5 Windows installs in 2 Primary Partitions and 3 Volumes

[SimsmartTechnologies]

Hello,

I'll try to make my story not too long, please bear with me

I have the following partition setup (A,B,C,D being names to differentiate them):

Partition 1, Primary: BIBM (with Limit Primaries)
Partition 2, Primary: Windows XP
Partition 3, Primary: Windows 7 (A)
Partition 4, Extended
Partition 4.1, Volume: Windows 7 (B)
Partition 4.2, Volume: Windows 7 (C)
Partition 4.3, Volume: Windows 7 (D)

I have successfully installed BIBM, Windows XP and Windows 7 (A) without much of a problem.

I imaged Windows 7 (A) with Acronis True Image to put it on B,C and D.

I first recovered the image onto (B) and it went fine.

Although, after putting the image on (B), I was not able to boot it at first. It seem to have something to do with bootmgr or something like that. I am not an expert in MBR or Boot Managers, but I seemed to have recognized this problem.

Basically I get the Windows 7 logo, and it hangs there forever. So I booted on the Windows 7 Repair Disc while having the partition (B) as the only Unhidden one. The disc "repaired" what I think is bootmgr.

After this, when I selected (B) from my menu in BIBM, I was brought to the Windows 7 "boot manager" menu, with 2 choices, both being called "Windows 7 (recovery)".

If I select (B) in BIBM and then the first choice in the W7 boot manager, I get the same Windows 7 logo hang screen. Although, if I select (B) in BIBM and then the second choice in W7 boot manager, I can get into the Windows 7 (B). Same pattern for (A), if I select it in BIBM, but then choose the FIRST choice in W7 boot manager, I can get into Windows as well.

Now my problem lies in the fact that I don't need the W7 boot manager, and I want it to directly boot into Windows for each partition. But if I configure the "bootmgr" with lets say a timeout of 1 second and automatic choice, it seem to affect both (A) and (B) at the same time, so I cant get it correctly because both options in W7 boot manager end up booting (A). I thought this was caused maybe by "bootmgr" not existing in the C: partition of (B), but even after copying both C:\Boot and C:\bootmgr to (B) from (A), they still don't seem to be independent. I also followed the settings for BCD Edit here (http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492), but It didnt help, I keep hanging at the Windows 7 logo.

I'm wondering if this has something to do with the partition being logical (volume).

Any help would be appreciated, or any pointers on what I'm doing wrong and what I should do.

[mjnelson99]

It sounds like Windows is seeing more than the one partition
you want it to find.

That is why you are getting the dual-boot Windows screen.

Look at your BIBM settings again.
Mary

On 10/24/2012 2:26 PM, SimsmartTechnologies wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'll try to make my story not too long, please bear with me
>
> 
>
> I have the following partition setup (A,B,C,D being names to differentiate them):
>
> Partition 1, Primary: BIBM (with Limit Primaries)
> Partition 2, Primary: Windows XP
> Partition 3, Primary: Windows 7 (A)
> Partition 4, Extended
> Partition 4.1, Volume: Windows 7 (B)
> Partition 4.2, Volume: Windows 7 (C)
> Partition 4.3, Volume: Windows 7 (D)
>
> I have successfully installed BIBM, Windows XP and Windows 7 (A) without much of a problem.
>
> I imaged Windows 7 (A) with Acronis True Image to put it on B,C and D.
>
> I first recovered the image onto (B) and it went fine.
>
> Although, after putting the image on (B), I was not able to boot it at first. It seem to have something to do with bootmgr or something like that. I am not an expert in MBR or Boot Managers, but I seemed to have recognized this problem.
>
> Basically I get the Windows 7 logo, and it hangs there forever. So I booted on the Windows 7 Repair Disc while having the partition (B) as the only Unhidden one. The disc "repaired" what I think is bootmgr.
>
> After this, when I selected (B) from my menu in BIBM, I was brought to the Windows 7 "boot manager" menu, with 2 choices, both being called "Windows 7 (recovery)".
>
> If I select (B) in BIBM and then the first choice in the W7 boot manager, I get the same Windows 7 logo hang screen. Although, if I select (B) in BIBM and then the second choice in W7 boot manager, I can get into the Windows 7 (B). Same pattern for (A), if I select it in BIBM, but then choose the FIRST choice in W7 boot manager, I can get into Windows as well.
>
> Now my problem lies in the fact that I don't need the W7 boot manager, and I want it to directly boot into Windows for each partition. But if I configure the "bootmgr" with lets say a timeout of 1 second and automatic choice, it seem to affect both (A) and (B) at the same time, so I cant get it correctly because both options in W7 boot manager end up booting (A). I thought this was caused maybe by "bootmgr" not existing in the C: partition of (B), but even after copying both C:\Boot and C:\bootmgr to (B) from (A), they still don't seem to be independent. I also followed the settings for BCD Edit here (
>
> [
> http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492
> ](http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492)
>
> ), but It didnt help, I keep hanging at the Windows 7 logo.
>
> I'm wondering if this has something to do with the partition being logical (volume).
>
> Any help would be appreciated, or any pointers on what I'm doing wrong and what I should do.
>
>

