Dual Boot Success and Remaining Issues

[bh]

Any ideas or references will be appreciated.

I just installed a second SATA hard drive on my home computer with the
eventual goal of having a dual boot system: WindowsXP sp2 on one drive
and a Linux system on second.. (The "tipping point" for this was
that the Windows XP home installation on my two-year old computer had
become pretty bloated and corrupted, particularly would not load sp2
without hanging. Adding a second, larger hard drive seemed better than
doing a clean reboot.)

Current State:
System = Intel Pentium 4.3GHz, 1 GB memory, Original HDD 80G Seagate
SATA, New HDD 250G Western Digital SATA. Other internal drives include
3.5, CD-Rom, and CD-DVD-RW. External drives (shared with laptop) are:
External HDD 160 G and External DVD-RW.

Installation of second hard drive, the SATA 250 went well. The BIOS
picked up both (after I formatted the new drive) and I was successful
in installing Windows XP Home SP1 on the new drive and in installing
the updates PLUS SP 2 and the subsequent updates. An pleasant surprise
is that I now have two windows installations, both work giving me time
to make the transition of programs, files, etc. to the new disk: Old
Drive "C" with XP SP1 and New Drive "D" with XP SP2..

There is no boot.ini on new drive, "D," in fact, no files at all
except within folders.

Current boot.ini on "C," Old Drive, contains::
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Issues that I still want to deal with are:

Make sure that I have the Boot Process in order. Boot priority is now
set to boot from the CD-Rom and the machine will not boot if this is
changed. It also will not boot if there is a CD in any of the internal
drives or (strangely) even if a memory stick is in one of the USB
ports. The boot process gives choice of the two windows installations
to start from and this works fine for now. I need to make sure that the
boot protocols are correct before something fouls up in the process.

Rearrange Drive Letters if possible. Right now drive letters are not
optimal and it would be great to improve these before reinstalling more
applications on the new drive. Can I eventually switch C and D?

A = 3.5
C = old HDD, (includes F = Apps partition and G = Data partition on
new drive)
D = new HDD
E = External HDD
H = CD-DVD
I = CDRom.

Partition new hard drive safely. I tried to use Partition Magic 7
(Power Quest 2001 vintage) to add partitions to the new drive and it
seemed to be working but warned me something to the effect that there
was no "active partition". I wasn't sure what this meant so did
not proceed. As with the old disk, I want a primary System partition,
an Apps partition, and a Data partition. Is it safe to proceed with
this?

Eventually, uninstall the Windows XP SP1 from the second hard drive and
install a Linux OS as operating system on that drive. As long as I am
left with an empty primary partition on the old drive I can worry about
the Linux installation later.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Bill H.

 

[Anna]

Any ideas or references will be appreciated.

I just installed a second SATA hard drive on my home computer with the
eventual goal of having a dual boot system: WindowsXP sp2 on one drive
and a Linux system on second.. (The "tipping point" for this was
that the Windows XP home installation on my two-year old computer had
become pretty bloated and corrupted, particularly would not load sp2
without hanging. Adding a second, larger hard drive seemed better than
doing a clean reboot.)

Current State:
System = Intel Pentium 4.3GHz, 1 GB memory, Original HDD 80G Seagate
SATA, New HDD 250G Western Digital SATA. Other internal drives include
3.5, CD-Rom, and CD-DVD-RW. External drives (shared with laptop) are:
External HDD 160 G and External DVD-RW.

Installation of second hard drive, the SATA 250 went well. The BIOS
picked up both (after I formatted the new drive) and I was successful
in installing Windows XP Home SP1 on the new drive and in installing
the updates PLUS SP 2 and the subsequent updates. An pleasant surprise
is that I now have two windows installations, both work giving me time
to make the transition of programs, files, etc. to the new disk: Old
Drive "C" with XP SP1 and New Drive "D" with XP SP2..

There is no boot.ini on new drive, "D," in fact, no files at all
except within folders.

