Partitions, Image for Dos

[I'm Dan]

No, clearing the MountedDevices key will not affect PM. All it does is
force XP to regenerate fresh drive letters upon next reboot.

I don't use PM from within XP, so can't say what PM's limitations are. PM
is really a DOS program with a Windows launcher wrapped around it to appease
the masses, so I'm not surprised it doesn't work smoothly, especially on XP,
especially on NTFS, and in a multiboot environment in which partitions are
hidden. I suppose you might try uninstalling/reinstalling PM, but I simply
don't recommend running PM from within Windows. It works great from DOS,
which is the way I think it should be used. It seems so intuitively obvious
to me that running a partition management tool is best done when you are not
booted into one of the partitions. After all, you don't move a doormat
while you're standing on it. Yes, I know others will tell you
"such-and-such program can do it", but so what? The Air Force can refuel
planes in flight, too, but it's a whole lot safer, easier, and less prone to
catastrophy to refuel on the ground with the engines shut off. The issue is
whether there is a point to the added risk and complexity. The Air Force
may have a need to refuel inflight, but there's no compelling reason why any
partition manager needs to run from within Windows.

I also use pqboot only from a DOS boot, but if it works from a Windows
command prompt, that should be okay. If you're going to be switching
infrequently, this should be adequate. If you are going to be switching
back and forth frequently, though, you'll find it easier to install a decent
boot manager such as XOSL, as Pegasus mentioned earlier. You won't install
it on a Windows partition - give it its own tiny partition and both Windows
partitions can be kept pristine and fully independent. XOSL can even be
installed in a logical (extended) partition at the end of the disk, so you
don't have to upset your existing XP installations (other than to carve out
a tiny bit from the back of the disk for an XOSL partition).

 

[Ed H]

Okay, I'm going to try XOSL, I didn't want to install Boot Magic again
mostly because of having to put it at the beginning of the disk. One
question though if I may, actually more than one, does it work okay that I
remove the"folder" in regedit that says 'Mounteddevices' not just the keys?
Is it okay to shut down, run IFD, after I delete? I figured the registry
repairs itself during start up not shut down, I haven't had any luck with
PHYlock in order to run IMW.

Thanks again,
Ed

 

[Ed H]

Got it! Had to hide partition 1 before I restored to partition 2. When I did
not, the computer opened with both partitions active and PM was all
confused. Thanks so much!!

 

[Jetro]

Just curious how definitely the fully independent installations cannot be
controlled through a single boot.ini file <shrug> - do you understand what
you're saying?
I haven't been using the multi-boot systems for five years, so it took some
time to find a spare box and refresh the brains. The setup was easy and
smooth as always and it took 15 minutes only to get the multi-boot box with
cloned installations running from C: drive without 3rd-party boot manager.

 

[I'm Dan]

Okay, I'm going to try XOSL, I didn't want to install Boot Magic
again mostly because of having to put it at the beginning of the
disk. One question though if I may, actually more than one, does
it work okay that I remove the"folder" in regedit that says
'Mounteddevices' not just the keys? Is it okay to shut down, run
IFD, after I delete? I figured the registry repairs itself during
start up not shut down, I haven't had any luck with PHYlock in
order to run IMW.

There you go, with one of those complexities I was talking about. When
Windows is dormant and not booted into, you never have to deal with
locked/unlocked or open files. Windows programs have to go through an extra
layer of complexity to get to the kind of low-level hardware access these
utitities need.

Yes, the MountedDevices scan is done at every bootup. If Windows discovers
devices not previously listed, it "installs" them, and you'll usually get
the "found new device" series of balloons above the system tray. If you
delete the entire key and it comes back at next boot, then there is nothing
to worry about. However, I've gotten into the habit of recognizing which
entries go with the hard disk partitions and only delete those, leaving the
entries to CD, floppy, Zip drive, etc. That way, I don't have to reset
their drive letters the way I want them after reboot. Anything deleted will
have its drive letter freshly assigned at next boot, and it's really only
the hard disk assignments we don't want "remembered" when we move a
partition. Regedit, shutdown, IFD is the proper sequence.

When you're ready to try XOSL, note there's an XOSL newsgroup -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xosl/ - if you need it. XOSL doesn't
automatically created its own partition, so you would use PM to create a
small FAT partition (primary or logical, doesn't matter) at the end of the
disk, then direct XOSL to install there. You will be given a choice of
installing to a "dedicated" partition or a "DOS" partition, but that just
means whether XOSL will reformat it or not with its own file system. I
believe a dedicated partition can be as small as 8MB, while leaving it
formatted FAT requires a minimum size of about 64MB or so.

 

[I'm Dan]

Just curious how definitely the fully independent installations
cannot be controlled through a single boot.ini file <shrug>
- do you understand what you're saying?

I'm not sure who you are responding to, but you can find details of the
multiboot process on my webpage at
www.goodells.net/multiboot/principles.htm.

 

[Jetro]

You're sure, do not hesitate; just traverse the thread.
Why do I need 3rd-party compiled and outdated webpage? You are referring to
the basic theory, but the advanced practice is stronger. Try it yourself at
least.

 

[I'm Dan]

You're sure, do not hesitate; just traverse the thread.
Why do I need 3rd-party compiled and outdated webpage? You
are referring to the basic theory, but the advanced practice is
stronger. Try it yourself at least.

Well, as the old adage goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't
make him drink." One reason my posts go into background explanations is so
that readers, when faced with conflicting information, can decide for
themselves who is right. Everyone is free to make their own mistakes, of
course, but the wise man learns from them.

 

[Jetro]

"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and feed him
for a lifetime."
I get no doubt you consider yourself as a wise man. I'm still curious about
that passage as "fully independent installations" and a single boot.ini
file. You do not consider two similar lines in the same boot.ini file as the
attribute of "dependent installations", do you?

 

[Ed H]

Hope I didn't speak to soon, OS's are crossing paths ??? I am in Part.1
(Home) boot to Part.2 (Pro) using PQboot and Home starts to load up and
then, blue screen of death? I've tried exchanging other images, same thing.
I never did any editing to the Home image, can't figure it out.

Ed

 

[Ed H]

Everything's fine, another glitch, PQBoot through windows was giving me a
hard time. It worked fine in DOS. Both seem to be running okay now.

Ed