Multi OS XP on 3 different Partitions

[Jerry]

I have just put in a Western Digital 80 Gig HDD. I have 3
partitions with XP Pro on all 3. I partitioned with
Partition Magic 8.0. The first one has a new OS with all
of the programs freshly loaded. The second partition has
a fresh XP OS with nothing else at this time. Then the
3rd partition has a Drive Image 7.0 Image from the first
partition. I can boot into all 3 partitions using BootIt
NG version 1.60e without any problems. But what I'm
running into is that when I boot into the first partition
I can see the second partition in Explorer, but not the
3rd partition. Then if I boot from the 2nd partition I
can't see any other partition. Then if I boot into the
3rd Partition I can't see any other partition. What I
have found is that these partitions are going
unallocated. But if I'm in the first partition I can use
Partition Magic 8.0 to undelete the 3rd partition and
then I can see it. But if I'm in 2nd or 3rd I can't
undelete, it just shows unallocated. I have used Drive
Image 5.0 since it came out with the same setup except it
was a 30 Gig Drive with 3 10 Gig partitions with no
problems. I have used Partition Magic 6.0 with no
problems. I have checked the Boot.ini file and found that
on both the 2nd and 3rd partitions the partition field
doesn't reflect the true partition location on the DDU.
It should go consecutive, but all 3 show them as 1 for
the partitions. Where it should be consecutive starting
at 1 for the first partition. I can see where the 3rd
would reflect this because it was a copy from the 1st,
but not the 2nd. I have made changes to Boot.ini on the
3rd partition with no improvement. Does anyone have any
ideas as to what could be the problem?

 

[I'm Dan]

I have just put in a Western Digital 80 Gig HDD. I
have 3 partitions with XP Pro on all 3. I partitioned
with Partition Magic 8.0. The first one has a new
OS with all of the programs freshly loaded. The
second partition has a fresh XP OS with nothing
else at this time. Then the 3rd partition has a Drive
Image 7.0 Image from the first partition. I can boot
into all 3 partitions using BootIt NG version 1.60e
without any problems. But what I'm running into is
that when I boot into the first partition I can see the
second partition in Explorer, but not the 3rd partition.
Then if I boot from the 2nd partition I can't see any
other partition. Then if I boot into the 3rd Partition
I can't see any other partition. What I have found
is that these partitions are going unallocated. But if
I'm in the first partition I can use Partition Magic
8.0 to undelete the 3rd partition and then I can
see it. But if I'm in 2nd or 3rd I can't undelete, it
just shows unallocated. I have used Drive Image
5.0 since it came out with the same setup except it
was a 30 Gig Drive with 3 10 Gig partitions with
no problems. I have used Partition Magic 6.0 with
no problems. I have checked the Boot.ini file and
found that on both the 2nd and 3rd partitions the
partition field doesn't reflect the true partition
location on the DDU. It should go consecutive,
but all 3 show them as 1 for the partitions. Where
it should be consecutive starting at 1 for the first
partition. I can see where the 3rd would reflect
this because it was a copy from the 1st, but not
the 2nd. I have made changes to Boot.ini on the
3rd partition with no improvement. Does anyone
have any ideas as to what could be the problem?

It sounds like you know just enough about partitions, BootIt NG (BING), and
boot.ini to get yourself in big trouble. You should immediately stop using
PartitionMagic to make any changes. (Since you have BING, you don't need
PM, anyway.)

When working with *standard* partition tables, BING and PM are safe with
each other, but BING can optionally be allowed to manage the partition table
in its own *proprietary* way, which is not compatible with PM. In your
case, PM is misinterpreting your disk because BING is playing tricks with
it. Understandably, you don't want PM making changes to your disk under
such circumstances because it's working with false information. The clues
that tell me you're letting BING do this are your description that
"partitions are going unallocated" and that all three boot properly even
though all three boot.ini files show "...partition(1)..." in their ARCpaths.
(Note: if you use BING's "limit primaries" option, then BING won't do this
trickery and it would thus be safe to use PM, and even XP's Disk Management
services.)

BING keeps track of the real partitions itself and rewrites the partition
table at boot time in a way that fools PM and XP. To illustrate, here is
what's happening when you boot the second partition: BING, which is
privately keeping track of all three partitions, rewrites the partition
table at boot time, putting the record of part.2 in the first slot of the
partition table and leaving the other 3 slots blank. Now, understand that
the ARCpath in XP's boot.ini does not refer to the physical partition, it
refers to the entry in the partition table. Thus, when XP #2 boots,
boot.ini tells it to load from the first partition listed in the partition
table (which happens to be part.2, but XP doesn't know that). It boots
properly, although since there are no other entries in the partition table,
XP thinks the rest of the disk is unallocated/unpartitioned space. The
procedure is similar when you boot the other two partitions. Although
"partition(1)" may be a different physical partition in each case, it's
always the first entry in the partition table, as far as each XP sees.

Next, understand that it's possible to have physical partitions 1, 2 and 3
show up in the partition table out of order, even with a standard partition
table. IOW, it's perfectly valid to have part.2 listed first in the
partition table and part.1 listed second. So, in order to get the other two
partitions to show up when you boot XP #2, all you need to do is instruct
BING to rewrite the disk's partition table with all three partitions instead
of just part.2. Go into BING's maintenance mode and edit the boot item
configuration for your XP #2 menu item. I don't remember the exact
procedure offhand, but in the middle of the screen you probably have only
one entry in the "MBR". That table is not your real partition list, it's
just the partitions BING will rewrite in the disk's partition table under
that boot selection. You need to add the other two partitions to that
table. (Remember, it's okay to list part.1 after part.2 here -- in fact,
don't move part.2 out of slot 1 unless you also re-edit that partition's
boot.ini file correspondingly.) Once you do that, XP #2 will see the other
partitions when it boots.

You'll need to similarly edit the boot items for the other two menu
selections, as well. I trust you're now getting the idea of just how
versatile and powerful BING can be, but it comes at a cost in compatibility
with "standard" partition management tools. I like BING and am a registered
user, but I also like PartitionMagic too much to give it up, so I personally
use BING with "limit primaries" enabled.