Dual Booting with two languages

[Guest]

I have been looking at new computers and found that many have "Windows XP
Dual Boot" for the operating system, in particular "Eng/NL" (I live in
Holland, option is English or Nederlands languages)

I asked somone in the shop and they said it does not mean "boot using either
language". It means that when you initially install the XP operating system,
you must choose which language you want to use, and then it is fixed for
good. The language you choose will always be the one used when you start the
computer.

Is this correct? I thought that dual boot meant you are asked to choose
which system (can be more than 2) you want to use. In he past I had a works
laptop that could boot Windows NT and 98. Surely using two languages should
not be a problem.

Any help or advise would be great.

Regards

Dave

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I have been looking at new computers and found that many have
"Windows XP Dual Boot" for the operating system, in particular
"Eng/NL" (I live in Holland, option is English or Nederlands languages)

I asked somone in the shop and they said it does not mean
"boot using either language". It means that when you initially install
the XP operating system, you must choose which language you
want to use, and then it is fixed for good. The language you choose
will always be the one used when you start the computer.

Is this correct? I thought that dual boot meant you are asked to
choose which system (can be more than 2) you want to use. In
he past I had a works laptop that could boot Windows NT and 98.
Surely using two languages should not be a problem.

When you install Windows, the language is set permanently for
that installation. Two languages would take two installations.
Dual booting would mean starting up one installed OS or the
other. Of course, there are those strict interpreters of MS's
EULA who say you cannot use one OS installation CD to make
more than one installation unless the previous installatiions have
been obliterated, even if the two installations are on the same
HD in the same PC. My interpretation (and that of millions of
other people) differs. Suit yourself.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Guest]

When you install Windows, the language is set permanently for
that installation. Two languages would take two installations.
Dual booting would mean starting up one installed OS or the
other. Of course, there are those strict interpreters of MS's
EULA who say you cannot use one OS installation CD to make
more than one installation unless the previous installatiions have
been obliterated, even if the two installations are on the same
HD in the same PC. My interpretation (and that of millions of
other people) differs. Suit yourself.

*TimDaniels*

I asked again about this and my answer was the 2 installations in 2
different partitions woks fine if the two operating systems are different
(ie. XP and NT, or XP and 98 etc). But in wont work with 2 XP systems, some
conflict problem with the "boot sector".

Do you know anything about this?

Regards

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I asked again about this and my answer was the 2 installations in 2
different partitions woks fine if the two operating systems are different
(ie. XP and NT, or XP and 98 etc). But in wont work with 2 XP systems,
some conflict problem with the "boot sector".

Do you know anything about this?

No. There *would* be a problem with making a CLONE of a
WinXP system in the same HD because it would require 3rd-party
software to hide the "parent" partition when the clone was started
up for its first time. In such an instance, the clone sometimes
(or randomly) makes shortcuts or links in its file structure that
point not to a file in its own partition, but to an identically-named
file in the "parent" OS's partition. But when the two OSes are on
*different* HDs, this is easily prevented by merely disconnecting
the "parent" OS's HD before starting up the clone for the first time.

But I have never heard of a problem with installing a new WinXP
in another partition on the same HD. As for the boot sector, it's
specific to its own partition, and I can't imagine why it or the
installation routine would get confused. If you do go ahead with
your 2nd installation on the same HD, please post the results.

*TimDaniels*