Dual boot help please (Doing it right?).

  • Thread starter Thread starter EtherStreams
  • Start date Start date
E

EtherStreams

Hi. I've started to create a much needed multi-boot system of Windows XP Pro,
and would need to know if I am doing this correctly.(*Note; using 3 s.a.t.a
drives)

In my Computer Management\Disk Management, my system looks as follows:
Disk 0 Partition 1= C: Partition 2= D: (Original WindowsXP Pro install)
CDROM 0
Disk 1 Partition 1= F: (Secondary WindowsXP Pro install)
Disk 2 Partition 1= G:

My Boot.ini Disk 0 (original install) is as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer

What I understand of the Boot.ini:
multi(0) = ???
disk(0) = logical unit
rdisk(0) = physical drive
partition(1) = partiton on physical drive
/noexecute=optin = Enables DEP for core system images. ???
/fastdetect = Default boot option for windows.
/usepmtimer = ???

What I've done is the following (*Note: Was suggested install independantely):
1) I unplugged the power to Disk 0 and Disk 2.
2) On Disk 1, I installed Windows XP Pro (the install saw it as installing
to C:) and
ran a Restore Backup to have a mirror image of Disk 0 in it's "Virgin"
state.
3) Pluged power to all drives and rebooted.
4) It was the secondary instance (most recent install) of windows that
loaded with
the Boot.ini as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer

My goal is to have Disk 0 as my "Default", therefore, what I am thinking is
as follows:
1) Unplug power to Disk 1 and Disk 2. Power on.
2) Once Disk 0 Windows is loaded, edit the Boot.ini as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
3) Power down, plug in Drive 1 and Drive 2. Power up.
4) At start up I would have a choice as to which WindowsXP to load.

Help to make the dual-boot work, would me MOST appreciated. Thanks.
 
BTW. This is an ongoing thing. More info on why I am doing this can be found
at microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support Subject: Dual boot XP Pro with
a second instance of XP Pro??? By: EtherStreams

I've gone with John's advise.
 
EtherStreams said:
Hi. I've started to create a much needed multi-boot system of Windows
XP Pro, and would need to know if I am doing this correctly.(*Note;
using 3 s.a.t.a drives)

In my Computer Management\Disk Management, my system looks as follows:
Disk 0 Partition 1= C: Partition 2= D: (Original WindowsXP Pro
install) CDROM 0
Disk 1 Partition 1= F: (Secondary WindowsXP Pro install)
Disk 2 Partition 1= G:

My Boot.ini Disk 0 (original install) is as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer

What I understand of the Boot.ini:
multi(0) = ???
disk(0) = logical unit
rdisk(0) = physical drive
partition(1) = partiton on physical drive
/noexecute=optin = Enables DEP for core system images. ???
/fastdetect = Default boot option for windows.
/usepmtimer = ???

What I've done is the following (*Note: Was suggested install
independantely): 1) I unplugged the power to Disk 0 and Disk 2.
2) On Disk 1, I installed Windows XP Pro (the install saw it as
installing
to C:) and
ran a Restore Backup to have a mirror image of Disk 0 in it's
"Virgin" state.
3) Pluged power to all drives and rebooted.
4) It was the secondary instance (most recent install) of windows that
loaded with
the Boot.ini as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer

My goal is to have Disk 0 as my "Default", therefore, what I am
thinking is as follows:
1) Unplug power to Disk 1 and Disk 2. Power on.
2) Once Disk 0 Windows is loaded, edit the Boot.ini as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
3) Power down, plug in Drive 1 and Drive 2. Power up.
4) At start up I would have a choice as to which WindowsXP to load.

Help to make the dual-boot work, would me MOST appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

You've mucked it up...

You said, "What I've done is the following (*Note: Was suggested install
independantely):
1) I unplugged the power to Disk 0 and Disk 2.
2) On Disk 1, I installed Windows XP Pro (the install saw it as installing
to C:)"

You should have *NOT* unplugged the drives, especially the one containing
your original XP install. Had you left it plugged in, the install would
have found it and given you the option of installing a new XP wherever you
wanted it. It also would have made you a proper boot.ini on drive C: (which
is where it must be).

When you unplugged your original drive C: and installed XP the drive to
which you installed properly became the boot drive and contains the boot.ini
which is why the new install booted after you plugged back in the drive
containing the original install.

