XP and 2000 on separate hard disks

  • Thread starter Thread starter greypound
  • Start date Start date
G

greypound

To solve multiple problems I have installed 2000Pro SP4 on one hard
drive and XP SP2 on another.

At the moment I cannot boot with both drives connected - the slave
drive is not seen and the boot process halts.
Each OS works well when only one drive is connected.

I know that to have a dual boot system XP has to be installed after
2000 so that the XP boot sector gives access to files that allow 2000
to boot.

I can reinstall XP since I haven't modified it too much yet. Does
anyone know how to allow both drives to co-exist ? Can the XP boot
sector be modified?

JeffT
 
To solve multiple problems I have installed 2000Pro SP4 on one hard
drive and XP SP2 on another.

At the moment I cannot boot with both drives connected - the slave
drive is not seen and the boot process halts.
 Each OS works well when only one drive is connected.

I know that to have a dual boot system XP has to be installed after
2000 so that the XP boot sector gives access to files that allow 2000
to boot.

I can reinstall XP since I haven't modified it too much yet. Does
anyone know how to allow both drives to co-exist ? Can the XP boot
sector be modified?

JeffT
Click to expand...

My experience is mainly with NT4 and win9x so take it for what it is,
speculation I suppose.
I recall that it is critical that your boot/startup drive be C:. That
doesn't necessarily mean that C: always must be the primary IDE /
PATA / SATA. The CMOS selections for First Boot, Second Boot, etc can
change which drive is your C: drive. You might also checkout forums
of your computer maker and/or motherboard maker and others. You can
experiment and pay attention to LEDs etc

Good luck.
Bob
 
Check that the Master/Slave relationship is properly established, verify
that the drives are at the proper location on the cable and that the
jumpers are properly set. There is no need that Windows XP be installed
after Windows 2000 but keep in mind that the Windows 2000 version of
ntldr and NTDETECT.COM cannot boot Windows XP, if the installations
share the same System Partition use the Windows XP version of these
shared files.

John
 
Check that the Master/Slave relationship is properly established, verify
that the drives are at the proper location on the cable and that the
jumpers are properly set. There is no need that Windows XP be installed
after Windows 2000 but keep in mind that the Windows 2000 version of
ntldr and NTDETECT.COM cannotbootWindows XP, if the installations
share the same System Partition use the Windows XP version of these
shared files.

John
Click to expand...
Thank you. My error. I had not set the jumper on my second drive
for cable select.
I now have access to both drives.

The OS installations each have their own Primary partion on separate
drives.
At the moment I do not have the dual boot option. Do I have to modify
the Boot.ini file or duplicate the XP ntldr and NTDETECT.COM in the
2000 installation. ??
 
greypound said:
Thank you. My error. I had not set the jumper on my second drive
for cable select.
I now have access to both drives.

The OS installations each have their own Primary partion on separate
drives.
At the moment I do not have the dual boot option. Do I have to modify
the Boot.ini file or duplicate the XP ntldr and NTDETECT.COM in the
2000 installation. ??
Click to expand...

If you are wanting to use the Windows 2000 drive as the system drive you
will have to replace the ntldr and NTDETECT.COM files with the Windows
XP versions, as explained earlier the Windows 2000 version of those
files cannot boot a Windows XP installation. *Copy* the files from the
XP drive to the Windows 2000 drive, leaving the original XP files in
place will allow you to boot the XP drive if you need to.

You will also have to add a line to the boot.ini file (on the Windows
2000 drive) to point it to the location of the Windows XP installation,
post the contents of the boot.ini file here if you need more help. The
file can be edited with Notepad.

John
 
On Apr 10, 7:21 pm, "John John (MVP)"
If you are wanting to use the Windows 2000 drive as the system drive you
will have to replace the ntldr and NTDETECT.COM files with the Windows
XP versions, as explained earlier the Windows 2000 version of those
files cannot boot a Windows XP installation. *Copy* the files from the
XP drive to the Windows 2000 drive, leaving the original XP files in
place will allow you to boot the XP drive if you need to.

You will also have to add a line to the boot.ini file (on the Windows
2000 drive) to point it to the location of the Windows XP installation,
post the contents of the boot.ini file here if you need more help. The
file can be edited with Notepad.

John
Click to expand...

Many thanks,

Will this revised boot.ini file suffice:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

Would you confirm this replaces the boot .ini in the 2000 drive.
At the moment I boot into XP, which is on the Master disk. 2000 is on
the Slave.

I will save copies of the original files.
I have also been making Systems Restore points throughout my recovery
efforts including imaging the primary partions of each disk.

JeffT
 
greypound said:
On Apr 10, 7:21 pm, "John John (MVP)"
If you are wanting to use the Windows 2000 drive as the system drive you
will have to replace the ntldr and NTDETECT.COM files with the Windows
XP versions, as explained earlier the Windows 2000 version of those
files cannot boot a Windows XP installation. *Copy* the files from the
XP drive to the Windows 2000 drive, leaving the original XP files in
place will allow you to boot the XP drive if you need to.

You will also have to add a line to the boot.ini file (on the Windows
2000 drive) to point it to the location of the Windows XP installation,
post the contents of the boot.ini file here if you need more help. The
file can be edited with Notepad.

John
Click to expand...


Many thanks,

Will this revised boot.ini file suffice:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

Would you confirm this replaces the boot .ini in the 2000 drive.
At the moment I boot into XP, which is on the Master disk. 2000 is on
the Slave.

