2 of the same operating system

[Guest]

I have 1 large hard drive that I have partitioned in half. For work reasons I
would like to have each partition have its own Windows XP operating system.
Is this possible? If so, how do I do it?

 

[Jon]

Image one partition to the other, modify its boot.ini, set its partition as
active and reboot.

--
Jon

If we complicate things they get less simple.

I was more than a little surprised to hear the following from "Kevin"

 

[Guest]

Thanks Jon,

but why were you a little surprised to hear this from me
If we complicate things they get less simple.

 

[Jon]

You're welcome. lol.. sorry it was a randomised response.

 

[Gordon]

I have 1 large hard drive that I have partitioned in half. For work reasons
I
would like to have each partition have its own Windows XP operating
system.
Is this possible? If so, how do I do it?

May I ask what you are doing that requires two versions of the OS? If you
just need to separate data, then have THREE partitions - one for the OS and
applications, one for work data and one for other data.

 

[Guest]

Since Kevin's question is virtually identical to my own, I have decided to
piggyback my query on top of his.

I run Windows XP Pro, SP2 with all updates. I use Norton Ghost 9.0 to
create a perfect clone backup copy of my C:\ hard drive to my D:\ hard drive,
the latter of which I use exclusively as a perfect mirror backup, should my
C:\ hard drive crash. This backup to D:\ includes a copy of the MBR (Master
Boot Record) from C:\ and shows as an alternate Windows boot option in my
Recovery Console Menu Options.

I have set up my boot.ini so that, upon boot, I can elect to boot normally
to XP, or boot to XP Safe Mode, or to my hard-drive installed version of the
Recovery Console.

My boot.ini is configured with the following code, to permit those option
choices for C:\ on boot:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
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" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Safe Mode"
/fastdetect /safeboot:minimal
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

My only unresolved issue is, if C:\ should crash, as an alternate to
cracking my box and changing jumper setting for the two hard drives, can I
set up my boot.ini right now, to also give me an identical set of ADDITIONAL
boot options pointing ALSO to my D:\ drive?

If I ADD the following code to the [operating systems] section of my
existing boot.ini, will this give me those additional boot options:

[operating systems]
multi(1)disk(1)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional on D" /fastdetect
multi(1)disk(1)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Safe Mode
on D" /fastdetect /safeboot:minimal
D:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console on D" /cmdcons

If this is possible, it should give Kevin a clean, elegant answer to his own
issue.

 

[Guest]

To further clarify my point of how my own issue might also resolve Kevin's,
is it not possible, after Kevin has installed a second OS to a new partition
on his hard drive, to edit both boot.ini files to read identically:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
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 Default" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional Alternate" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

It seems this boot.ini configuration would allow both boot.ini files to be
identical, and give Kevin the option, upon boot, to boot to either partition.

I make the disclaimer here that I do NOT know specifically whether I have
expressed these ALTERNATE codes accurately, and ask that my conceptual
suggestions be verified by some expert for their accuracy. Specifically, I
do not know if my values for "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)" are
accurate to define an alternate boot to his second partition.

 

[Guest]

I also have a comment-question on Jon's reply to Kevin:

If by "Image one partition to the other" Jon meant copying one partition's
contents to the other, would this not mean that the registrys at both
locations will point only to the first partition? Wouldn't a second OS on
the second partition require a new install of the OS there, so the registry
of the OS in the second partition is unique to that partition? I don't know
enough about this stuff to answer that question, but it seemed like something
logical to question.

 

[Guest]

Hi Gordon the reason I would like to do this is I have a home office and use
the PC for work. We only have one PC and I have a teen that is a gamer and
keeps taking my virus protection off the computer so he can get better
performance for his games.

I worked for a German fella once and on we could boot the computer to either
an English version of XP or a German version. On boot up it asked us which OS
we would like. I thought I may be able to do the same. If I could use one of
the partitions with XP and a virus protection program, and he could use the
other with its own operating copy of XP, this would solve are problem.

Thanks

 

[Gordon]

Hi Gordon the reason I would like to do this is I have a home office and
use
the PC for work. We only have one PC and I have a teen that is a gamer and
keeps taking my virus protection off the computer so he can get better
performance for his games.

Then you should disable his permissions to do so. A virus that he gets could
infect the WHOLE machine, not just that partition.

 

[Rock]

Hi Gordon the reason I would like to do this is I have a home office and
use
the PC for work. We only have one PC and I have a teen that is a gamer and
keeps taking my virus protection off the computer so he can get better
performance for his games.

I worked for a German fella once and on we could boot the computer to
either
an English version of XP or a German version. On boot up it asked us which
OS
we would like. I thought I may be able to do the same. If I could use one
of
the partitions with XP and a virus protection program, and he could use
the
other with its own operating copy of XP, this would solve are problem.

Thanks

His disabling the AV can cause problems for the other OS installation. Why
would you allow him access to the computer if he does this? You might want
to fix the underlying issue here, rather than going to a dual boot
situation.

 

[Rock]

Since Kevin's question is virtually identical to my own, I have decided to
piggyback my query on top of his.

