After researching how to enable Aero on the Windows Server 2008 desktop (see previous blog post) I proceeded to install Windows Server 2008 onto the third hard drive within a desktop computer that currently has Windows Vista running on the first two disks within a RAID configuration.
Windows Server 2008 installed without an issue however upon rebooting, once the installation was complete, there was no boot menu. Of course, Microsoft had removed the boot.ini file that users of previous versions of Windows were so familiar with and replaced it with the Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. Windows Server 2008 also uses the same BCD store and the installation does not enumerate your disks to add boot entries for other operating systems found, which previous versions of the Windows setup would do automatically.
Although there are several utilities with nice user interfaces available to help you edit the BCD store, I decided that I would learn how to use the bcdedit.exe command line utility that Microsoft provides for this purpose.
Using
To enable the computer to also boot Windows Vista you again use
Using
Before you can use the newly created Windows boot loader configuration, you'll need to change the partition for Windows Vista using the following two
If you now reboot the system you should now be able to boot into either Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista.
Windows Server 2008 installed without an issue however upon rebooting, once the installation was complete, there was no boot menu. Of course, Microsoft had removed the boot.ini file that users of previous versions of Windows were so familiar with and replaced it with the Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. Windows Server 2008 also uses the same BCD store and the installation does not enumerate your disks to add boot entries for other operating systems found, which previous versions of the Windows setup would do automatically.
Although there are several utilities with nice user interfaces available to help you edit the BCD store, I decided that I would learn how to use the bcdedit.exe command line utility that Microsoft provides for this purpose.
Using
bcdedit.exe /enum to enumerate through the current entries within the BCD store you'll see something like the following:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Server 2008
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6d3956ce-e199-11dc-8c11-c156da9e35f2}
nx OptOut
To enable the computer to also boot Windows Vista you again use
bcdedit.exe with the following command which will copy the current Windows Boot Loader details for Windows Server 2008 to Windows Vista.
bcdedit.exe /copy {current} /d "Microsoft Windows Vista"
bcdedit.exe will respond with something like the following.
The entry was successfully copied to {8677dee0-e502-11dc-9f96-001e4cde5025}.
Using
bcdedit.exe /enum to again enumerate through the current entries within the BCD store you'll see the newly added entry:
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Server 2008
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6d3956ce-e199-11dc-8c11-c156da9e35f2}
nx OptOut
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {8677dee0-e502-11dc-9f96-001e4cde5025}.
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6d3956ce-e199-11dc-8c11-c156da9e35f2}
nx OptOut
Before you can use the newly created Windows boot loader configuration, you'll need to change the partition for Windows Vista using the following two
bcdedit.exe commands.
bcdedit.exe /set {8677dee0-e502-11dc-9f96-001e4cde5025} device partition=D:bcdedit.exe /set {8677dee0-e502-11dc-9f96-001e4cde5025} osdevice partition=D:If you now reboot the system you should now be able to boot into either Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista.
Comments
I'm using Vista Home Premium 64 SP1 and Windows Home SP2. I think you are right about the custom build of Vista. I agree completely they should supply something to allow access to the Vista Recovery Console. At the least, it could be a part of the Recovery Load that HP supplies, but there is no repair option, just blow it out and reload. I have made progress. The EasyBCD forum set me straight on the proper function of the program. When I tried to add XP as an entry, the drive letter pulldown is supposed to be grayed out and I should have just clicked Add anyway. I tried that again and it attempted to add the entry but I got an error that it could not locate NTLDR on my HD and to download NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM for the entry to work. I grabbed those from the web and placed them on the XP root drive and restarted. Lo and behold, I got the Boot Manager Menu! My joy was brief, because when I chose to boot XP, I got an error that Windows Failed to Start and it listed the File: NTLDR, Status: 0xc000000f and said the "selected entry could not be loaded because the application is corrupt or missing. The screen also recommended that I use the XP install disk to do a repair...which if I do, it will break Vista and because I can't repair Vista, it becomes groundhog day.
Dude, wish I could help you more but I think you'll need to locate a Vista DVD and install from the original Microsoft media. You might be able to get a DVD from the computer manufacturer for a small fee, but just ask them if it is a Microsoft DVD or an HP DVD for example, otherwise you might still get the custom build.
- Doug
Okay Doug. I'll let you know how it comes out. I sure agree with you that they need to provide the ablility to run a repair function from the Recovery Disks. Must just be money, but it is also kind of sadistic. Thanks for helping me out.
No problem Scott,
Good luck
- Doug
I tried this and the dual boot menu comes up, but no way will it load W2008 or Vista
I have 2 HDs, I installed Vista on one and W2008 on the other, using each one as the only drive
My HP DV9310 laptop will not let me choose anything other than drive C in the setup, and I suspect this is the problem, HP simply will not boot from anything that is not drive C, can you confirm this or help in any way.?
thanks
Patrick
PS, I have tried both ways, ie Vista on drive 1 and W2008 on drive 2 and vice versa, and followed your BCDEDIT routines exactly. Should I try installing W2008 from within Vista to the 2nd HD?
Hey Patrick,
Sorry to hear you are having trouble with dual booting Vista and Server 2008. I'm afraid I don't have any other suggestions other than to contact HP or Microsoft and see if either of them can assist you further. It could be something to do with the BIOS on your HP DV9310 laptop.
I'm now running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 and you'll be glad to know that you won't have to use bcdedit.exe in the future as Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 both play nice together. Of couse, you may still have the same issue on the HP laptop if it is indeed a BIOS issue.
Good luck...
- Doug
Doug, your last comment may only be half-correct. I recently installed an instance of W7 Beta to a laptop which was originally loaded with WS2008. Creating a dual-boot situation in this order required the use of bcdedit.
It might be the case in the final version that this works correctly, but with the beta bits I was still forced to use this process.
I've added a copy of Windows 7 in a second partition on a disk that contained Server2K8 Standard 32 Bit run as a Workstation
Both work, but I just can't get BCDEDIT to work.
I'd like to make my default OS Server2K8, not Winows 7, but anything I try with BCDEdit results in
The boot configuration data store could not be opened.
The requested system device cannot be found.
I've even resorted to logging in as the Admin Account used to install Server 2008 but just cand get anywhere with BCDEDIT
can anyone give me some ideas on what I'm doing wrong, I'm working in the root of C:, should I be somewhere else before I try any BCDEDIT commands
Any suggestions would be welcome
I was able to install Windows 2008 on a separate secondary hard drive (E) and when the pc reboots there is a boot menu with WS 2008 listed. My problem is that when server 08 loads it is now telling me that the OS installation is not on a supported partition and needs to be installed on C: (where I have Vista of course). I guess my question is will the above steps work for my situation?
I want to install share point server2007 (it works only in windows server 2003/2007) but in my laptop Vista home premium is installed. which option is suggestable for me
1. go for dual boot vista and windows server 2003 (is it possible if yes how?)
2. go for virtulization (Virtual PC 2007 )and then install server 2003 and then share point
Thanks in advance...
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