I will save copies of the original files.
I have also been making Systems Restore points throughout my recovery
efforts including imaging the primary partions of each disk.
Click to expand...

Something there looks a bit "wonky". The ARC path leads to an absolute
location on the disk(s). But when looking at the file you posted it
suggests that both Windows 2000 and Windows XP are on the same partition
of the same disk, that they would only be in differen folders, or that
Windows 2000 is on partition 2 of the second hard disk, the paths in
your files seem out of whack.

The "default" lines says that if you make no selections, 30 seconds
after booting the system should start the operating system in the WINNT
folder of the first partition on the first hard disk:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

By experience we know that this would be the Windows 2000 version, like
it's NT4 predeceesor the default install location for Windows 2000 is
the WINNT folder, on the other hand, the default install location for
Windows XP is in the WINDOWS folder.

So, if we look at the [operating systems] section of your boot.ini file
the ARC path for Windows XP points to the same disk and partition, the
folder being the only difference:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

Something there doesn't quite jive. Then, when we look at the
[operating systems] install location for Windows 2000 it points to the
second partition of the second disk:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT

I don't know how many partitions you have on your disks, but assumming
two on two separate hard disks, the following all purpose boot.ini file
will test all the possible combinations of 4 partitions with both
default installation folders:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="W2K Dsk 1 Part 1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="W2K Dsk 1 Part 2" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="W2K Dsk 2 Part 1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="W2K Dsk 2 Part 2" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP Dsk 1 Pt 1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP Dsk 1 Pt 2" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP Dsk 2 Pt 1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP Dsk 2 Pt 2" /fastdetect

You can boot with this file and try the different boot options and note
which ones work. You can also use the bootcfg command at the Recovery
Console to build the boot.ini file or you can start with the above all
purpose boot.ini file and have the msconfig utility clean it up for you,
it will scan the disks for invalid paths and offer to remove them for
you. Don't forget that the Windows 2000 versions of ntldr and
NTDETECT.COM cannot boot Windows XP.

John
 
John wrote........

Something there looks a bit "wonky". The ARC path leads to an absolute
location on the disk(s). But when looking at the file you posted it
suggests that both Windows 2000 and Windows XP are on the same partition
of the same disk, that they would only be in differen folders, or that
Windows 2000 is on partition 2 of the second hard disk, the paths in
your files seem out of whack.
Click to expand...

I agree. Suggesting that Win2000 was on partition 2 came from a
misunderstanding of the boot.ini on the 2000 disk which appeared to be
set for dual booting. I constructed the boot.ini file from the garbled
2000 one.

Win2000 is on the primary(1) partition of disk 1 (There are 3 other
logical partitions on that slave disk)

Win XP is on the primary(1) partition of disk 0 (There are 4 other
logical partitions on that larger master disk)
Would a better effort be:
Click to expand...

[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 Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

This would default into XP after 30 secs but would give me the dual
boot option.

Your explanation/comments have given me a greater understanding of
what is happening. There are 2 areas that I am not sure about. What is
the significance of rdisk(0) ? Also, on my XP boot.ini there is an
extra part before /fast detect.

eg:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Is the "noexecute=optin" required with a dual boot ?

I apologise for taking up so much of your time !!

Thanks again

JeffT
 
greypound said:
Win2000 is on the primary(1) partition of disk 1 (There are 3 other
logical partitions on that slave disk)

Win XP is on the primary(1) partition of disk 0 (There are 4 other
logical partitions on that larger master disk)
Click to expand...

I would set the Windows XP disk (disk 0, or the Master) as the boot
device, boot to this disk and place the boot.ini file on this disk.

Would a better effort be:
Click to expand...


[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 Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
Click to expand...

Almost but not quite, there is an error in the ARC path to the Windows
2000 installation, the correct line should be:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

The disk number remains 0 and the rdisk is 1.
This would default into XP after 30 secs but would give me the dual
boot option.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can shorten time to the default boot by changing the timeout=
value, setting this to 15 will give you a 15 second countdown to the
default boot.

Your explanation/comments have given me a greater understanding of
what is happening. There are 2 areas that I am not sure about. What is
the significance of rdisk(0) ?
Click to expand...

When using the multi() syntax the disk() is always 0. The rdisk() is a
number between 0 and 3 that points to the hard disk on the adapter or
controller.

BOOT.INI and ARC Path Naming Conventions and Usage
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102873/en-us


Also, on my XP boot.ini there is an
extra part before /fast detect.

eg:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Is the "noexecute=optin" required with a dual boot ?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, but this switch is automatically added to Windows XP
installations when Service Pack 2 is installed.

A detailed description of the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) feature in
Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, and
Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875352/

(The switch doesn't work with Windows 2000, do not add it to the line
that boots this operating system, you can use it on the XP line)
I apologise for taking up so much of your time !!
Click to expand...

No problem at all.
Thanks again
Click to expand...

You're welcome.

John
 
The restoration is now complete, with an XP/2000 dual boot operation
successfully installed.

I have reinstalled most of my hardware and software without mishap,
creating Systems Restore points along the way and finally imaging
primary partitions and essential data.

Through my own incompetence I lost most of my e-mail history and
hundreds of Google Earth inputs. Hopefully I have learned a number of
lessons - but no doubt I will be using Google Groups in one way or
another.

Many thanks

JeffT
 
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