<snip>

You shouldn't post your question to another thread - called hijacking. Open
up a new one with your own issue.

 

[Jon]

(1) > My only unresolved issue is, if C:\ should crash, as an alternate to

cracking my box and changing jumper setting for the two hard drives, can I
set up my boot.ini right now, to also give me an identical set of
ADDITIONAL
boot options pointing ALSO to my D:\ drive?

There may also be an option in your bios (and perhaps also a function key to
press on boot ) to change the boot order, so that your second hard disk is
the that is booted from rather than the first. [ something like ide0 vs
ide1 ] You could add an entry to your boot.ini, on your first disk, but it
then would be making use of the mbr on the first disk, rather than the mbr
on your second, which wouldn't be available if your first disk totally
crashed. Might be useful for "setting up" purposes though.


(2)> If I ADD the following code to the [operating systems] section of my

existing boot.ini, will this give me those additional boot options:

<snip>

You just change the "rdisk" from 0 to 1 for the second disk - the 'multi'
and 'disk' stay at 0.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional on D" /fastdetect
....


(3) > If by "Image one partition to the other" Jon meant copying one
partition's

contents to the other, would this not mean that the registrys at both
locations will point only to the first partition? Wouldn't a second OS on
the second partition require a new install of the OS there, so the
registry
of the OS in the second partition is unique to that partition? I don't
know
enough about this stuff to answer that question, but it seemed like
something
logical to question.

The solution I suggested in that response was slightly different from the
standard in that it involved setting the new partition as 'active' and using
the boot.ini of that new partition, rather than choosing it from a list of
options from the boot.ini on the first partition. If the new partition is
set as active, then AFAIK XP sorts itself out with respect to registry
entries after a reboot or two - there is a "new hardware detection" and a
"consistency check" after the first reboot.

From what the OP said in a follow-up post, though, having a list of options
in his first partition's boot.ini was what he was looking for - keeping his
first partition as the active one - so your suggestion of a new install to
the new partition is probably more appropriate.

--
Jon

"Here lies he who neither feared nor flattered any flesh"
[Of John Knox, said as he was buried]
--James Douglas, Earl of Morton [d.1581]

Latest reports suggest that it was "Jean" <[email protected]>
in message who said
something like...

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the heads-up Rock. My apologies.

<snip>

You shouldn't post your question to another thread - called hijacking. Open
up a new one with your own issue.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your thorough and conscientious reply Jon.

(1) > My only unresolved issue is, if C:\ should crash, as an alternate to

cracking my box and changing jumper setting for the two hard drives, can I
set up my boot.ini right now, to also give me an identical set of
ADDITIONAL
boot options pointing ALSO to my D:\ drive?

There may also be an option in your bios (and perhaps also a function key to
press on boot ) to change the boot order, so that your second hard disk is
the that is booted from rather than the first. [ something like ide0 vs
ide1 ] You could add an entry to your boot.ini, on your first disk, but it
then would be making use of the mbr on the first disk, rather than the mbr
on your second, which wouldn't be available if your first disk totally
crashed. Might be useful for "setting up" purposes though.


(2)> If I ADD the following code to the [operating systems] section of my

existing boot.ini, will this give me those additional boot options:

<snip>

You just change the "rdisk" from 0 to 1 for the second disk - the 'multi'
and 'disk' stay at 0.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional on D" /fastdetect
....


(3) > If by "Image one partition to the other" Jon meant copying one
partition's

contents to the other, would this not mean that the registrys at both
locations will point only to the first partition? Wouldn't a second OS on
the second partition require a new install of the OS there, so the
registry
of the OS in the second partition is unique to that partition? I don't
know
enough about this stuff to answer that question, but it seemed like
something
logical to question.

The solution I suggested in that response was slightly different from the
standard in that it involved setting the new partition as 'active' and using
the boot.ini of that new partition, rather than choosing it from a list of
options from the boot.ini on the first partition. If the new partition is
set as active, then AFAIK XP sorts itself out with respect to registry
entries after a reboot or two - there is a "new hardware detection" and a
"consistency check" after the first reboot.

From what the OP said in a follow-up post, though, having a list of options
in his first partition's boot.ini was what he was looking for - keeping his
first partition as the active one - so your suggestion of a new install to
the new partition is probably more appropriate.

--
Jon

"Here lies he who neither feared nor flattered any flesh"
[Of John Knox, said as he was buried]
--James Douglas, Earl of Morton [d.1581]

Latest reports suggest that it was "Jean" <[email protected]>
in message who said
something like...

I also have a comment-question on Jon's reply to Kevin:


If by "Image one partition to the other" Jon meant copying one partition's
contents to the other, would this not mean that the registrys at both
locations will point only to the first partition? Wouldn't a second OS on
the second partition require a new install of the OS there, so the
registry
of the OS in the second partition is unique to that partition? I don't
know
enough about this stuff to answer that question, but it seemed like
something
logical to question.

 

[Rock]

Thanks for the heads-up Rock. My apologies.

No problem. Good luck.