Two XPs. Two Hard-Drives.. Same Computer

J

Julius

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 16, 2003
Messages
402
Hey, I'm going to restore my computer and I am installing a new hard drive and ram. I'm planning to install the hardware before I restore. Once I restore I plan to install a new xp on the new hard drive. Both systems will be Windows XP Home Edition. Is this possible without any problems? Will my computer detect both installings and ask which do I want to boot before logging in into another?

Thanks
 
You can't dual boot from different hard drives. You'd have to go into BIOS and switch boot priority each time you want to switch. Why have two XP installs anyway? Why not merge your programs and stuff into one?
 
Julius said:
Hey, I'm going to restore my computer and I am installing a new hard drive and ram. I'm planning to install the hardware before I restore. Once I restore I plan to install a new xp on the new hard drive. Both systems will be Windows XP Home Edition. Is this possible without any problems? Will my computer detect both installings and ask which do I want to boot before logging in into another?

Thanks
Click to expand...

it should but you will need two xp keys/licenses.
 
GJSNeptune said:
You can't dual boot from different hard drives. You'd have to go into BIOS and switch boot priority each time you want to switch.
Click to expand...
Wrong, you can still dual boot, even with the operating systems installed on separate physical hard disks.

GJSNeptune said:
By the way, you have two different copies/keys of XP, right?
Click to expand...
Windows is licensed per-computer, not per-install. You can install Windows as many times as you want on ONE computer with ONE key in a dual boot or (in some cases) a virtual-machine configuration.
 
Unknown-One said:
Wrong, you can still dual boot, even with the operating systems installed on separate physical hard disks.

Windows is licensed per-computer, not per-install. You can install Windows as many times as you want on ONE computer with ONE key in a dual boot or (in some cases) a virtual-machine configuration.
Click to expand...

Thank you for only noticing me.

As I Lay Dying said:
it should but you will need two xp keys/licenses.
Click to expand...
 
ok cool. I will be using my factory restore disc for my 1st hard drive. Then 2nd installion of windows xp home edition. on the other? So it should work fine. Yes they are two different keys.
 
Just make sure you change your boot priority at time of install of each OS, so that the drive that your install is intended for is first priority. This ensures that windows will install the first priority drive as C:.

After the seperate installs it wont matter as long as you name them appropriately in the bootloader (unless you change IDE Channels in which case you can just edit boot.ini). I've seen some screwed up dual-boot situations where the live OS's %windir% & %programfiles% are d:\windows and d:\program files respectively, it can get very confusing very quickly.

--
woomis
 
Amazing how people get fixated on ideas which are just plain WRONG!

A Windows XP dual boot will certainly work, and there isNO NEED to fiddle about changing boot orders or anything of the sort. Windows XP manages its own multi-boot arrangements.

You DO NOT need to use two licenses for a multi-boot of the same OS on the same machine. The only 'hiccup' you will encounter will be that you'll probably have to telephone activate the second installation. In Julius's circumstance there is a procedural constraint, because he has 'Recovery' media rather than an actual Windows installation disk. Borrowing and using somebody else's OEM Windows XP Home install disk will overcome that constraint. He'd be able to use his existing valid license key to put the second installation in place.



Run the first installation. Leave the boot order etc just as it is. Run the second installation, this time choosing the appropriate drive partition as its location. Everything will be fine. the boot menu will be created, and will present to you when you fire the machine up.

Shit, but people try to over-complicate things!




By the way. The Windows license is actually a 'per user, per device' license. Microsoft has now clarified that with the revised EULA issued along with Vista. It's supposed to be one installation 'per device'. But they've also pointed out that their intention of this isn't to put impediment in the path of people conducting legitimate usage. In other words, it isn't supposed to mean you can't have the license used for a dual-boot, in a circumstance where you can't have both running at the same time anyway. The license restriction really relates to circumstances like people using it on a server-type rack mount rig, where each 'device' will have its own CPU as well as its own hard drive.
 
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