Multiboot XP on SATA2 SSD

[Dawoodoz]

I need a Windows 2000/XP multiboot for old and new games and applications.
I allready have a windows 2000 installation on the primary hard drive.
I was trying to install Windows XP on a secondary SSD drive and got the
following message during installation.

Error:
Installation failed: E:\I386\asms. Error Message : Incorrect function.
***
Fatal Error:
One of the components that Windows needs to continue setup could not be
installed.
Incorrect function.
***

I have formated the drive using the Windows XP professional installation CD.

Do I have to use the unpartitioned space on the primary hard drive to boot
Windows XP or can I use the SSD drive for better performance?

I also have a problem with the boot-menu since I have one second to choose
OS before a reference to a removed partition is "started".
Is that possible to change in the BIOS?

 

[Donald]

You may need to supply the driver of your SSD drive by pressing F6 during
the installation of XP. Explanation can be found on the following page.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314859

It should be fine if you install it on another partition of your primary
drive. Do those applications and games need to be installed on the same
partition of the system?

For multiboot setting, you can edit the boot.ini from Windows 2000.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311578
You can customize the timeout setting and the operating systems entries in
there.

The sample there is for ATAPI(or IDE) drives. For SCSI drive, you can see
the syntax on the following page.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102873
Basically you will need something like
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT for your windows 2000 and
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS for your windows XP if you are
using SCSI hard drive.

If all those are not working out, then check your installation CD on another
machine or clean install after you backup your data to see if it is in good
condition.

 

[Dawoodoz]

You may need to supply the driver of your SSD drive by pressing F6 during
the installation of XP. Explanation can be found on the following page.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314859

My SSD drive didn't include any drivers but I will try to use the standard
windows drivers.

It should be fine if you install it on another partition of your primary
drive. Do those applications and games need to be installed on the same
partition of the system?

No, I prefer being able to erase the XP partition every year since it gets a
lot of viruses from not having a firewall.
My previous multiboot used a powerswitch on the win2K drive to protect it
against any malvare from winXP and to choose OS using the switch but my new
motherboard doesn't support that any more.

For multiboot setting, you can edit the boot.ini from Windows 2000.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311578
You can customize the timeout setting and the operating systems entries in
there.

I will try that.

The sample there is for ATAPI(or IDE) drives. For SCSI drive, you can see
the syntax on the following page.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102873
Basically you will need something like
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT for your windows 2000 and
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS for your windows XP if you are
using SCSI hard drive.

If all those are not working out, then check your installation CD on another
machine or clean install after you backup your data to see if it is in good
condition.

OK, thanks.

 

[Dawoodoz]

It wasn't so easy as I thought it would be to install the SSD since windows
XP can't recognize "OCZ SATA2 2.5" SOLID STATE DRIVE".
I also don't have a floppy drive at A: since my new motherboard don't allow
me to use ancient artifacts anymore.

Getting support from the manufacturer is hard since their website's server
seems to be an old guy with a telegraph.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

It wasn't so easy as I thought it would be to install the SSD since
windows
XP can't recognize "OCZ SATA2 2.5" SOLID STATE DRIVE".
I also don't have a floppy drive at A: since my new motherboard don't
allow
me to use ancient artifacts anymore.

Use a USB floppy drive, $20. Works perfectly.

 

[Anna]

Two other things to consider...
1. The XP OS install CD should contain SP2 or SP3. There have been reports
of non-recognition problems affecting SSD drives when the XP OS does not
contain one or the other of those SPs.

2. Ensure you have the latest chipset drivers for your motherboard. That
seems to be another problem affecting non-recognition of SSD drives. Many
motherboard manufacturers have released updated chipset drivers for their
MBs in order to overcome that problem. So check that out.
Anna

 

[Dawoodoz]

The XP installation comes with SP3 from MSDNAcademicsAliance and I have tried
2 separate downloads on 2 discs.
It allways complains about missing functions in the not existing i386 folder
even when I tries to install on a small partition on the old HDD.

The latest chipset for my motherboard is from april 2007.
When I bought and installed the motherboard in january 2009, I got a note
about that they had not written the drivers yet instead of including them on
the drivers disc.

I can use the SSD from Windows 2000 and Ubuntu without any problem.
Can I install the SSD after windows if I disable it before installing and
takes space from the Windows 2000 partition?
It seems risky since I recently almost lost my Win2K installation after
removing a damaged partition from the old HDD and it may be more than the SSD
causing the problems with Windows XP.

 

[Anna]

"Anna" wrote:>> Two other things to consider...

The XP installation comes with SP3 from MSDNAcademicsAliance and I have
tried
2 separate downloads on 2 discs.
It allways complains about missing functions in the not existing i386
folder
even when I tries to install on a small partition on the old HDD.

The latest chipset for my motherboard is from april 2007.
When I bought and installed the motherboard in january 2009, I got a note
about that they had not written the drivers yet instead of including them
on
the drivers disc.

I can use the SSD from Windows 2000 and Ubuntu without any problem.
Can I install the SSD after windows if I disable it before installing and
takes space from the Windows 2000 partition?
It seems risky since I recently almost lost my Win2K installation after
removing a damaged partition from the old HDD and it may be more than the
SSD
causing the problems with Windows XP.

Since you're able to install the SSD in a Win2K OS it wouldn't appear the
motherboard's chipset is causing your problem. And since you're working with
an XP installation CD that contains SP3 (at least I think that's what you're
working with), the SP issue is obviously not the problem.

Since you're trying to fresh-install the XP OS onto the SSD, have you tried
to do so multiple times with only the SSD connected in your system? It's
always wise to make multiple attempts when the initial fresh-install doesn't
"take".

Assuming it's still no-go, would you have another (non-SSD) HDD at your
disposal and if so, could you try a fresh install of the XP OS onto that
disk? Assuming no problem there, then clone the contents of that drive over
to your SSD and see if that works?

(Other than a single install of a SSD (Intel) in a Vista system (no problem
there), I've had no other experience with these SSDs. The info I previously
provided you with (above) came via a former colleague who has had some
experience with installing and working with these drives.)
Anna

 

[Dawoodoz]

My second HDD crashed since formating a 10 year old HDD makes it verry hot.

I might try your idea of only using the SSD when installing and then modify
the boot.ini manually to include it from Windows 2000.
The problem then is that the OS will be installed in C: and then renamed to
D: with static references to paths in C: so that files can't be found.
Can I use a placeholder for C: to install in D:?

 

[Donald]

What you posted here recalled me something. If you can see the SSD drive in
2000, you can try VPC. It is like an file based OS so you can use a file or
files on your SSD drive to simulate your Windows XP system drive and you can
install software on it as real system. As long as your hardware is powerful
to support two OS running at the same time.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...9D-DFA8-40BF-AFAF-20BCB7F01CD1&displaylang=en

 

[Dawoodoz]

I have tried VPC before and it does not support 3D acceleration since it's
for database applications and microsoft don't care much about old games.

I will proboubly have to buy a new HDD and make a
dual/tripple/quad/penta/hexa boot from the beginning to support all my
Windows games.