Current boot.ini on "C," Old Drive, contains::
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Issues that I still want to deal with are:

Make sure that I have the Boot Process in order. Boot priority is now
set to boot from the CD-Rom and the machine will not boot if this is
changed. It also will not boot if there is a CD in any of the internal
drives or (strangely) even if a memory stick is in one of the USB
ports. The boot process gives choice of the two windows installations
to start from and this works fine for now. I need to make sure that the
boot protocols are correct before something fouls up in the process.

Rearrange Drive Letters if possible. Right now drive letters are not
optimal and it would be great to improve these before reinstalling more
applications on the new drive. Can I eventually switch C and D?

A = 3.5
C = old HDD, (includes F = Apps partition and G = Data partition on
new drive)
D = new HDD
E = External HDD
H = CD-DVD
I = CDRom.

Partition new hard drive safely. I tried to use Partition Magic 7
(Power Quest 2001 vintage) to add partitions to the new drive and it
seemed to be working but warned me something to the effect that there
was no "active partition". I wasn't sure what this meant so did
not proceed. As with the old disk, I want a primary System partition,
an Apps partition, and a Data partition. Is it safe to proceed with
this?

Eventually, uninstall the Windows XP SP1 from the second hard drive and
install a Linux OS as operating system on that drive. As long as I am
left with an empty primary partition on the old drive I can worry about
the Linux installation later.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Bill H.

Bill:
Unless you have some pressing need to have multiple XP operating systems -
one including SP1, the other including SP2 - I really see no need for what
seems to me a rather tortured configuration at this point. At least there's
nothing in your post that indicates you need to work with two instances of
the XP OS.

First of all, I'm assuming in what is to follow that you are satisfied with
the contents (including the proposed SP2 installation) of your 80 GB boot
drive, including all the programs & applications and data. That the HDD
boots without incident and functions without any problems. If that is *not*
the case you need not read any further.

It seems to me that a more practical approach would be to simply install SP2
on your current 80 GB HDD - your present boot drive - and, either using a
disk imaging program such as Acronis True Image, or the disk copying program
included with your WD SATA HDD (or if an OEM version, download it from WD),
clone the contents of your 80 GB boot HDD to the SATA HDD. Isn't that your
ultimate objective anyway?

Since you've already installed XP onto the SATA HDD and you desire multiple
partitions on that disk, why not simply delete the current partition, use
the Disk Management utility on your boot drive, and create those multiple
partitions according to what you think your current & future needs will be.
This, of course, you would do *before* the disk cloning operation mentioned
above. Actually you wouldn't have to do even that if you were satisfied with
the present percentage of disk space being utilized by the three partitions
of your boot drive. The disk imaging program would create the three
partitions on your destination disk (the SATA HDD) based upon the same
percentages currently on the source disk.

Following all this you would, using the Disk Management utility,
(ultimately) format your 80 GB "old" HDD in preparation for the Linux
install.

Does all this sound like a more practical approach in your circumstances?
Anna

 

[bh]

Anna:
Thanks much for the time reviewing and commenting. I'll add the idea of
looking to the Acronis program or Western Digital's software
("...Acronis True Image, or the disk copying program...," but my note
may not have been clear. The "old" (2yr) 80G hard drive does work but
is getting bloated and buggy, has crashed several times (but revived
via Windows Repair Boot) and most of these crashes were brought on by
trying to upgrade to SP2. As I understand it, cloning would transfer
the contents of the old HDD to the new 250G HDD with bugs, problems,
and all, so doesn't seem an option. I could have done a clean reinstall
of Windows but it seemed to me that a new and larger HDD was a better
alternative. You are right, I really don't need two versions of
Windows, but it is nice to have to older version around, however buggy,
until I reinstall the best programs on the old disk and make sure I
have also transferred the data, such as email addresses, etc., that
were imbedded in the program files and not on the data partition.

Still, I appreciate your suggestions and will look at both of the two
cloning programs you mention.

Bill H.

included with your WD SATA HDD (or if an OEM version, download it from WD)

Any ideas or references will be appreciated.