I don't believe your original XP install drive is now bootable. IIRC, you
should be able to get it so by unplugging the drive containing the new XP
install (to be safe, unplug ALL drives except for the one that had your
original XP install), loading XP's repair console from the XP install CD and
then executing FIXBOOT and/or FIXMBR (see more info below sig).

If there is now a boot.ini on that drive, fix it so it points to the drive
with the original XP install; or, delete or rename it? (Don't recall if a
single, non-dual boot XP install has a boot.ini or not).

Shut down, plug in your drives and boot. Now delete the second XP install
on F:. Don't try to uninstall it, just delete it.

Now read this...
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
especially section #5.

Now start the XP install CD and follow the directions in the link above.

Suggestions:

1. Once you get the installs as you wish, modify the descriptions in the new
boot.ini so that you can distinguish them; for example, change
WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" to WINDOWS="XP Professional,
Main" for one and WINDOWS="XP Professional, Basic" for the other.

2. Change the timeout from 30 seconds to something more realistic - like 5.



dadiOH
____________________________
____________________________



FIXMBR is used to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR) of a harddisk.
There is only one MBR per harddisk.

FIXBOOT is used to repair the boot records of a partition. Every partition
has boot records and if the boot records of a partition is corrupt, you need
a tool to repair such boot record. For Windows Systems the tool is FIXBOOT

________________________

Fixboot fixes the drive boot record and if it is a system drive, rewrites
boot.ini.

Every formatted partition has its own boot record. It tells the operating
system how the partition is formatted, how big it is and the file system it
is using and if it is a bootable partition, a bit of code to get things
started.

Fixmbr fixes the master boot record of which there is only one for each
physical drive. The MBR contains information on how the drive is partitioned
along with the boot loader which is the very first thing that is read from
the hard disk by the BIOS when the computer is booted.

In short, partioning a drive writes the Master Boot Record. Formatting the
drive writes the drive boot record.

__________________________

fixboot [drive]

Parameter

drive

The drive to which a boot sector will be written. This replaces the default
drive, which is the system partition you are logged on to. An example of a
drive is:

D:

Example

The following example writes a new partition boot sector to the system
partition in drive D:

fixboot d:

Note
..

Using the fixboot command without any parameters will write a new partition
boot sector to the system partition you are logged on to.

**********************

Fixmbr

Repairs the master boot record of the boot disk. The fixmbr command is only
available when you are using the Recovery Console

fixmbr [device_name]

Parameter

device_name

The device (drive) on which you want to write a new master boot record. The
name can be obtained from the output of the map command. An example of a
device name is:

\Device\HardDisk0.

Example

The following example writes a new master boot record to the device
specified:

fixmbr \Device\HardDisk0

Note
..

If you do not specify a device_name, a new master boot record will be
written to the boot device, which is the drive on which your primary system
is loaded.
..

If an invalid or nonstandard partition table signature is detected, you will
be prompted whether you want to continue. If you are not having problems
accessing your drives, you should not continue. Writing a new master boot
record to your system partition could damage your partition tables and cause
your partitions to become inaccessible.
 
what you can do
is to boot up with
a xp cd.

then select repair
to launch the recovery
console.

then at the disk
prompt run the
command>:

bootcfg /rebuild

then exit

--------------------

after you build the
menu,

it may not look perfectly
descriptive of your
boot options.

however, you can
edit that boot.ini
via windows

by going to system
control panel > advance
startup/recovery
Click to expand...

and look for the edit
button.

keep in mind not to
modify anything out
of the double quote
descripts.

but inside the double
quotes you can enter
any text the best helps
you describe your
booting optons.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

EtherStreams said:
Hi. I've started to create a much needed multi-boot system of Windows XP Pro,
and would need to know if I am doing this correctly.(*Note; using 3 s.a.t.a
drives)

In my Computer Management\Disk Management, my system looks as follows:
Disk 0 Partition 1= C: Partition 2= D: (Original WindowsXP Pro install)
CDROM 0
Disk 1 Partition 1= F: (Secondary WindowsXP Pro install)
Disk 2 Partition 1= G:

My Boot.ini Disk 0 (original install) is as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer

What I understand of the Boot.ini:
multi(0) = ???
disk(0) = logical unit
rdisk(0) = physical drive
partition(1) = partiton on physical drive
/noexecute=optin = Enables DEP for core system images. ???
/fastdetect = Default boot option for windows.
/usepmtimer = ???

