Windows 7 - Windows 7 / Windows Vista dual boot / 3rd party bootloader menu editor issue

Asked By IanKR

07-Aug-09 02:03 PM

I have a laptop that came with Windows Vista pre-installed, on a single boot
system. I then shrank its partition, created a new partition and installed
Windows 7 RC on the new partition. When I boot the laptop I get the
bootloader menu, from which I can boot either Vista or Win7 RC.

I assume that it is *Win7 RC's* bootloader menu (and not Vista's) that
appears, because it was Win7 that was installed second?

I want to eventually install Win7 RTM in place of Win7 RC. I am intending to
first remove Win7 RC by deleting the files on its partition, having booted
Vista (partitions are inter-viewable from either OS). Is this the best way
to do it?

What will happen to Win7 RC's bootloader? I assume that will be deleted?
If so, until I install Win7 RTM, will it now boot automatically to Vista, or
do I have to do something first to Vista's Master Boot Record?

I want to install Win7 RTM on the free partition vacated by Win7 RC. I
assume that Win7 RTM will install its own bootloader, so that I can dual
boot between Vista and Win7 RTM?

Is this the best way to proceed, or do I have to edit the bootloader menu
(with something like Easy BCD[1]?) before removing Win7 RC?

[1] On which partition/OS do I need to install any third-party bootloader
menu editor - presumably the one that has the bootloader menu (Win7 in my
case), or does not matter?

07-Aug-09 02:16 PM

The best venue for Windows 7 questions is the new Windows 7 Forums:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/w7itpro

07-Aug-09 02:21 PM

Thanks, but this also affects Vista.

07-Aug-09 02:37 PM

You should install Easybcd on both partitions (Vista/7 RC) so when you
delete 7 RC you can still boot into Vista. When you install 7 RTM you
will not have any problems at all.

07-Aug-09 03:19 PM

Many thanks, Frank. That tells me all I need to know.