| Author |
Message |
pil
Guest
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 Posted:
Mon Nov 07, 2005 1:10 am Post subject:
how to make an empty partition bootable |
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I have two harddrives and I have installed windows xp sp2 on both of them
with the one unplugged during installation. So now I have two bootable
harddrives.
I need to use a boot manager to select my os. Powerquest Bootmagic doesn't
seem to work. I can set it up but it locks up as soon as I select XP on the
secondary disk.
How can I go about getting this to work. I did modify the boot.ini file on
the secondary disk to point to the correct partition.
I also tried creating a small partition on the primary disc with ntldr,
ntdetect.com and boot.ini. I then modified boot.ini to point to the
secondary disk (just the way windows does it when you install two XP's on
two disks) but it also didn't work. I would like to stick with this idea.
What other files do I need to place on this partition to make it bootable?
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Alan Shepherd
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 07, 2005 1:33 am Post subject:
Re: how to make an empty partition bootable |
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Windows XP & 2000 address HDD's as controllers & connections, not directly
linked to drive letters, but the Boot drive is locked in a way such that if
the drive is installed to a HDD that is Master on the IDE channel it will
only run from the master HDD on that channel. if you change the drive slave,
it does not access the correct HDD for it's registery info.
The correct way to install windows on two HDD's (according to M$) is:
1) Install windows onto the first HDD as normal, preferably with a format.
If drive letters other than C exist the second installation may take an
installation (boot drive other than D:)
2) When finished installing windows you create an installation partition on
the second HDD (preferably with a format) and install onto that partition.
Windows creates a boot menu to select which version of windows to run, both
are labeled Windows XP at this stage this can be changed later.
3) