Boot.ini edit help please...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Edna_Mode
  • Start date Start date
E

Edna_Mode

I'm trying to edit my boot.ini file so I can choose which O/S to start
when I boot my computer. I have 2 Windows XP installations (one for
back up) installed on two seperate drives. The main O/S is on a 250GB
HDD connected to a Promise Ultra 133 card in PCI slot 1 on my MB, and
the other is on a 20GB HDD connected to the Primary IDE channel.

I normally boot from the Promise by selecting SCSI in the BIOS. Or I
can boot from the other drive by selecting the IDE HDD in the BIOS,
but it would be easier to select each O/S through a boot menu.

I know another line is required after the first in the [operating
systems] section, but I'm not sure how to configure it. I've tried
different combinations for each option, but I can't get the other O/S
to start. Any help would be appreciated!

My boot.ini reads as follows, copied from startup & recovery:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
 
I'm trying to edit my boot.ini file so I can choose which O/S to start
when I boot my computer. I have 2 Windows XP installations (one for
back up) installed on two seperate drives. The main O/S is on a 250GB
HDD connected to a Promise Ultra 133 card in PCI slot 1 on my MB, and
the other is on a 20GB HDD connected to the Primary IDE channel.

I normally boot from the Promise by selecting SCSI in the BIOS. Or I
can boot from the other drive by selecting the IDE HDD in the BIOS,
but it would be easier to select each O/S through a boot menu.

I know another line is required after the first in the [operating
systems] section, but I'm not sure how to configure it. I've tried
different combinations for each option, but I can't get the other O/S
to start. Any help would be appreciated!

My boot.ini reads as follows, copied from startup & recovery:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Click to expand...

I'd try leaving the integrated Primary IDE as the default in
the bios then using "scsi" in place of "multi" above but
otherwise copying the rest of the line presuming the other
drive is connected as master of channel 0 (first of the two
channels on the Promise card), then copying the Promise
driver and renaming it in the root.

There's a good writeup here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q102873
 
Try this. Note that rdisk specifies the drive, the first drive being 0. This assumes that the OS is on the first partition in each case, the first partition being 1; and that the system directory name is windows.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Other drive" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect


Edna_Mode said:
I'm trying to edit my boot.ini file so I can choose which O/S to start
when I boot my computer. I have 2 Windows XP installations (one for
back up) installed on two seperate drives. The main O/S is on a 250GB
HDD connected to a Promise Ultra 133 card in PCI slot 1 on my MB, and
the other is on a 20GB HDD connected to the Primary IDE channel.

I normally boot from the Promise by selecting SCSI in the BIOS. Or I
can boot from the other drive by selecting the IDE HDD in the BIOS,
but it would be easier to select each O/S through a boot menu.

I know another line is required after the first in the [operating
systems] section, but I'm not sure how to configure it. I've tried
different combinations for each option, but I can't get the other O/S
to start. Any help would be appreciated!

My boot.ini reads as follows, copied from startup & recovery:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Click to expand...
 
I'm trying to edit my boot.ini file so I can choose which O/S to start
when I boot my computer. I have 2 Windows XP installations (one for
back up) installed on two seperate drives. The main O/S is on a 250GB
HDD connected to a Promise Ultra 133 card in PCI slot 1 on my MB, and
the other is on a 20GB HDD connected to the Primary IDE channel.

I normally boot from the Promise by selecting SCSI in the BIOS. Or I
can boot from the other drive by selecting the IDE HDD in the BIOS,
but it would be easier to select each O/S through a boot menu.

I know another line is required after the first in the [operating
systems] section, but I'm not sure how to configure it. I've tried
different combinations for each option, but I can't get the other O/S
to start. Any help would be appreciated!

My boot.ini reads as follows, copied from startup & recovery:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Click to expand...

I'd try leaving the integrated Primary IDE as the default in
the bios then using "scsi" in place of "multi" above but
otherwise copying the rest of the line presuming the other
drive is connected as master of channel 0 (first of the two
channels on the Promise card), then copying the Promise
driver and renaming it in the root.

