Ok so my problem is this, I was testing an XP Pro SP3 Sata CD that I had freshly burned to see if it would boot before working on a friends computer. Since I had it out I decided to see why my second 320gig HD had disappeared. Low and behold I somehow reformatted it during one of my crazy projects unknowingly. So I used the XP cd to reformat it back to a clean NTFS file system. The only problem is it automaticly installed XP Pro.. etc without my interaction. In doing so it also destoryed the vista boot up files it would seem. However, since vista was on the other HD the entire contents, including system files appear to still be intact. I have tried using selective boot up and selecting the original vista hard drive to boot, however when either drive is selected it boots to XP. As far as I know both of my 320 gig HDs are set as masters.

So my question is this, how do I restore control of my system to vista and have that system automaticly boot?

Keeping the contents of the first drive (Vista, C:) is important to me. However if I lose the XP drive and all of its contents (J:) I dont mind...

Sometimes too much knowledge just isn't enough.

Boot into XP and then install a program like Vista Boot Pro. It allows you to set which operating system boots first, the time delay, and so on.

EasyBCD is another option. It will easily fix Vista's bootloader.

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

Jabbering Idiots: Everywhere You Look!

Well originaly I was hoping to learn a little about all the boot files and the process, but I will admit that Vista Boot Pro worked fast and effectivly, thanks. It took less than 5 minutes to restore my computer to its former glory.

Sometimes too much knowledge just isn't enough.

I'm glad Vista Boot Pro worked well for you-I like using it. You could have edited the boot.ini file in XP, but using a program like Vista Boot Pro or EasyBCD leaves less room for error, etc.

ok so if boot.ini controlls the bootup process in XP, is the same true in vista? If so I can't seem to find a boot.ini on my system.. If not then what takes priority the XP or vista file and why? and what is the vista equivalent of the boot.ini? Why wouldn't it make a relative adjustment to the path if I had selected a different hard drive before as opposed to the absolute path set by the XP version? Sorry to pester, but I half ask out of curiousity and half way out of anticpation of a reoccurance.

Sometimes too much knowledge just isn't enough.

"Vista no longer relies heavily on a boot.ini file. (Indeed, it no longer has a boot.ini file) Rather, Vista maintains a sophisticated tally of what it's supposed to load at startup in something called a Boot Configuration Data store. The BCD is more precisely a list of boot options; that list is made up of Boot Configuration Data elements and objects." That was taken from What To Do When Windows Vista Crashes: Little-Known Recovery Strategies

XP's Boot.ini = Vista's BCDEdit...

The reason you just don't hear about BCDEdit as much is a no-brainer:

While several folks who felt at home with XP may have embraced Vista, there are still many more that are cautious about the OS, let alone installing & using it extensively.

The ones that have--myself included--don't even bother with the (strictly command-line) file when--for all intent & purposes--less convoluted programs like Vista Boot Pro & EasyBCD are out there & available for FREE to manipulate the BCD stores.

Jabbering Idiots: Everywhere You Look!