Multiple active XP Pro partitions

[Tim]

Hi there,

Trying but failing to get 3 active partition's from 1 x 80 gig Maxtor drive.
Firstly I created one 20 gig active partition and 3 x 19 gig logical
partitions and loaded XP Pro onto the first active partition. Then I loaded
Casper XP and copied the first partition to logical partition 2 and then 3.
Then altered the boot.ini file for disk 2 to show partition 2 and for disk 3
to show partition 3.

Then using Partition Magic 8 I changed the logical partitions 2 and 3 to
primary and set logical partition 2 as active not a problem it booted up
when back into PM8 and set logical partition 3 as active tried to boot but
all I got was 'autochk not found' skipping autochk and then it just reboots.

So I tried the following text into each partitions boot.ini file

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 2)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 3)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

All works well it appears that each partition boots but if I change the
desktop picture in one partition it changes in the other 2 partitions
leaving me to think that the 3 independent partitions I thought I had made
are not.

So any ideas on how I can have 3 totally separate and independent partitions
by just copying 1 partition to the other 2 or am I going to have to do 3
separate installs to the 3 separate active partitions and use Boot Magic to
control the boot sequence?



Many thanks, Tim.

 

[Jon]

The "default=" line in the boot.ini would need a different partition number
for each partition (otherwise you're just booting into the same version of
Windows on partition 1)

Jon

 

[Mark Weinreb]

Hi there,

Trying but failing to get 3 active partition's from 1 x 80 gig Maxtor
drive.
Firstly I created one 20 gig active partition and 3 x 19 gig logical
partitions and loaded XP Pro onto the first active partition. Then I
loaded
Casper XP and copied the first partition to logical partition 2 and then
3.
Then altered the boot.ini file for disk 2 to show partition 2 and for disk
3
to show partition 3.

Then using Partition Magic 8 I changed the logical partitions 2 and 3 to
primary and set logical partition 2 as active not a problem it booted up
when back into PM8 and set logical partition 3 as active tried to boot but
all I got was 'autochk not found' skipping autochk and then it just
reboots.

So I tried the following text into each partitions boot.ini file

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 2)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 3)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

All works well it appears that each partition boots but if I change the
desktop picture in one partition it changes in the other 2 partitions
leaving me to think that the 3 independent partitions I thought I had made
are not.

So any ideas on how I can have 3 totally separate and independent
partitions
by just copying 1 partition to the other 2 or am I going to have to do 3
separate installs to the 3 separate active partitions and use Boot Magic
to
control the boot sequence?



Many thanks, Tim.

I think the problem is that you copied the installation from the first
partition (probably C on to the other two partitions (D: and E: ?). All
of the registry entries in all three copies point to C: as being where
Windows is installed.
So when you boot to "Microsoft Windows XP Pro (Backup on partition 2)" the
boot files will be read from the second partition (D, but Windows will be
loaded from the first partition (C as will all the applications.

You could use Boot Magic to control the boot sequence, and hide the other
partitions. However, Windows might still find them and use the "wrong" copy
of C: (I've seen this happen). Three separate installs would be the safest
way to go in my opinion.
In that case, only the first partition needs to be active, the others can be
logical partitions within an extended partition.
Hope this helps.

 

[Ron Sommer]

The default line is used if you don't select another operating system.
The partition number in the default line will not cause the computer to boot
to the same Windows.
--
Ron Sommer

The "default=" line in the boot.ini would need a different partition
number for each partition (otherwise you're just booting into the same
version of Windows on partition 1)

Jon

Hi there,

Trying but failing to get 3 active partition's from 1 x 80 gig Maxtor
drive.
Firstly I created one 20 gig active partition and 3 x 19 gig logical
partitions and loaded XP Pro onto the first active partition. Then I
loaded
Casper XP and copied the first partition to logical partition 2 and then
3.
Then altered the boot.ini file for disk 2 to show partition 2 and for
disk 3
to show partition 3.

Then using Partition Magic 8 I changed the logical partitions 2 and 3 to
primary and set logical partition 2 as active not a problem it booted up
when back into PM8 and set logical partition 3 as active tried to boot
but
all I got was 'autochk not found' skipping autochk and then it just
reboots.

So I tried the following text into each partitions boot.ini file

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 2)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 3)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

All works well it appears that each partition boots but if I change the
desktop picture in one partition it changes in the other 2 partitions
leaving me to think that the 3 independent partitions I thought I had
made
are not.

So any ideas on how I can have 3 totally separate and independent
partitions
by just copying 1 partition to the other 2 or am I going to have to do 3
separate installs to the 3 separate active partitions and use Boot Magic
to
control the boot sequence?



Many thanks, Tim.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Tim" inquired:

Hi there,

Trying but failing to get 3 active partition's from 1 x 80 gig Maxtor
drive.
Firstly I created one 20 gig active partition and 3 x 19 gig logical
partitions and loaded XP Pro onto the first active partition. Then I
loaded
Casper XP and copied the first partition to logical partition 2 and then
3.
Then altered the boot.ini file for disk 2 to show partition 2 and for disk
3
to show partition 3.

