Setting up a multi boot system

[Guest]

Well, that is what I've been trying to do...

Got my new computer delivered yesterday with two hard drives, XP installed
on one. I want XP on both hard drives so I can have gaming, internet etc. on
one, then home recording (with minimal drivers and programs etc to minimise
latency) on the other. Didn't think this would be much of a problem...

I wasn't exactly sure how to multi boot but I didn't think there'd be any
harm in whacking the XP disc back in and seeing what happened. Got to the
setup screen and checked a box saying something like "choose which directory
XP is to be installed in at setup". All sounds good to me! Too good to be
true...

The computer restarts and boots up in DOS to setup XP. Strange thing is, the
computer cant find my hard drives. Even though when in XP, it can see and
access both in Explorer. Strange I thought...then I restarted as obviously I
couldn't install XP if the computer couldn't find a hard drive...and I get
the dreaded blue screen:


A problem has been deteceted and Windows has been shut down to prevent
damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your
computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drives
or hard drive controllers. Check your hard drive to make sure it is properly
configured and terminated. Run CHKDSK /F to check for hard drive corruption,
and then restart your computer.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0xF7CAE524, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x0000000000)


What's going on?! I restarted and got the same screen, and now I'm at a loss
as to what I should do. I'm very confused as to how what I've done could
possibly have offended my computer so much...Please help!

 

[kurttrail]

Well, that is what I've been trying to do...

Got my new computer delivered yesterday with two hard drives, XP
installed on one. I want XP on both hard drives so I can have gaming,
internet etc. on one, then home recording (with minimal drivers and
programs etc to minimise latency) on the other. Didn't think this
would be much of a problem...

I wasn't exactly sure how to multi boot but I didn't think there'd be
any harm in whacking the XP disc back in and seeing what happened.
Got to the setup screen and checked a box saying something like
"choose which directory XP is to be installed in at setup". All
sounds good to me! Too good to be true...

The computer restarts and boots up in DOS to setup XP. Strange thing
is, the computer cant find my hard drives. Even though when in XP, it
can see and access both in Explorer. Strange I thought...then I
restarted as obviously I couldn't install XP if the computer couldn't
find a hard drive...and I get the dreaded blue screen:


A problem has been deteceted and Windows has been shut down to prevent
damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart
your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard
drives or hard drive controllers. Check your hard drive to make sure
it is properly configured and terminated. Run CHKDSK /F to check for
hard drive corruption, and then restart your computer.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0xF7CAE524, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000,
0x0000000000)


What's going on?! I restarted and got the same screen, and now I'm at
a loss as to what I should do. I'm very confused as to how what I've
done could possibly have offended my computer so much...Please help!

What's going on? You let an idiot play around with things that they
don't know anything about on your new computer.

You have two options:

1.) Take your new computer to a professional to fix your mistakes.
2.) Start educating yourself on how computers work, how to firgure out
what hardware you have in your computer, how to install NT OS's, how to
create dual boots . . . . Most of which can be found by doing a Google
search, but you may want to go to your local bookstore and buy some
Computing for Dummies books too.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Guest]

Okay...at start up I was offered whether to boot up in the Windows setup
program or go to Windows XP...so i changed the boot.ini file so that the
computer defaults to loading up in XP. No idea why the setup program is still
available because I dont have the cd in anymore.

But I am still at a loss as to how to set up a dual boot system, with an OS
on either hard drive. I've seen many articles on the internet, but they all
seem to be concerned with multi boot systems on a single partitioned hard
drive. Besides that, they don't seem to really fully tell you how to do it
either...they just say, Install Windows XP twice...so i'm not sure what to
do. Help please!

 

[Guest]

Thank you Kurt for a highly positive and helpful reply.

As I've already posted I've managed to get myself back into Windows XP and
have no further problems at present, aside from the fact that I still do not
know how to set up a dual boot system on two seperate hard drives. Now unless
you plan to spend your whole day attempting to belittle people who wish have
their questions answered in a helpful and polite manner (which is what most
good forums are all about), why don't you take your "advice" elsewhere.

