Dual Boot W2K and Win&7

[larswebb]

Hi,

I am trying to dual boot windows 2000 and windows 7. When I try to install 7 on another partition Windows 7 can't see my partitions,no of them. I have w2k on one and Data on another and another partition ready for windows 7. Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Larry

P4
Asus P4S8X
2Gig Ram
Windows 2K SP4
2-Seagate 160 Gig Sata HD's

 

[raybay]

You have to start with Windows 7 in the first partition, then VISTA, Then WXP, Then W2K in that order... you don't need all of them, but you must have them installed in order listed.
I suspect you will have zero luck in any other layers of Windows.

 

[larswebb]

I moved my Win2K partition to the middle of the drive and left the beginning unallocated. Windows7 still can't see my partitions and now my computer won't boot "error loading OS". Now for some reason my Acronis backup image is corrupt. Am I totally screwed?

 

[raybay]

There are tricks to all this... as usual.
But I am not smart enough to help.
You have to first setup the drive with the partitions, installing your highest level Windows in the first partition.
Once, done, you install the next partition with a complete install off the first one.

 

[larswebb]

Great... Any idea how I can undo what I did? Get my boot partition back to the beginning of the drive?

 

[raybay]

There is not likely to be an easy choice... save using another drive, if you have critical data on that unit.
You format the entire drive, then partition the drive, then format the partitions, then install you most recently released software on partition one... next most recently released in Partition two.
There may be experts who know ways around this, or you might find more with some sophisticated searchs... but we have never seen any others work.

 

[larswebb]

Problem Solved, I ran Ubuntu 8.10 from the CD and used Gparted to move my W2K partition back to the beginning of the drive. Now all is well.

 

[larswebb]

I think Widows 7 needs sata drivers I don't have..........