Dual Partitions - XP Pro can't boot without CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter LeeBee
  • Start date Start date
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LeeBee

I am trying to dual boot my PC starting with a newly
formatted HD.

I have created two partitions - one for XP and one for a
linux OS (flavor still to be determined).

The first partition is an active NTFS partions of ~20Gig
(First physical sector 63, Cylinder 0; Last physical
sector 41,013,944, Cylinder 2,552). The second partition
is a Linux Ext2 type. It starts at cylinder 2,553 until
the end. Currently there is nothing installed on the
second partition.

I have gone thru the Windows XP Pro install procedure and
it completed without a problem. WIth the CD installed,
everything boots up fine. As soone as I remove the CD and
reboot, I get the message:

"Boot Failure. Insert BOOT diskette in A: Press any key
when ready."

I have tried partitioning with XP and I have also tried
using Partition Magic 7.0. Neither works.

My guess is that since this is an older system (Gateway
G6-400) that I cannot cross over the 1,025 cylinder with a
bootable partition. I am just not sure how to resolve this
if this is the case. Do you create a small partition that
does not cross over the cylinder barrier and make it
active? But, then what do you install there? XP won't fit.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-LeeBee
 
Did you change you BIOS to boot from the CD? Check you BIOS setup,
especially the Boot section, you may have tolled it to boot from the
CD/disable the HD boot.?
 
I have my BIOS order set to:

1. 1st IDE HDD
2. Floppy
3. ATAPI CDROM
4. Disabled

So...I don't think it is the BIOS boot order. Any other
ideas??

--Lisa
 
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