There's a good writeup here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q102873
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the Promise drive is a master on the first
channel of the card. I read the part in the article above in Example
2: Mixed IDE and SCSI Environment. How do I copy the Promise driver
and rename it in the root as you describe?? Thanks for any help.

em
 
I'm trying to edit my boot.ini file so I can choose which O/S to start
when I boot my computer. I have 2 Windows XP installations (one for
back up) installed on two seperate drives. The main O/S is on a 250GB
HDD connected to a Promise Ultra 133 card in PCI slot 1 on my MB, and
the other is on a 20GB HDD connected to the Primary IDE channel.

I normally boot from the Promise by selecting SCSI in the BIOS. Or I
can boot from the other drive by selecting the IDE HDD in the BIOS,
but it would be easier to select each O/S through a boot menu.

I know another line is required after the first in the [operating
systems] section, but I'm not sure how to configure it. I've tried
different combinations for each option, but I can't get the other O/S
to start. Any help would be appreciated!

My boot.ini reads as follows, copied from startup & recovery:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Click to expand...

I'd try leaving the integrated Primary IDE as the default in
the bios then using "scsi" in place of "multi" above but
otherwise copying the rest of the line presuming the other
drive is connected as master of channel 0 (first of the two
channels on the Promise card), then copying the Promise
driver and renaming it in the root.

There's a good writeup here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q102873
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the Promise drive is a master on the first
channel of the card. I read the part in the article above in Example
2: Mixed IDE and SCSI Environment. How do I copy the Promise driver
and rename it in the root as you describe?? Thanks for any help.

em
Click to expand...

The file would be on the driver floopy you'd create for
windows installation to (drives on) that controller.
I don't have your card driver in front of me but as example
I do have a Promise Fasttrack driver floppy handy, on which
the file is in the appropriate OS folder and named
"fasttrack.sys", (or "Ultra.sys" for the non-raid variant of
some cards), which would be copied to the root of that drive
and then renamed to the filename in the above link,
"NTBOOTDD.SYS". I don't have any systems multibooting in
this fashion though, if it doesn't work I'm out of ideas.
 
Boot from the XP CD.
Make sure to load the Promise driver.
Run the recovery console.
Execute bootcfg /rebuild.
 
Boot from the XP CD.
Make sure to load the Promise driver.
Run the recovery console.
Execute bootcfg /rebuild.
Click to expand...
Andy...You Da Man!! Worked like a charm. I can now select either O/S
through the boot menu. Just like my old 98se/XP dual boot system. My
new boot.ini reads:

[boot loader]
timeout=11
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro 1"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro 2"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I also found a little help here:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000648.htm

Thanks again!!

em
 
The file would be on the driver floopy you'd create for
windows installation to (drives on) that controller.
I don't have your card driver in front of me but as example
I do have a Promise Fasttrack driver floppy handy, on which
the file is in the appropriate OS folder and named
"fasttrack.sys", (or "Ultra.sys" for the non-raid variant of
some cards), which would be copied to the root of that drive
and then renamed to the filename in the above link,
"NTBOOTDD.SYS". I don't have any systems multibooting in
this fashion though, if it doesn't work I'm out of ideas.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help kony. Andy's suggestion worked like a charm!

em
 
Boot from the XP CD.
Make sure to load the Promise driver.
Run the recovery console.
Execute bootcfg /rebuild.
Click to expand...
Andy...You Da Man!! Worked like a charm. I can now select either O/S
through the boot menu. Just like my old 98se/XP dual boot system. My
new boot.ini reads:

[boot loader]
timeout=11
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro 1"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro 2"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I also found a little help here:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000648.htm

Thanks again!!

em
Click to expand...


That's interesting, in that it isn't distinguishing between
the two controllers. Do you only have the two drives with
active partitions?
 
Boot from the XP CD.
Make sure to load the Promise driver.
Run the recovery console.
Execute bootcfg /rebuild.
Click to expand...
Andy...You Da Man!! Worked like a charm. I can now select either O/S
through the boot menu. Just like my old 98se/XP dual boot system. My
new boot.ini reads:

[boot loader]
timeout=11
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro 1"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro 2"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I also found a little help here:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000648.htm

Thanks again!!

em
Click to expand...


That's interesting, in that it isn't distinguishing between
the two controllers. Do you only have the two drives with
active partitions?
Click to expand...

Yes, only the two drives and both are active. XP Pro 1 is the drive on
the motherboard primary IDE and XP Pro 2 is on the Promise card. It
doesn't make sense to me either, but it works! Thanks again...

em
 
Back
Top