dual boot problem

[zort]

Hi all,
I'd like to install dual boot system on 2 different partition.
On the first part. I want to install Win xp then I want "to ghost" (by
Norton Ghost) the first installation on the the second part, to have 2
system installated.

In this way the boot loader is able to boot only first installation on the
first partition.
How can I obtain dual boot system with the windows xp bootloader?
How can i show to boot loader where is the second installation to boot also
that?

 

[Charlie Tame]

Hi all,
I'd like to install dual boot system on 2 different partition.
On the first part. I want to install Win xp then I want "to ghost" (by
Norton Ghost) the first installation on the the second part, to have 2
system installated.

In this way the boot loader is able to boot only first installation on the
first partition.
How can I obtain dual boot system with the windows xp bootloader?
How can i show to boot loader where is the second installation to boot
also that?

I am not sure Ghost will do it, but the first problem is that unless you
install from the CD twice your "Boot.ini" file will be the same as for a
single install so you will never get the options. Installing two systems
does this automatically. If you have already Ghosted it then here's a sample
of a dual boot boot.ini file...

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

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,
Enterprise" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut

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

You will have to figure out the disk locations of course - these are just
mine - and also get the right copy of boot.ini

If this works fine, if not then you'll have to put back the original
boot.ini and install twice I guess.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi all,
I'd like to install dual boot system on 2 different partition.
On the first part. I want to install Win xp then I want "to ghost" (by
Norton Ghost) the first installation on the the second part, to have 2
system installated.

In this way the boot loader is able to boot only first installation on the
first partition.
How can I obtain dual boot system with the windows xp bootloader?
How can i show to boot loader where is the second installation to boot also
that?

While you can certainly "ghost" the first installation to your
second partition, it won't work because the drive letters of the
installation on your second partition still point to the installation
on the first partition. You will end up with a curiously mixed
up system.

To do this properly you would have to install a proper boot
loader such as XOSL which lets you selectively hide
partitions from each other. Post again if you wish to go
down this path.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

While you can certainly "ghost" the first installation to your
second partition, it won't work because the drive letters of the
installation on your second partition still point to the installation
on the first partition. You will end up with a curiously mixed
up system.

No, no, no. "Peg", it's time you actually tried it because you
keep saying the same wrong thing. If 2 OS's which are clones
of each other can see each other, the running OS will call its
own partition whatever was assigned at the time of installation -
usually "C:". It will call the other OS's partition by whatever available
name it has at the time of its running - frequently "D:".

Then, when you run the other OS, *it* will call its partition by
the name assigned at installation of the original OS - usually "C:",
and it will call the partition of the other OS by whatever name is
available to it - usually "D:". This is, of course, because each OS
thinks it's the original OS.

This does not cause a problem unless you have shortcuts
which point to other partitions prior to the cloning. The introduction
of another partition for the clone OS may upset this naming scheme.
But if all your shortcuts are to files within the same partition as the
OS, there will be no problem.

The REAL problem in the OP's case is that he apparently wants
to put the two OS's on the SAME hard drive. The copying can be
done just as easily as for copying a partition to another HD. BUT...
when the clone is started up for the 1st time - when it is important
to NOT let the clone see its "parent's" partition - it's hard to hide the
"parent" partition if it's on the same HD. If they are on separate HDs,
all you have to do is disconnect the original HD and the clone's HD
will boot up automatically. But if the two OS's are on the same HD,
you have to use a 3rd party utility to "hide" the original partition, and
hope that you can eventually "unhide" it. Note that this refers to the
FIRST startup of the clone OS. Subsequent running of the clone
can have the "parent" partition visible to it without a problem.

As for modifying the boot.ini file in EITHER of the 2 OS's partitions,
if they are the same partition on 2 HDs all you have to do is
1) Add a 2nd entry line under the line that says "[operating systems]"
that is the same as the 1st line except that "rdisk(1)" is substituted
for "rdisk(0)", and
2) Change the text string in the 2nd line so that you can recognize
the selection when it's presented in the boot menu at boot time, and
3) Increase the "timeout" value from 0 to some reasonable no. of
seconds, such as 10, to give you time to select the OS.

If the 2 OS's are partition 1 and 2 on the same HD,
1) Make the 2nd entry in boot.ini with "partition(2)" substituted for
"partition(1)", steps 2) and 3) are the same as above.

Thuse, using the same standard boot loader (ntldr) in WinXP
that you use for mono-booting, you can make it multi-boot by
just modifying the boot.ini file. And either partition can be the one
doing the dual-booting if both have the modified boot.ini file.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

While you can certainly "ghost" the first installation to your
second partition, it won't work because the drive letters of the
installation on your second partition still point to the installation
on the first partition. You will end up with a curiously mixed
up system.

No, no, no. "Peg", it's time you actually tried it because you
keep saying the same wrong thing. If 2 OS's which are clones
of each other can see each other, the running OS will call its
own partition whatever was assigned at the time of installation -
usually "C:". It will call the other OS's partition by whatever available
name it has at the time of its running - frequently "D:".

Then, when you run the other OS, *it* will call its partition by
the name assigned at installation of the original OS - usually "C:",
and it will call the partition of the other OS by whatever name is
available to it - usually "D:". This is, of course, because each OS
thinks it's the original OS.

This does not cause a problem unless you have shortcuts
which point to other partitions prior to the cloning. The introduction
of another partition for the clone OS may upset this naming scheme.
But if all your shortcuts are to files within the same partition as the
OS, there will be no problem.