[mjnelson99]

Forgot you said logical partition. That is definitely related.

You may need all on primary partitions to do what you want.
Mary

On 10/24/2012 3:40 PM, mjnelson99 wrote:
> It sounds like Windows is seeing more than the one partition
> you want it to find.
>
> That is why you are getting the dual-boot Windows screen.
>
> Look at your BIBM settings again.
> Mary
>
> On 10/24/2012 2:26 PM, SimsmartTechnologies wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I'll try to make my story not too long, please bear with me
>>
>> 
>>
>> I have the following partition setup (A,B,C,D being names to differentiate them):
>>
>> Partition 1, Primary: BIBM (with Limit Primaries)
>> Partition 2, Primary: Windows XP
>> Partition 3, Primary: Windows 7 (A)
>> Partition 4, Extended
>> Partition 4.1, Volume: Windows 7 (B)
>> Partition 4.2, Volume: Windows 7 (C)
>> Partition 4.3, Volume: Windows 7 (D)
>>
>> I have successfully installed BIBM, Windows XP and Windows 7 (A) without much of a problem.
>>
>> I imaged Windows 7 (A) with Acronis True Image to put it on B,C and D.
>>
>> I first recovered the image onto (B) and it went fine.
>>
>> Although, after putting the image on (B), I was not able to boot it at first. It seem to have something to do with bootmgr or something like that. I am not an expert in MBR or Boot Managers, but I seemed to have recognized this problem.
>>
>> Basically I get the Windows 7 logo, and it hangs there forever. So I booted on the Windows 7 Repair Disc while having the partition (B) as the only Unhidden one. The disc "repaired" what I think is bootmgr.
>>
>> After this, when I selected (B) from my menu in BIBM, I was brought to the Windows 7 "boot manager" menu, with 2 choices, both being called "Windows 7 (recovery)".
>>
>> If I select (B) in BIBM and then the first choice in the W7 boot manager,

I get the same Windows 7 logo hang screen. Although, if I
select (B) in BIBM and then the second choice in W7 boot
manager, I can get into the Windows 7 (B). Same pattern for
(A), if I select it in BIBM, but then choose the FIRST
choice in W7 boot manager, I can get into Windows as well.
>>
>> Now my problem lies in the fact that I don't need the W7 boot manager, and I want it to directly boot into Windows for each partition. But if I configure the "bootmgr" with lets say a timeout of 1 second and automatic choice, it seem to affect both (A) and (B) at the same time, so I cant get it correctly because both options in W7 boot manager end up booting (A). I thought this was caused maybe by "bootmgr" not existing in the C: partition of (B), but even after copying both C:\Boot and C:\bootmgr to (B) from (A), they still don't seem to be independent. I also followed the settings for BCD Edit here (
>>
>> [
>> http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492
>> ](http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492)
>>
>> ), but It didnt help, I keep hanging at the Windows 7 logo.
>>
>> I'm wondering if this has something to do with the partition being logical (volume).
>>
>> Any help would be appreciated, or any pointers on what I'm doing wrong and what I should do.
>>
>>
>
>

[SimsmartTechnologies]

What should I look for in the BIBM settings?

mjnelson99 wrote:
> Forgot you said logical partition. That is definitely related.
>
> You may need all on primary partitions to do what you want.
> Mary

Yes I thought so too, but since I need 5 Windows installs, there is still one that will have to be on a Logical partition (that's not even counting BIBM which needs one too I guess).