 

[kurttrail]

Thank you Kurt for a highly positive and helpful reply.

You're very welcome! ;-)

As I've already posted I've managed to get myself back into Windows
XP and have no further problems at present, aside from the fact that
I still do not know how to set up a dual boot system on two seperate
hard drives.
Gimme-a:

G

O

O

G

L

E

!

Now unless you plan to spend your whole day attempting
to belittle people

LOL! I hardly spend any time doing that.

who wish have their questions answered in a
helpful and polite manner

Well then you wouldn't have posted your folly to a Newsgroup if you were
expecting helpful and polite replies. It's like going to church
expecting to learn about evolution based on reason, not faith.

(which is what most good forums are all
about),

This isn't a forum, but a Newsgroup, and it being good or not is totally
relative.

why don't you take your "advice" elsewhere.

LOL! Why don't try to do some research? Lazy? Just want answers
handed to you on a silver platter?

The first time I did dual boot, I learned how to do it all on my own
research, but I'm not an ignorant lazy little c-sucker.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Guest]

As tempting as it is, I'm not going to stoop to your level.

Does anyone else have any advice for me? Cheers.

 

[R. McCarty]

Situations vary - so there is no concise, simple answer for "How to do
it". That being said, check the following MS Knowledge Base article
search.
There's a wealth of information and steps in the 1st few matches.
NOTE: URL may line wrap, so you might have to cut & paste the entire
string to your browser's Address bar.
http://support.microsoft.com/search...ot&QuerySource=gsfxSearch_Query&srchExtraQry=

 

[kurttrail]

As tempting as it is, I'm not going to stoop to your level.

My level is helping myself. I would have to stoop down to your level to
go begging for help.

Does anyone else have any advice for me? Cheers.

I hear "Suicide is Painless."

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Uncle John]

Hi Badgerer

If you have two disks there are two ways to do what you want. You should
have a backup NOT system restore before you start as it is possible to foul
up the system disk if you do things wrong.


Method 1 You have to switch the boot order in the bios and the two OS are
completely independent.
You clone your first boot disk to your second disk, disk 0 is the original
installation and disk 1 is the second installation.
Before cloning disable system restore on all drives.
After cloning reboot.
Enter the bios when the PC restarts and change the boot priority so that you
boot from disk 1 not disk 0.

You need special software to make the clone: use CasparXP which does it all
in Windows.
http://www.fssdev.com
or
Acronis TrueImage is a little more difficult to use for this task
http://www.acronis.com

In Control Panel open folder Open Folder Option\View and uncheck the setting
to hide system files.

Look for the boot.ini file in the root of the system [C:\] drive
The boot.ini file will look something like this, depending on how you
created the original installation:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP" /fastdetect
/noexecute=optin

After you have made the copy and before you reboot make sure that you name
the two drives differently so that when you are in windows you can tell
which you are using. Windows will always set the drive letter of the boot
drive to C:\ so if the drives do not have different names it can be
difficult to know which drive you are using.

The boot.ini in Drive D;\ will be identical

Method 2 You boot from the system disk and choose which OS to use before
Windows loads
Change the boot.ini for the boot drive BEFORE you make the clone to

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Master" /fastdetect
/noexecute=optin
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Slave"
/fastdetect/noexecute=optin

Note that it is "....................rdisk(1)...................... that
tells Windows which disk to use: the previous parameters must be "0"

You will be offered the choice when Windows is loading of which disk to use.
However you will always boot from the first disk and you will not be able to
clone back from within Windows from disk 1 to disk 0.

 

[Guest]

okay...thats some useful info to get my head head round. thanks!

 

[kurttrail]

okay...thats some useful info to get my head head round. thanks!

I'd be willing to bet you will still screw it up.

There are MANY MANY MANY resources with on the web that describe how to
set up a dual boot step by step. All you have to do is a little
research.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I'd be willing to bet you will still screw it up.

