 
You may be able to complete the dual boot arrangement. Read the procedure
contained in the link below. You will need a Vista installation DVD in order to
repair the Vista bootloader and then complete the dual boot section with the
EasyBCD utility.

How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first)
http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp

If you didn't provide WinXP with a new partition or separate drive or if you
cannot obtain a compatible Vista DVD, then I hope you have a way to restore the
previous Vista installation, preferably with an image backup. Otherwise you'll
have to use whatever restoration routine that was provided with the computer.
Most of these types will restore the system to the original (out of the box)
configuration.

Good luck!
 
Hello,

===1===

*>>> Working mainly under Vista * ; apart from * installing XP * ,
what
other system was also on it ?

Ubuntu

===2===
people and without a backup plan - decided you would install an
additional
OS onto it in hopes you could dual boot?

dual boot? no, triple boot yes. Don't laught at me please.

===3===
the machine started with Windows Vista and you wanted to add Windows
XP?
Srep-by-step of what you have done - from before the moment you ver
put a
Windows XP CD in the PC... Also be very specific with the hardware in
question (what you have, how old it is, etc.)

Step by step :

Vista was preinstalled I think (Dell XPS 400), I don't know if there
is any Vista Dvd with it...

Step by step, (my purpose is to install Oracle Financial as I have
more than enough RAM and HD space on this machine than on my laptop).
Earlier, Vista was working, I installed Ubuntu for no specific
reasons... Later (yesterday) I installed XP, at first, I made a new
partition from the shrink function in the disk management partition
menu in Vista but I couldn't format it (later in Ubuntu gparted tool,
it said I had reached the 3 or 4 primary partitions limit). Before the
gparted assertion, I had tried to install Xp from launching Xp Cd but
it wouldn't install nor format the partition. (I think that's the
order events went on...). So I decided to use gparted in Ubuntu.

I went on Ubuntu with the live cd and I deleted the primary partition
where Ubuntu sits and split it in 4 other partitions so they could
include both Ubuntu and Windows XP... another partition for swap and
home directory... To be honest after making hd partition change and
just one step before processing installation, Ubuntu displayed a
warning message something like the cylinder 3 or 4 would'nt be
compatible with other operation system on the disk but I had the
option to go on so I went on (I know here must reside my stupidity...
I should have asked before...).

And now in Grub at start up, Vista system boot is displayed in the
bottom of the grub list but when choosing this I boot automaticly on
Windows Xp.

I still can access Vista Hd from Xp and all file systems.

Does this help to have Vista back when booting? Best would be Vista
alongside Xp.

Pascal
 
Hi,

I found the Vista Dvd in a Dell carbox labelled "Remote Kit"so I went
in the repair Vista menu of the Dvd and Vista came back as usual ...
Now the problem of not being able to start Vista again has moved to
not being able to start Xp. That is to say, Vista is booting well. To
my eyes, Xp and Vista are not on the same partition and that is the
cause of the problem (primary vs secondary partition or something like
this).

Vista bootloader gives me the choice between Vista and other "older
Microsoft OS" but when choosing the latter, I am not sure what exactly
happens but it's like vista is not finding an OS and I ahev to restart
the computer.

Any help would be great relief.
 
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