I guess the "infinite primaries" or whatever it's called might have worked it my case, but I was worried by the fact that I wouldn't be able to use any partition manager except BIBM's.

[Brian K]

SimsmartTechnologies,

As a test I copied my Win7 into an extended partition and I saw the same error you saw. The four glowing squares persisted indefinitely.

I suggest you have your OS in primary partitions. Enable Unlimited Primaries as it makes multi-booting so easy. Forget about using other partition managers as you already have the best.

[SimsmartTechnologies]

It does make sense... and I'm also starting to lose my mind trying to troubleshoot this.

To do this from my situation, do I need to reinstall BIBM? And then "convert" the partitions to Primaries with "Work with partitions" ?

[Brian K]

You don't need to reinstall BIBM. Just remove the tick from "Limit Primaries".

BIBM doesn't have a Convert logical partitions to Primaries function. As your logical volumes are suspect I'd delete the extended partition and copy (using BIBM or IFD) Win7 into unallocated space.

[Panagiotis]

The problem is in the bcd entries of each parition (it conflicts because you used imaging to create the other 7 systems).

You must correct the bcd in each partition with bibm,
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492
or you can let windows repair your boot configuration (but don't hide the partitions except the xp one) so that you'll have 4 windows entries in the loader.
Then you copy the boot files from the first partition to the other 3 and use bibm to delete the extra entries from the bcd of each partition. The guide below explains how to do it for 2 partitions
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=392

[SimsmartTechnologies]

This is precisely what I did, but even after doing all the steps and having fixed all the BCDs, everytime I would choose a Windows that is in the Extended partition, it would still use the BCD from the one in the primary partition, and ignore the BCD that I selected. This is what I couldn't figure out. And even inside Windows, the BCD would "not exist" and did not show in the utilities like msconfig, or third party apps that edit this.



Panagiotis wrote:
> The problem is in the bcd entries of each parition (it conflicts because
> you used imaging to create the other 7 systems).
>
> You must correct the bcd in each partition with bibm,
> http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=492
> or you can let windows repair your boot configuration (but don't hide the
> partitions except the xp one) so that you'll have 4 windows entries in the
> loader.
> Then you copy the boot files from the first partition to the other 3 and
> use bibm to delete the extra entries from the bcd of each partition. The
> guide below explains how to do it for 2 partitions
> http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=392

[SimsmartTechnologies]

OK, so I removed the "limit primaries", and destroyed the Extended Partition and all the volumes.

I recreated the partitions with "work with partitions" as Primaries.

Now when I restored an image onto one of the "new" empty partitions, instead of using the partition to put the data in, it added an extra partition in the spot where I selected the destination.

To be more clear, here is what happened, I had this:

Partition 1: BIBM
Partition 2: Windows XP
Partition 3: Windows 7 (A)
Partition 4: Windows 7 (B) (Empty)
Partition 5: Windows 7 (C) (Empty)
Partition 6: Windows 7 (D) (Empty)

I restored my Acronis image into Partition 4. And now it gave me this:

Partition 1: BIBM
Partition 2: Windows XP
Partition 3: Windows 7 (A)
Partition X: Windows 7 (Image ended up here)
Partition 4: Windows 7 (B) (Empty)
Partition 5: Windows 7 (C) (Empty)
Partition 6: Windows 7 (D) (Empty)

So instead of using the space of Partition 4, it kinda added its own. But now I end up with an "*Errors Exists*" message, with an "E" next to Partition 3 and Partition X (I don't know if it's related, but Partition 3 was the source of the image).

I'm guessing now that Partition 4 is invalid, but I don't know what I should do...

Do I delete Partition 4? Is there an option to fix this issue?

Thanks for helping guys


Brian K wrote:
> You don't need to reinstall BIBM. Just remove the tick from "Limit
> Primaries".
>
> BIBM doesn't have a Convert logical partitions to Primaries function. As
> your logical volumes are suspect I'd delete the extended partition and copy
> (using BIBM or IFD) Win7 into unallocated space.