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How to troubleshoot scenarios in which the rollback phase was unsuccessful after you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista

Article ID: 927523

Article Last Modified on 5/10/2007

APPLIES TO

Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition

INTRODUCTION

If you upgrade a computer from Microsoft Windows XP to Windows Vista, and if an error occurs during setup, the rollback phase is initiated. The rollback phase returns the computer to the previous operating system installation.

This article describes a successful and unsuccessful rollback phase. The article also describes how to troubleshoot scenarios in which the rollback phase was unsuccessful.

MORE INFORMATION

When an error occurs during a Windows Vista upgrade installation, the rollback phase may be successful or unsuccessful.

Successful rollback phase

When the rollback phase is successful, you can start Windows XP on the computer. The rollback process restores your personal data files to their original locations on the hard disk.

After a successful rollback phase, follow these steps:

Make sure that your personal data files are in the correct location. If your personal data files are missing, they may be located in one or more of the following folders:
- \$WINDOWS.~Q\DATA\Documents and Settings\Username
- \$INPLACE.~TR\Machine\Data\DATA\Documents and Settings\Username
- \Users\Username
Examine the setup log files to determine the cause of the installation failure. The log files from a failed upgrade are located in the \$Windows.~BT\Sources\Panther folder on the hard disk partition that contains the startup files.

For more information about Windows Vista setup log file locations, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

927521 Windows Vista setup log file locations

Unsuccessful rollback phase

When the rollback phase is unsuccessful, you may experience any of the following symptoms:

The operating system does not start, or you receive an error message when you try to start the operating system.
You receive a "Rollback Setup" message every time that you start the operating system.
When you try to start the previous operating system installation, you receive an error message that resembles the following error message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: File name

These symptoms may occur for any of the following reasons:

The boot sector on the hard disk is still using the Windows Boot Manager (Bootmgr) instead of Windows NT Loader (NTLDR).
The rollback data for the installation is corrupted or is inaccessible.
The rollback phase was not completed successfully.

How to troubleshoot an unsuccessful rollback phase

To troubleshoot an unsuccessful rollback phase, you should first try to preserve your personal data files on the hard disk. Then, prepare the computer so that you can reinstall the operating system. To do this, use one of the following methods, as appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: Restore the boot sector

When you start the computer, you may see the Windows Boot Manager menu. This menu includes options to start Windows Vista and Windows Setup. If this menu appears, select the Previous Operating System option.

If the previous operating system starts successfully, the rollback phase was partially completed. To complete the rollback to the previous operating system installation, follow these steps:

Start the Windows Recovery Environment, and then open a command prompt. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then restart the computer.
2. Press a key when you are prompted to restart from the disc.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
Restore the boot sector so that it uses NTLDR instead of the Windows Boot Manager. To do this, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:

cd DVDdrive\BOOT

bootsect /nt52 SYS
Make sure that your personal data files are in the correct location. If your personal data files are missing, they may be located in one or more of the following folders:
- \$WINDOWS.~Q\DATA\Documents and Settings\Username
- \$INPLACE.~TR\Machine\Data\DATA\Documents and Settings\Username
- \Users\Username
- \Document and Settings\Username

If you cannot start the previous operating system, use one of the following methods to access your personal data files. By using one of these methods, you can obtain a working environment on the computer. In this environment, you can back up your personal data files and do additional troubleshooting.

Method 2: Install Windows Vista in a new folder

You can install Windows Vista in a new folder. This configuration is known as a parallel installation. After the Windows Vista installation is complete, you can access your personal data files by using Microsoft Windows.

If you install Windows Vista in a new folder, remember the following important points:

You must click Custom Install when you select the installation type during setup.
Make sure that you leave the partition intact. Do not use any advanced operations on the hard disk drive.
After a successful installation, your personal data files are located in the following folder:

\Windows.OLD\Documents and Settings

You can also use the search feature in Windows Vista to locate your personal data files. After you locate the files, you can manually move them to the location that you want by using Windows Explorer.
Because this is a custom installation, programs that were previously installed on Windows XP must be reinstalled in Windows Vista. Such programs include Microsoft Office.

Method 3: Install Windows XP in a new folder

If you cannot install Windows Vista because of unresolved compatibility issues, you can install Windows XP in a new folder. This configuration is known as a parallel installation.

If you install Windows XP in a new folder, remember the following important points:

Parallel installations should be installed on separate hard disk partitions. If you cannot do this, you can install Windows XP on the same partition as the current installation by specifying a new folder name during setup. However, there is a possibility of data loss. The "Program Files" folder and the "Documents and Settings" folder may be overwritten.

Therefore, it is best not to use the parallel installation over a long time. You should use this method only temporarily to access and to back up your personal data files.
After a successful parallel installation, your personal data files may be located in one or more of the following folders:
- \$WINDOWS.~Q\DATA\Documents and Settings\Username
- \$INPLACE.~TR\Machine\Data\DATA\Documents and Settings\Username
- \Users\Username
You can also use the search feature in Windows to locate your personal data files. After you locate the files, you can manually move them to the location that you want by using the drag-and-drop feature in Windows.
After the parallel installation is complete, you must reinstall your programs, the latest service pack, and the latest critical updates.

Method 4: Use the command prompt in the Windows Recovery Environment

This method is the quickest way to access your personal data files. However, the command prompt is more complex to use than the drag-and-drop feature in Windows.

If you are confident that you can use the command prompt to manually copy files, this method is the most direct way to complete a backup. After the backup is complete, you can format the hard disk and perform a clean installation of the operating system.

To start the Windows Recovery Environment and to open a command prompt, follow these steps:

Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then restart the computer.
Press a key when you are prompted to restart from the disc.
Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
Click Repair your computer.
Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.

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Microsoft KB Archive/927523

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