Then using Partition Magic 8 I changed the logical partitions 2 and 3 to
primary and set logical partition 2 as active not a problem it booted up
when back into PM8 and set logical partition 3 as active tried to boot but
all I got was 'autochk not found' skipping autochk and then it just
reboots.

So I tried the following text into each partitions boot.ini file

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 2)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro
(Backup on partition 3)" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

All works well it appears that each partition boots but if I change the
desktop picture in one partition it changes in the other 2 partitions
leaving me to think that the 3 independent partitions I thought I had made
are not.

So any ideas on how I can have 3 totally separate and independent
partitions
by just copying 1 partition to the other 2 or am I going to have to do 3
separate installs to the 3 separate active partitions and use Boot Magic
to
control the boot sequence?



Many thanks, Tim.

I think the problem is that you copied the installation from the first
partition (probably C on to the other two partitions (D: and E: ?). All
of the registry entries in all three copies point to C: as being where
Windows is installed.
So when you boot to "Microsoft Windows XP Pro (Backup on partition 2)" the
boot files will be read from the second partition (D, but Windows will be
loaded from the first partition (C as will all the applications.

You could use Boot Magic to control the boot sequence, and hide the other
partitions. However, Windows might still find them and use the "wrong" copy
of C: (I've seen this happen). Three separate installs would be the safest
way to go in my opinion.
In that case, only the first partition needs to be active, the others can be
logical partitions within an extended partition.
Hope this helps.

If the registry for the systems in the 2nd and 3rd partitions include
references to the "C:" Local Disk, they will be pointing to the running
system in the partition that was loaded - which thinks that *it* is the "C:"
Local Disk ("Local Disk" being the term for a partition in Disk Management's
lexicon.).

There is a peculiarity in WinXP that requires a system clone to be
booted up for the 1st time in isolation from its "parent" system. If the
clone is able to see its "parent" during the time of its initial bootup,
it somehow bonds itself to its "parent", and forevermore it will need
the presence of its "parent" to function. The solution is to make the
"parent" system partition invisible during the clone's 1st bootup. If the
"parent" is on another HD, one can simply remove the data cable or
power cable for that HD. After the clone has been booted up without
its "parent" visible, it can be shut down, and the "parent" reconnected,
and on subsequent boots, the clone will just see its "parent" as another
Local Disk, with file drags 'n drops possible between them.

But if both the "parent" system partition and its clone are on the
same HD, it's harder to make the "parent" invisible during the clone's
first bootup, especially if the boot loader (ntldr) and the boot menu
(boot.ini) being used are on the "parent" partition. Putting the clones
into primary partitions will provide the necessary boot sector which
can then pass control to the partitions' ntldr and boot.ini, but how to
make the "parent" invisible might involve using Boot Magic running
on the very partition being made invisible. Then what happens if the
clone systems don't work? How do you make the "parent" visible
again so that it can boot?

The simplest way to handle this is to re-install WinXP on the
2nd and 3rd partitions. Then you don't have a "parent" to hide.

*TimDaniels*

 

[dg1261]

Trying but failing to get 3 active partition's from 1 x 80 gig
Maxtor drive. Firstly I created one 20 gig active partition
and 3 x 19 gig logical partitions and loaded XP Pro onto the
first active partition. Then I loaded Casper XP and copied
the first partition to logical partition 2 and then 3. Then
altered the boot.ini file for disk 2 to show partition 2 and
for disk 3 to show partition 3.

Then using Partition Magic 8 I changed the logical partitions
2 and 3 to primary and set logical partition 2 as active not a
problem it booted up when back into PM8 and set logical
partition 3 as active tried to boot but all I got was 'autochk
not found' skipping autochk and then it just reboots.

...(snipped)...

So any ideas on how I can have 3 totally separate and
independent partitions by just copying 1 partition to the
other 2 or am I going to have to do 3 separate installs to the
3 separate active partitions and use Boot Magic to control
the boot sequence?

As the other replies suggested, there are basically two issues that can trip
you up: the ARCpath in boot.ini, and the partition signatures in the
registry. You'll find plenty of details on my webpage at
www.goodells.net/multiboot.

It sounds like you're already aware of the changes that need to be made to
boot.ini. However, your technique of creating logical partitions and
converting them to primary is likely to have left your partition table
entries out of order, so you can't be sure what numbers you should be using
in the boot.ini ARCpaths. (The ARCpath references are to the order found in
the partition table, not the order of the physical partitions on disk.)

I don't use CasperXP (and don't see a value in it to you for this project),
but I believe it would normally tweak the registry on the copy to keep
things straightened out. However, your technique of copying to a logical
partition and then converting that logical to a primary may have screwed up
what CasperXP "fixed", so I'm not sure we can blame CasperXP here.

I would start over and use PM instead of CasperXP, simply using PM to copy
partition-1 to the other two partitions. Your step-by-step didn't mention
BootMagic, so I'll assume that isn't yet installed to complicate the matter.
You didn't say--are these NTFS partitions? Doesn't BootMagic still require
a FAT32 partition? (BTW, there are better choices than BootMagic, when you
get that far.)