The computer continuously restarts after you unsuccessfully try to install Windows Vista on a Windows-based computer

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SYMPTOMS

You experience the following symptoms after you unsuccessfully try to install Windows Vista on a separate partition on a Windows-based computer:

The computer cannot start the earlier version of Windows.
The computer continuously restarts.

This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:

The computer is running a version of Windows that is earlier than Windows Vista.
You try to create a dual-boot system by installing Windows Vista to a different partition than the partition where the earlier version of Windows is installed.
An error occurs during the installation. Or, an error occurs after Windows Vista restarts for the first time. When this error occurs, the Windows Vista installer rolls back the changes that were made during the installation.

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This problem occurs because the Windows Vista installer does not completely remove the Boot Configuration Database (BCD) store when it rolls back the changes. Therefore, Windows Boot Manager (Bootmgr) cannot use the Boot.ini file to start the earlier version of Windows.

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RESOLUTION

To start the earlier version of Windows, manually select the earlier version on the boot menu.

To delete the boot entry for Windows Vista so that the computer does not continuously restart, follow these steps:

Start the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE).
Use the Bcdedit.exe command-line tool to delete the temporary boot entry for Windows Vista. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press ENTER after you enter each command.
bcdedit /enum
bcdedit /delete {ID} /cleanup
Note ID is the GUID of the boot entry that you want to delete. This GUID will be listed when you enter the first command.

For example, the following command deletes a boot entry whose GUID is {802d5e32-0784-11da-bd33-000476eba25f}.
bcdedit /delete {802d5e32-0784-11da-bd33-000476eba25f}

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MORE INFORMATION

This problem affects a computer that does not have a valid BCD store. The BCD store is a new feature of Windows Vista. The BCD store contains information about the operating systems that are installed on the computer. Earlier versions of Windows use the Boot.ini file for the same purpose.

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