[t0adman]

In my haste I loaded XP onto a Lenovo 3000 N100 notebook on the same partition as the Vista installation. Without thinking it seemed that having Vista located at C:\WINDOWS and XP at C:\WINXP would work just fine. Now when I boot the notebook I don't get an OS selection option. Lenovo, like many other manufacturers today, puts the OS recovery files on a separate partition on the notebook. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to access those recovery files without being able to load Vista.

As suggested by another TSG user, I installed EasyBCD and tried to force XP to let me select an OS at startup. EasyBCD recognizes the two OSs on the machine but can't get XP to allow me a choice. The following is my boot.ini file:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINXP
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINXP="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

This is what EasyBCD says under Setting Overview:

There are a total of 2 entries listed in the Vista Bootloader.
Bootloader TimeOut: 0 seconds.
Default OS: Microsoft Windows Vista

Entry #1

Name: Microsoft Windows Vista
BCD ID: {default}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \Windows

Entry #2

Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {21ab7b7b-4443-11dc-9aa6-000fb0d3d4c4}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \ntldr

Can anyone tell me how to get XP to allow me to choose with OS I want to load so I can use the Vista recovery partition to wipe off XP, reload Vista, partition the drive and install XP correctly? TIA!

[cuttlefish]

You can't just go back to a previous System Restore Point and roll it back to before you installed Vista?

Seems to simple doesn't it!

My bowels are rumbling just at the thought of having two OS on the one HDD!!!

I thought that when you tried to install XP over Vista some sort of warning would have come up to tell you it can't be done????

[t0adman]

The problem is I can't even load Vista to attempt a system restore. I installed XP from a self-booting DVD. Now the machine won't even start any OS and IBM wants $45 for the recovery DVDs. Such a racket! Sounds like I either send it to them for warranty re-imaging (shipping included - takes 5-7 biz days) or I buy the DVDs. Sweeeet!

Anyone think I have another option at this point?

[cuttlefish]

Can't even start in Safe Mode eh?

Will it boot from the OS disc - assuming the BIOS is set for that to happen?

[t0adman]

Sure, it will boot from the XP OS disc.