Dual booting from 2 hard disks question?

[the lone gunman]

i have recently perchaced a 2nd hard disk for my gaming rig - (1st one in sig) and intalled vista ultimate on it. i also have XP on another hard disk in the same rig and both are connected via Sata II to the ports on my mobo however when i switch my PC on it just boots streaght to vista.

is there a way to get my Bios to as me witch disk to boot from during start up so i have the option of choosing witch OS i want to use? (like when you have 2 OS's on 1 hard disk split with a partition)

[djnes]

You can use something like VistaBootPro to set up the options. You won't get the standard ones, because you didn't install XP first, but the software above will do so. You also may have an option to bring up a boot menu at the POST screen, and choose the device to boot from.

On a side note, if you perchace something....is it any cheaper than if you purchased it? ;)

[the lone gunman]

On a side note, if you perchace something....is it any cheaper than if you purchased it? ;)

Im dyslectic in spelling:D

ok XP was installed 1st and vista later.... not that i think that matters as both OS's are on 2 respective disks. XP on one and vista on the other.

not sure i understand the answer you gave me:confused:

[digital_exhaust]

It does matter which os is installed first, if the newer os (Vista) is installed before the older (XP), the bootloader isn't going to work correctly.

Regardless, VistaBootPro (http://www.vistabootpro.org/) is a utility you can use to set up a bootloader of sorts that will allow you to choose which os you want to boot into.

[Catweazle]

If you installed XP first and then Vista later, and you don't already get a multi-boot menu, then you didn't follow correct procedure when installing. It should've been created automatically for you. The two OS's DON'T have to be on the same drive for that to occur.

Either using a tool like the one linked above, or running a Vista repair install, should fix it up for you.You don't need to get BIOS to arrange the choice of which OS to boot to. That's not the job of BIOS. You need to 'fix' the Vista installation so it gives you the boot menu you should've ended up with.

[the lone gunman]

Oh i see, although XP was installed 1st, it the same OS i have had installed for a while now. i only installed Vista last night (thought older OS was needed to be installed 1st wich it was.)

[the lone gunman]

If you installed XP first and then Vista later, and you don't already get a multi-boot menu, then you didn't follow correct procedure when installing. It should've been created automatically for you. The two OS's DON'T have to be on the same drive for that to occur.

Either using a tool like the one linked above, or running a Vista repair install, should fix it up for you.You don't need to get BIOS to arrange the choice of which OS to boot to. That's not the job of BIOS. You need to 'fix' the Vista installation so it gives you the boot menu you should've ended up with.

ok, so how do i "fix" the vista install? using VistaBootPro?

[djnes]

You would have had to have both drives connected during the Vista install for the boot files and options to be set up correctly for a dual boot. Having them on separate drives is an ideal setup....but the order and method of installing the OSes is what determines the boot menu options.

[the lone gunman]

You would have had to have both drives connected during the Vista install for the boot files and options to be set up correctly for a dual boot. Having them on separate drives is an ideal setup....but the order and method of installing the OSes is what determines the boot menu options.


ok my xp disk was unpluged at the time of the vista install.... is this what has caused the problem?

[djnes]

Yes, if you want to call it a problem, that's why it happened. Dual booting is a simple procedure, and the steps haven't changed since the days of dual-booting 98 and NT 4.0.

1) Leave both drives blank and unformatted.
2) Install the older OS on disc 1. Leave disc 2 alone.
3) Once disc the older OS is installed and bootable, boot from the newer OS's disc.
4) Point the newer install to the second drive.
5) Once this OS is installed and you reboot, you will see the menu choices for both OSes.

[shyboi]

Or you could just get this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817990001) and call it good.

[the lone gunman]

ok, i just re-installed vista with my XP disk pluged in and all is ok now i have the post menu to select an OS:D guess i didnt know the same rules applyed to my setup as they do to dule boot on the same disk:rolleyes:

thank for your help eveyone - problem solved:)