Dual boot need help!!!!

[xphantg0d]

I have 2 harddrives in my computer now and they both have windows xp installed on them. How do i set it up so i pick which windows to boot into? right now it automatically boots into the windows on the master hd. Help!

 

[Ice Czar]

well first carefully read through this as a troubleshooter
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=766702

and then describe how the two installs came to be, and the physical config
if they each have a system partition written to them we can make either or both crosss boot to the other by editing the boot.ini(s), and or changing the boot order in the BIOS

 

[xphantg0d]

windows was installed on each of them independantly, The first one had windows installed on it before there were any other harddrives installed. the second was installed after but when i installed windows on the second harddrive the first one was not in the computer.. they are on the same IDE cable.

 

[xphantg0d]

well first carefully read through this as a troubleshooter
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=766702

and then describe how the two installs came to be, and the physical config
if they each have a system partition written to them we can make either or both crosss boot to the other by editing the boot.ini(s), and or changing the boot order in the BIOS

I tihnk i do need to edit the boot.ini file but where can i learn how to do this?

 

[Ice Czar]

well, Im assuming since a dual boot wasnt immediately created you have 2 seperate installs
to change the first Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > View Tab > Check Show Hidden Files and folders and Uncheck Protected operating system files > OK

the in Windows Explorer open the System Partition (typically the C:/ drive)
and Rclick on the boot.ini > open with > Notepad (make sure the "Always use this program to open these files" checkbox is unchecked

then alter it from

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

or whatever it currently says, could be XP ect
to

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Whatever you like" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="a different descriptor" /fastdetect

and test it I think the 2nd partition descriptor changes, but it might be 1 as well
as long as you leave the first alone youll always be able to boot into it

you can also alter the
timeout = XX
to a longer or shorter period of time before the default selection is launched


then youd repeat that on the other installs system partition boot.ini to cross boot
from inside the first OS what drive letter that would be depends on the physical config and number of partitions of what type on both drives

or simply access the boot oder in the BIOS and change HDD0 to HDD1 andd then your in the 2nd OS install, and navigate to the C:/ for that boot.ini (reverse the descriptors in the first boot.ini)

if you cant boot into the 2nd install from the boot order either, a system partition wasnt written to it or it has the wrong drivers if it was moved from another computer


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q289022

I also have permanently installed the recovery console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307654

which would alter it to
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="W2K PRO ANNIBUS Sys Partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="W2K PRO SETH Boot Partition" /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Recovery Console" /cmdcons

that is for a dual boot with 2 partitions\installs on the same HDD not dual HDDs

 

[xphantg0d]

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Whatever you like" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="a different descriptor" /fastdetect

and test it I think the 2nd partition descriptor changes, but it might be 1 as well
as long as you leave the first alone youll always be able to boot into it

Thanx alot that worked also just so you know the second partition descriptor is 1 not 2 (partition is always 1 if you only have one partition on the drive)

 

[Ice Czar]

you know I did it from memory that way,
then I double checked the Windows link
and they made me change my mind because they had that example

there is likely a dedicated pagefile partition on the second HDD,
making the boot partition the 2nd one in that example

 

[xphantg0d]

Damn microsoft always confusing people. Anyways just in case other people come and arent sure what to do here is my current boot.ini file.

[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="Dirty Windows" /FASTDETECT
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Clean Windows" /FASTDETECT

 

[Ice Czar]

now that you have a dual boot, there are some really nice advantages
you probably already know, but other readers might not so some of the things I do with a dual boot


its really simple to look sideways at the parallel install and repair or replace the registry from backups
if you think your compromised you can conduct security scans form the "clean" install
few malware aps would be able to infect the clean install
(those that could write to every drive and would have infected from the dirty install but would still be challenged to initiate)
access files locked by the other install

have fun

you might need to address permission issues in NTFS so review at this thread if thats the case
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=768311&highlight=ownership