I just installed a second SATA hard drive on my home computer with the
eventual goal of having a dual boot system: WindowsXP sp2 on one drive
and a Linux system on second.. (The "tipping point" for this was
that the Windows XP home installation on my two-year old computer had
become pretty bloated and corrupted, particularly would not load sp2
without hanging. Adding a second, larger hard drive seemed better than
doing a clean reboot.)

Current State:
System = Intel Pentium 4.3GHz, 1 GB memory, Original HDD 80G Seagate
SATA, New HDD 250G Western Digital SATA. Other internal drives include
3.5, CD-Rom, and CD-DVD-RW. External drives (shared with laptop) are:
External HDD 160 G and External DVD-RW.

Installation of second hard drive, the SATA 250 went well. The BIOS
picked up both (after I formatted the new drive) and I was successful
in installing Windows XP Home SP1 on the new drive and in installing
the updates PLUS SP 2 and the subsequent updates. An pleasant surprise
is that I now have two windows installations, both work giving me time
to make the transition of programs, files, etc. to the new disk: Old
Drive "C" with XP SP1 and New Drive "D" with XP SP2..

There is no boot.ini on new drive, "D," in fact, no files at all
except within folders.

Current boot.ini on "C," Old Drive, contains::
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Issues that I still want to deal with are:

Make sure that I have the Boot Process in order. Boot priority is now
set to boot from the CD-Rom and the machine will not boot if this is
changed. It also will not boot if there is a CD in any of the internal
drives or (strangely) even if a memory stick is in one of the USB
ports. The boot process gives choice of the two windows installations
to start from and this works fine for now. I need to make sure that the
boot protocols are correct before something fouls up in the process.

Rearrange Drive Letters if possible. Right now drive letters are not
optimal and it would be great to improve these before reinstalling more
applications on the new drive. Can I eventually switch C and D?

A = 3.5
C = old HDD, (includes F = Apps partition and G = Data partition on
new drive)
D = new HDD
E = External HDD
H = CD-DVD
I = CDRom.

Partition new hard drive safely. I tried to use Partition Magic 7
(Power Quest 2001 vintage) to add partitions to the new drive and it
seemed to be working but warned me something to the effect that there
was no "active partition". I wasn't sure what this meant so did
not proceed. As with the old disk, I want a primary System partition,
an Apps partition, and a Data partition. Is it safe to proceed with
this?

Eventually, uninstall the Windows XP SP1 from the second hard drive and
install a Linux OS as operating system on that drive. As long as I am
left with an empty primary partition on the old drive I can worry about
the Linux installation later.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Bill H.

Bill:
Unless you have some pressing need to have multiple XP operating systems -
one including SP1, the other including SP2 - I really see no need for what
seems to me a rather tortured configuration at this point. At least there's
nothing in your post that indicates you need to work with two instances of
the XP OS.

First of all, I'm assuming in what is to follow that you are satisfied with
the contents (including the proposed SP2 installation) of your 80 GB boot
drive, including all the programs & applications and data. That the HDD
boots without incident and functions without any problems. If that is *not*
the case you need not read any further.

It seems to me that a more practical approach would be to simply install SP2
on your current 80 GB HDD - your present boot drive - and, either using a
disk imaging program such as Acronis True Image, or the disk copying program
included with your WD SATA HDD (or if an OEM version, download it from WD),
clone the contents of your 80 GB boot HDD to the SATA HDD. Isn't that your
ultimate objective anyway?

Since you've already installed XP onto the SATA HDD and you desire multiple
partitions on that disk, why not simply delete the current partition, use
the Disk Management utility on your boot drive, and create those multiple
partitions according to what you think your current & future needs will be.
This, of course, you would do *before* the disk cloning operation mentioned
above. Actually you wouldn't have to do even that if you were satisfied with
the present percentage of disk space being utilized by the three partitions
of your boot drive. The disk imaging program would create the three
partitions on your destination disk (the SATA HDD) based upon the same
percentages currently on the source disk.

Following all this you would, using the Disk Management utility,
(ultimately) format your 80 GB "old" HDD in preparation for the Linux
install.

Does all this sound like a more practical approach in your circumstances?
Anna