outerbank Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 I have a dual boot system with Win Xp on one drive and Win7 on another separate drive. A known problem when booting up into Win XP is that whatever restore points were created in the Win7 OS, they are deleted. There are a couple of solutions on the web describing how to prevent Win XP from deleting the Win7 restore points. The workaround solution appears on several websites, including a Microsoft website. This workaround was implemented on my computer. As noted by several postings on the web, the workaround doesn't always work. I can concur it doesn't work on my computer following the directions posted in the "Sevenforums" and Microsoft websites. Another suggested solution is to go into diskmgmt.msc to hide the Win7 volume from Win XP. That is, remove the drive letter for the Win7 volume. Never having performed this operation before, are there risks involved with doing this? It is recognized that when the driver letter for the Win7 volume is removed, this volume will not be accessible while in Win XP. I can't foresee having a need to access the Win7 volume while in Win XP. Win XP is still used because there are applicatons on this OS that are not Win7 compatible. Besides being unable to access the Win7 volume, are there any other shortcomings/risks making this change? Or, does anyone know of a different solution. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdanteek Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Did you install both operating systems with the other OS drive unplugged? If not you have mucked up your MBR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 No, nothing is mucked up. Win XP had been installed previously on the one single drive that originally came with the computer. A second hard drive was purchased and installed on the computer. The Win XP drive was disconnected prior to installing Win7 OS on the second hard drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdanteek Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 I've ran dual boot systems for years and never had that problem! Point me to forums that talk about that problem please? Now I actually have system restore off as I use SSD Drives and run Acronis Ti images as backups to platter drives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 All one has to do is type "how to stop win xp from deleting restore points in Win7". You will see any number of websites that describe this problem and the solutions therein. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Sorry, forgot to include typing it into Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdanteek Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Do you use any third party program to dual boot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 The bios setting is used to select which OS to boot into. That is, F10 is pressed when booting up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 cdanteek...Here is a website you might want to visit, if you haven't already been to this website. (www.SevenForums.com) Once there, type in the query box in the upper right corner, "Win XP deletes restore points in Win7 with dual boot". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Outerbank, Using diskmgmt.msc to hide your Win 7 volume from XP should be quite safe. I've used disk management a lot with no fallout, and as you propose to use it, it's only modifying the XP registry not the Win 7 one. I still think you'd be better off with a decent imaging backup system though. I don't think it's safe to rely on system restore points. Regards, Brendon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 I believe I'm convinced that making an image backup seems the best route. It's evident that preventing the deletion of restore points in Win7 when booting up into XP isn't going to happen, at least on my computer. Thanks to all for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDWAGON Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 cd's post # 2 is a very important statement that many users do not realize or adhere to when wanting to dual boot several OS's. Always remove or disconnect all other drives that have other OS's prior to installing a different OS on a new HD. One nice perk you get (when building your own computer and use ASUS MB's) is at boot up just click on the F8 key and it gives you a choice of any drive to boot to (including DVD or CD drives installed) without having to go to the BIOS to tell it what drive to boot to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 REDWAGON If you read my second post, the XP drive was disconnected prior to the installation of Win7. Without having very much computer knowledge, it just made common sense that the drive with Win XP should be isolated by disconnection prior to installing a different OS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Outerbank, You might be surprised how many people don't think to disconnect other drives when you're installing another Operating System on another drive in the machine, so it was good that you did - you saved yourself a big bootloader tangle. Redwagon, What Outerbank found I had never encountered, because I don't use "restore points". Even on a computer with separate OSes on separate drives such as ours, you can't use "restore points" because when you boot XP it will destroy all other restore points on any drive it can see even if you've told XP not to monitor those drives. It's very badly behaved, and published registry fixes don't seem to work. Regards, Brendon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDWAGON Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 REDWAGON If you read my second post, the XP drive was disconnected prior to the installation of Win7. Without having very much computer knowledge, it just made common sense that the drive with Win XP should be isolated by disconnection prior to installing a different OS. Understand OB--Just re-stating what cd had suggested regarding only having a single OS drive hooked up when wanting to dual boot and installing more than one OS. Brendon---I don't use restore points either with W7 OR W8 !! And for sure I don't or haven't used XP as an OS for years now, so don't need to worry about dual booting into XP. Dual booting with any OS's and having to go into the BIOS every time to tell it which OS to boot to is a pain !