The REAL problem in the OP's case is that he apparently wants
to put the two OS's on the SAME hard drive. The copying can be
done just as easily as for copying a partition to another HD. BUT...
when the clone is started up for the 1st time - when it is important
to NOT let the clone see its "parent's" partition - it's hard to hide the
"parent" partition if it's on the same HD. If they are on separate HDs,
all you have to do is disconnect the original HD and the clone's HD
will boot up automatically. But if the two OS's are on the same HD,
you have to use a 3rd party utility to "hide" the original partition, and
hope that you can eventually "unhide" it. Note that this refers to the
FIRST startup of the clone OS. Subsequent running of the clone
can have the "parent" partition visible to it without a problem.

As for modifying the boot.ini file in EITHER of the 2 OS's partitions,
if they are the same partition on 2 HDs all you have to do is
1) Add a 2nd entry line under the line that says "[operating systems]"
that is the same as the 1st line except that "rdisk(1)" is substituted
for "rdisk(0)", and
2) Change the text string in the 2nd line so that you can recognize
the selection when it's presented in the boot menu at boot time, and
3) Increase the "timeout" value from 0 to some reasonable no. of
seconds, such as 10, to give you time to select the OS.

If the 2 OS's are partition 1 and 2 on the same HD,
1) Make the 2nd entry in boot.ini with "partition(2)" substituted for
"partition(1)", steps 2) and 3) are the same as above.

Thuse, using the same standard boot loader (ntldr) in WinXP
that you use for mono-booting, you can make it multi-boot by
just modifying the boot.ini file. And either partition can be the one
doing the dual-booting if both have the modified boot.ini file.

*TimDaniels*

I ran a few tests to investigate your claim and found much
to my surprise that had been wrong. If the machine is booted
with just the cloned disk then Windows will not only assign
drive letter C: to the system partition (which I had expected)
but it will actually retain this letter when the cloned disk is
turned into a primary slave disk (which I had not expected).
Thanks for pointing this out!

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I ran a few tests to investigate your claim and found much
to my surprise that had been wrong. If the machine is booted
with just the cloned disk then Windows will not only assign
drive letter C: to the system partition (which I had expected)
but it will actually retain this letter when the cloned disk is
turned into a primary slave disk (which I had not expected).
Thanks for pointing this out!

You're welcome. I think sometimes that you MVPs are so
constantly busy answering questions that you forget that
among the Great Unwashed Masses (GUMs) there are a
few nuggets of information worth checking out. I'm glad
you checked it out.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You're welcome. I think sometimes that you MVPs are so
constantly busy answering questions that you forget that
among the Great Unwashed Masses (GUMs) there are a
few nuggets of information worth checking out. I'm glad
you checked it out.

*TimDaniels*

I don't quite agree. MVPs are supposed to provide correct
information at all times. I suspect that if an MVP is too busy
to check his/her facts and thus misleads posters then his/her MVP
status might not be renewed. It is something we have to earn
each and every year. And I don't classify non-MVPs as GUMs -
some (perhaps you?) could well qualify for MVP status.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

...I don't classify non-MVPs as GUMs -
some (perhaps you?) could well qualify for MVP status.

I am very flattered, but my "expertise" is exceedingly
narrow. What I know about multi-booting comes by
sheer desperation and annoyance that documentation
on ntldr/boot.ini is so lacking in critical areas that I took
a few days to perform some methodical experiments.
Beyond that, I'm just here to learn from you guys.

*TimDaniels*

 

[zort]

Hi all,
I'd like to install dual boot system on 2 different partition.
On the first part. I want to install Win xp then I want "to ghost" (by
Norton Ghost) the first installation on the the second part, to have 2
system installated.

well, i tried to do so and I edit boot.ini adding a new line corrisponing at
the new partition ghosted:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional

It work! I don't know why but it work!
Now I've my multiboot system

 

[Timothy Daniels]

well, i tried to do so and I edit boot.ini adding a new line corrisponing at
the new partition ghosted:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional

It work! I don't know why but it work!
Now I've my multiboot system

Don't ever delete or reformat the 1st partition. Because you
probably didn't hide the 1st partition when you started up the
clone in the 2nd partition for the first time, the clone saw its
"parent" OS, and there are likely a few files that appear to be
in the 2nd partition, but which are really only shortcuts to files
with the same names that are in the 1st partition. You can
edit the files that you think are in the 2nd partition, but you are
really editing the corresponding file in the 1st partition. When
you take away the 1st partition, BINGO! - the files will not be
seen any longer in the 2nd partition because they are GONE.
Which and how many files are like this is unpredictable, but
there are usually a few.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Charlie Tame]

Don't ever delete or reformat the 1st partition. Because you
probably didn't hide the 1st partition when you started up the
clone in the 2nd partition for the first time, the clone saw its
"parent" OS, and there are likely a few files that appear to be
in the 2nd partition, but which are really only shortcuts to files
with the same names that are in the 1st partition. You can
edit the files that you think are in the 2nd partition, but you are
really editing the corresponding file in the 1st partition. When
you take away the 1st partition, BINGO! - the files will not be
seen any longer in the 2nd partition because they are GONE.
Which and how many files are like this is unpredictable, but
there are usually a few.

*TimDaniels*

Valid point Tim, and whilst I don't know for sure what files may be affected
I can confirm that this happens

Charlie