What I've done is the following (*Note: Was suggested install independantely):
1) I unplugged the power to Disk 0 and Disk 2.
2) On Disk 1, I installed Windows XP Pro (the install saw it as installing
to C:) and
ran a Restore Backup to have a mirror image of Disk 0 in it's "Virgin"
state.
3) Pluged power to all drives and rebooted.
4) It was the secondary instance (most recent install) of windows that
loaded with
the Boot.ini as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer

My goal is to have Disk 0 as my "Default", therefore, what I am thinking is
as follows:
1) Unplug power to Disk 1 and Disk 2. Power on.
2) Once Disk 0 Windows is loaded, edit the Boot.ini as follows:
[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 /usepmtimer
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
3) Power down, plug in Drive 1 and Drive 2. Power up.
4) At start up I would have a choice as to which WindowsXP to load.

Help to make the dual-boot work, would me MOST appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
Ok. Thanks. I guess I was ill advised. My question now would be, if I do fix
it all and re-install to drive F: , will that instance of windows be
completely independant and unaffected by anything done to the original
install? As well, could I overlay the existing backup over the drive F:
install (the backup was configured to take out anything that could interfere
with my audio recording ex: network adaptors, etc....)???
 
EtherStreams said:
Ok. Thanks. I guess I was ill advised. My question now would be, if I
do fix it all and re-install to drive F: , will that instance of
windows be completely independant and unaffected by anything done to
the original install? As well, could I overlay the existing backup
over the drive F: install (the backup was configured to take out
anything that could interfere with my audio recording ex: network
adaptors, etc....)???
Click to expand...

I'm not sure who you are asking but if me, I already told you how to install
and gave you an excellent link for step by step instructions.

As to your questions...

1. each install is independent of the other.

2. I don't know if you could restore the backup of F: or not because I don't
know how you made it. If you want a fresh install without soft (drivers)
for hardware, you can just disconnect or remove that hardware before the
install. Of course, when you put back that hardware and boot that XP
install it will find the hardware and want to install drivers for same. I
know no way around that and wouldn't bother if I did because they aren't
going to mess up audio recording.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
 
yes, if you reinstall the
o.s. onto a different
partition,

a dual boot should be
automatically created
by windows.

is not then use the
bootcfg /rebuid to
make one.

you also asked about
restoring an archive.

restoring archives can
be tricky because the
archive must be restored
to the original location it
was taken from.

if it is simply the o.s. you
could restore the archive
to another partition than
its origianl was on.

then you simply could do
a "repair installation" with
your xp cd.

however, if the archive has
third party programs installed
onto the o.s.,

they will not function if their
original installation drive is
a different letter.

so if you restore an archive
to a different drive letter than
the one it had initially,

you would also have to re
install your third party software
again so that they registr keys
and other files are in sync
with the new drive letter.


--
db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

"share the nirvana mann" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Thanks for all the info. The back up is the O.S. with windows updates, my
video card drivers and mouse\keyboard drivers. I really hope it all works. I
am on dial-up, so it takes quite a long time to update the O.S., where as
restoring the back up takes a max 1\2 hour. Not to mention that I did have to
have the computer configured so that certain network adaptors would stop
interfering with my external sound card.
 
Thanks for all the info. The backup is just the O.S. with updates, the
videocard and mouse/keyboard drivers. As for the network adaptors, I did in
fact have to get them configured, for they were interfering with my external
soundcard. I also tryed to visit your site, and was unable to load it up. It
kept comming back with "Done, with errors." Do you by any chance have the
same page up in simple html as opposed to the aspx (I'm on dial-up so
connectivity is a real bitch)?
 
EtherStreams said:
Thanks for all the info. The backup is just the O.S. with updates, the
videocard and mouse/keyboard drivers. As for the network adaptors, I
did in fact have to get them configured, for they were interfering
with my external soundcard. I also tryed to visit your site, and was
unable to load it up. It kept comming back with "Done, with errors."
Do you by any chance have the same page up in simple html as opposed
to the aspx (I'm on dial-up so connectivity is a real bitch)?
Click to expand...

It *is* html.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
 
you're welcome.

in case you need
more help :

databaseben@hotmail

--
db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

"share the nirvana mann" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Back
Top