If you can get to a command prompt/DOS screen, go to d:\windows\system32
"d" is the drive where vista is installed.
Once there, type: "bcdedit.exe" or you can just type "bcdedit". Do not include the quotation marks " ".
It will generate a screen like this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {default}
resumeobject {fe04aef5-e49c-11db-9f2f-cdf57e93812b}
displayorder {ntldr}
{default}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 10
Windows Legacy OS Loader
------------------------
identifier {ntldr}
device partition=C:
path \ntldr
description Windows 2003 Server Enterprise
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {default}
device partition=D:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=D:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {fe04aef5-e49c-11db-9f2f-cdf57e93812b}
nx OptIn
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
now check your result against the above, make sure that all the parameters above are the same (except for your drive letter, which might be different from mine).
Now look at the "windows bootloader" section and note what you see in your report/DOS screen:
You may notice that instead of displaying "osdevice partition=D:" it may display "osdevice unknown". The same applies with "device". I have highlighted what I am referring to as bold in the report above.
If these settings are not showing the drive on which your vista is installed, you must change it. Since mine is drive "D" for vista, this is the command you must type:
D:\Windows\System32>bcdedit /set {default} osdevice "partition=D:
Also, if the "device" is showing as unknown, type this command:
D:\Windows\System32>bcdedit /set {default} device "partition=D:
If the path is \Windows\system32\winload.exe, then that's fine. Remember "D" above is the name of the drive on which your vista is installed. If your vista in on "F", use "F", etc. "default" in the blue text command above is the identifier for the os boot-up that you are trying to fix, in this case, vista. Sometimes, for the identifier you might have some long random numbers (GUID), just copy it and use it if is not the "default" that is shown.
Exit the DOS screen, restart your system, and you should be ok. If you have any problems please let me know.
Regards....DivineLogix