Multoboot

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard
  • Start date Start date
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Richard

I installed 3 operating systems. Drive C had Windows Me. D and E had XP. On
start up I was able to select which operating system I wished to use.

Later I wanted to rename the start up options. While experimenting with the
Boot.ini file, I lost everything. I could not get into a Dos mode or even
Safe mode.

I reformatted the C drive and re installed Me. It fired up ok, but then I
couldn't get into the XP operating systems. I re wrote the Boot.ini but to
no avail.

I then reformatted and installed XPon the c drive. Upon re writing the
Boot.ini I was able to gain full control again.

I wanted ME so that I could use a lot of my old programs that won't work
with XP.

Now the problem is, how can I re install ME on the C drive and find the XP
operating systems which I know are there and working properly, if only I
could find them? I believe if I could find one of them, and write the boot
file from START UP AND RECOVER I would be ok.

In short, I would now like to re install Me on the C drive and have the
capability of selecting the 3 operating systems on start up.
 
You can always reinstall me. However, you will overwritte the master boot
record that has the boot loader for xp. You can restore the master boot
record after installing me by booting from the xp cdrom. Accessing the
recovery console (Choose R for repair and then recovery console). You will
get to a dos screen. Type HELP. You will see all the command options. I think
that the one to reconfigure boot.ini is called bootcfg and there are two
comands to restore your mbr (fixboot and fixmbr) to reinstall the boot
loader.
 
[email protected] said:
I installed 3 operating systems. Drive C had Windows Me. D and E had XP. On
start up I was able to select which operating system I wished to use.

Later I wanted to rename the start up options. While experimenting with the
Boot.ini file, I lost everything. I could not get into a Dos mode or even
Safe mode.

I reformatted the C drive and re installed Me. It fired up ok, but then I
couldn't get into the XP operating systems. I re wrote the Boot.ini but to
no avail.

I then reformatted and installed XPon the c drive. Upon re writing the
Boot.ini I was able to gain full control again.

I wanted ME so that I could use a lot of my old programs that won't work
with XP.

Now the problem is, how can I re install ME on the C drive and find the XP
operating systems which I know are there and working properly, if only I
could find them? I believe if I could find one of them, and write the boot
file from START UP AND RECOVER I would be ok.

In short, I would now like to re install Me on the C drive and have the
capability of selecting the 3 operating systems on start up.
Click to expand...

Try XOSL first:

http://www2.arnes.si/~fkomar/xosl.org/


Just a little info if you like, but keep in mind that this is just my
opinion..........

I personally do not agree with multi OS's on different drives(meaning
physical drives)....If they are on the same drive(maybe in your case)
than my philosophy is to put them all on primary partitions not logicals
& using a third party bootloader to make 1 active partition at a time
thereby hiding the other OS's(partition) from the current active
one......All partitions with OS's will maintain a "C" drive
scheme..........
The only fallback is that in the case of Win2k, XP, it has to reside
where installed.....Anotherwords if you put XP on the 3rd partition it's
difficult to make it the first, second or fourth partition(or only one
for that matter) if you decide to move it....Maybe there is a way to
correct that but I've never had to do it before as I use imaging
software & don't care, I just restore them..........Win98 on the
otherhand doesn't care where you put it, 1st-2nd-3rd partition, I can
restore anywhere.....Maybe WinME can do the same(after all it's a hyped
version of 98SE) I'm not sure as I've never wasted my time with ME.

I only say this because I see so many individuals run in to the
same/similiar problems and have used the suggestion to install to
logicals & let XP manage it through the bootloader.....If I remember
correctly upon install of your XP it seen WinME & deposits the boot.ini
there hence why you lost your booting capability...It's actually better
to put XP first, ME, than XP...But as I said I don't believe in letting
windoze manage my partitions.....BTW: I run 4 OS's on one physical drive
as I've described, so I'm not just blowing hot air at ya...........

Good Luck!
 
That is why I always make a backup copy of boot.ini that I can restore from
a command prompt if I mess up the editing.
 
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