<LOL!> BTW, "Badgerer", I told you the same thing as
"Uncle John" in the other NG, MS.public.Winxp.setup_deployment,
but you don't hang around a thread long enough to see the replies
from other than the MVPs - who spout only the MS corporate line.
Learn how these NGs work, and you'll get more information.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Uncle John]

Hi Badgerer

If you have two disks there are two ways to do what you want. You should
have a backup NOT system restore before you start as it is possible to foul
up the system disk if you do things wrong.


Method 1 You have to switch the boot order in the bios and the two OS are
completely independent.
You clone your first boot disk to your second disk, disk 0 is the original
installation and disk 1 is the second installation.
Before cloning disable system restore on all drives.
After cloning reboot.
Enter the bios when the PC restarts and change the boot priority so that you
boot from disk 1 not disk 0.

You need special software to make the clone: use CasparXP which does it all
in Windows.
http://www.fssdev.com
or
Acronis TrueImage is a little more difficult to use for this task
http://www.acronis.com

In Control Panel open folder Open Folder Option\View and uncheck the setting
to hide system files.

Look for the boot.ini file in the root of the system [C:\] drive
The boot.ini file will look something like this, depending on how you
created the original installation:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP" /fastdetect
/noexecute=optin

After you have made the copy and before you reboot make sure that you name
the two drives differently so that when you are in windows you can tell
which you are using. Windows will always set the drive letter of the boot
drive to C:\ so if the drives do not have different names it can be
difficult to know which drive you are using.

The boot.ini in Drive D;\ will be identical

Method 2 You boot from the system disk and choose which OS to use before
Windows loads
Change the boot.ini for the boot drive BEFORE you make the clone to

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Master" /fastdetect
/noexecute=optin
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Slave"
/fastdetect/noexecute=optin

Note that it is "....................rdisk(1)...................... that
tells Windows which disk to use: the previous parameters must be "0"

You will be offered the choice when Windows is loading of which disk to use.
However you will always boot from the first disk and you will not be able to
clone back from within Windows from disk 1 to disk 0.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

[................]
Method 1
You have to switch the boot order in the bios
and the two OS are completely independent.
[................]
After cloning reboot....

Method 2
You boot from the system disk and choose
which OS to use before Windows loads
[...................]
You will be offered the choice when Windows is loading
of which disk to use. However you will always boot from
the first disk....

With both these methods, care must be taken to NOT
boot the clone for the 1st time with its "parent" system
visible to it. If the clone sees its "parent" when it is 1st
booted, it will form links which will make it permanently
dependent on its "parent's" presence for file structure
integrity. (What that means is vague.) But once the
clone has had its 1st boot-up, it will be an independent
system, and it can thereafter see its "parent" and it will
treat its "parent" as just another "Local Disk", i.e. a
partition with an accessible file structure. The most
straight-forward way to render the "parent" system
invisible is to merely unplug the hard drive that contains
it, and the second hard drive (presumably the one
containing the clone) will move up in the BIOS' hard
drive boot order, and it will become the hard drive at
"relative position 0" - that is, "rdisk(0)" in the boot.ini
boot menu - and its MBR will get control from the BIOS
at boot time.

and you will not be able to clone back from within
Windows from disk 1 to disk 0.

This makes no sense. There is nothing inherent in
the contents of the clone or in the operation of cloning
utilities to distinguish between disk 1-to-disk 0 and
disk 0-to-disk 1. Both directions are equally valid
and possible. Just remember to isolate the new clone
from its "parent" before booting it up for its 1st time.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Uncle John]

Tim

That is exactly what I meant. You have said, in another way which is
clearer, that one must boot the clone separately after creating it or it
will become dependent on the original system which will not be able to clone
from itself [ disk 1] back to the original boot disk [disk 0].

John

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Uncle John" clarified:

Tim

That is exactly what I meant. You have said, in another way which is
clearer, that one must boot the clone separately after creating it or it
will become dependent on the original system which will not be able
to clone from itself [ disk 1] back to the original boot disk [disk 0].

John

OK, now I see your point, and I agree. It would wipe out the
"parent" that it depends on.

*TimDaniels*