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Not certain that dual booting using the BIOS is that much of a pain, if describing just the act of booting up the computer into one or another OS. In my case, it's press button on computer to start, hold down F10 key and let the computer boot up. The screen BIOS screen opens where the two hard drives are listed. The XP drive is listed first, the Win7 drive below. If XP is the choice, I click on Enter. If Win7 is the choice, the down arrow key is pressed to highlight the Win7 drive, followed by clicking on Enter. That's it. It's not a great burden nor is it complicated. Now this only happens when the plan is to boot up into XP first because the BIOS is set to automaticaaly boot up into Win7. It is presumed that in your case, Red Wagon, when you boot up your computer a screen appears where you need to make a choice between Win7 or Win8. Correct? Respectfully, I don't see much difference in procedure, other than I have to hold down the F10 key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdanteek Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Now this only happens when the plan is to boot up into XP first because the BIOS is set to automatically boot up into Win7. Once you change it in the bios to XP next time you boot up you need to hold F10 and change it back to W-7 or you boot back to XP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDWAGON Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 I normally boot into W7 (That's what the BIOS is set for) However, I would say that do to the Asus MB and it's ability that I only have to click on ONE key at boot up (F8) and then click on the OS I want OR DVD drive that I want to boot to. That's certainly easier than have to get into the BIOS every time to change boot sequence. And depending on the version of BIOS you have you have to click several times just on the arrow keys to get to the TAB that has to do with booting, then with down arrow keys to get to the boot priority option. And as cd as said--Once you change the BIOS boot priority that's where it will stay. But everyone has their particular way of doing things and as long as you are happy using the BIOS to change boot sequences---go for it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 cdanteek- Your last post states that once the computer is booted up in XP, the bios must be changed or else the computer will be booted back into XP. That's not so. The Bios is set that when booting up the computer, and without doing anything else, the computer boots up into Win7. If when in Win7 it is decidedto now boot up into XP, then the computer is restarted and F10 held down. Now when in XP a decision is made to boot back up into Win7, all that's done is to go to restart and the computer now boots up into Win7. Again, without pressing F10 or anything else. Having explained this, it's based on my understanding of what you described. Pardon me if I misinterpreted what you describe. By the way, after a third attempt at modifying the registry according to directions provided in the Windows Seven Forum of a workaround to prevent XP from deleting restore points in Win7, the workaround is a success. I can't explain why it required three attempts, but it did in my case. Even though restore points are no longer deleted in Win7, my plans are to use backup to create disk images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 There are two ways you can use the BIOS to set the boot order of a machine. The original method, and the only one you can use in many old machines, is to go into the BIOS setup and set and save the boot order. Once you've done that the machine will automatically boot in that order unless you interfere. In more modern BIOSes you can also press a key while booting [often the F10 key] to chose a different boot order for that particular occasion. Using that key doesn't change the boot order that's set during the setup operation. Outerbank, Well done getting the mod to work, but you do note that it also works by preventing XP from seeing the Win 7 drive so it denies you access to any files on that drive. I prefer to rely on backups rather than restore points. Regards, Brendon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerbank Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Yes, I do recognize that with the "workaround" it will not be possible to see or access the Win7 drive while in the Win XP OS. At this moment, I can't foresee a need to access the Win7 volume (very few documents) from XP. While in Win7 OS, being able to access the Win XP volume is important because that is where the majority of documents are located, such as photos and music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdanteek Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Yes, I do recognize that with the "workaround" it will not be possible to see or access the Win7 drive while in the Win XP OS. At this moment, I can't foresee a need to access the Win7 volume (very few documents) from XP. While in Win7 OS, being able to access the Win XP volume is important because that is where the majority of documents are located, such as photos and music. Maybe that is why I never noticed your problem! I turn off restore points on all drives, with SSD Drives I only keep OS and programs on that drive, anything else goes on large platter drives and I can access all my info no mater what OS I'm booted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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