Copy Settings (XP) ?

[jw]

A long time ago, I set up my machine for dual-boot using a modified
boot.ini on two drives, C and D. It worked fine until the other day,
my first drive (C) failed to boot, and I removed it. I immediately
discovered that the boot from the remaining second drive (now C) did
not have the same settings (control panel>display) I wanted and had
been using. I had to manually re-do those settings. At the same time
I wonder if there are other settings I have not spotted yet that I
will have to change.

I surmise that this happened because when I was doing the dual boot
previously, the settings were being picked up from the first drive
despite my boot selection to boot from the second drive. And that
therefore I was lulled into thinking the settings were set for the
second drive when actually they were not.

Okay, I think I remember an XP function for saving and copying
settings. I am thinking that copying settings would have been
something I should have done when I created the second drive, and
would have been a fast way to do same.

I can't find such a function in XP's help nor Google. Someone point
me somewhere to help me in the future?

Thanks

Duke

 

[jw]

Are you talking about the win.ini file? Probably all you had to do was
delete the line for the removed drive and put the proper drive designator in
the line that was left until you got it replaced? No?

No sir. I changed boot.ini to effect the dual boot. The original
was:

[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

To:

[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 1" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional 2" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

which produces a two choice menu defaulting to first choice at boot.

Duke

 

[jw]

Looking at your boot.ini, it appears you have two installs of XP (as do I).
If that is the case, I can't see how any of the settings on XP2 would be the
same as those on XP1 unless you manually made them so as neither install
would use any settings from the other system... they are two, separate and
distinct things just as if one were Windows and the other Linux.

I really do agree. But something happened, and my theory is the only
explanation I can come up with. I may have to test things out one
day.
Thanks
Duke

 

[Twayne]

In

A long time ago, I set up my machine for dual-boot using a
modified boot.ini on two drives, C and D. It worked fine
until the other day, my first drive (C) failed to boot, and
I removed it. I immediately discovered that the boot from
the remaining second drive (now C) did not have the same
settings (control panel>display) I wanted and had been
using. I had to manually re-do those settings. At the
same time I wonder if there are other settings I have not
spotted yet that I will have to change.

I surmise that this happened because when I was doing the
dual boot previously, the settings were being picked up
from the first drive despite my boot selection to boot from
the second drive. And that therefore I was lulled into
thinking the settings were set for the second drive when
actually they were not.

Okay, I think I remember an XP function for saving and
copying settings. I am thinking that copying settings
would have been something I should have done when I created
the second drive, and would have been a fast way to do same.

I can't find such a function in XP's help nor Google.
Someone point me somewhere to help me in the future?

Thanks

Duke

Are you talking about the win.ini file? Probably all you had to do was
delete the line for the removed drive and put the proper drive designator in
the line that was left until you got it replaced? No?

 

[mm]

A long time ago, I set up my machine for dual-boot using a modified
boot.ini on two drives, C and D. It worked fine until the other day,
my first drive (C) failed to boot, and I removed it. I immediately
discovered that the boot from the remaining second drive (now C) did
not have the same settings (control panel>display) I wanted and had
been using. I had to manually re-do those settings. At the same time
I wonder if there are other settings I have not spotted yet that I
will have to change.

I surmise that this happened because when I was doing the dual boot
previously, the settings were being picked up from the first drive
despite my boot selection to boot from the second drive. And that
therefore I was lulled into thinking the settings were set for the
second drive when actually they were not.

Okay, I think I remember an XP function for saving and copying
settings. I am thinking that copying settings would have been
something I should have done when I created the second drive, and
would have been a fast way to do same.

I can't find such a function in XP's help nor Google. Someone point
me somewhere to help me in the future?

I'm no pro, but I don't like your theory of what is happening either.

Yet, let me try to answer your background question. Do you mean the
File and Settings Transfer Wizard. You run it in one OS to copy the
data, mostly MS related (there's another tool for Mozilla) and then in
the other OS to "paste" them. But it's more for migrating to a new
OS. LIke from 98 to XP. Both OSes have this. Here it might do more
than you would want, and I don't like your theory.

 

[jw]

I'm no pro, but I don't like your theory of what is happening either.

Yet, let me try to answer your background question. Do you mean the
File and Settings Transfer Wizard. You run it in one OS to copy the
data, mostly MS related (there's another tool for Mozilla) and then in
the other OS to "paste" them. But it's more for migrating to a new
OS. LIke from 98 to XP. Both OSes have this. Here it might do more
than you would want, and I don't like your theory.

I remember now, and you are right insofaras it probably will do more
than I wanted. As for my theory - I don't like it particularly
either. But you got a better one?

Thanks

Duke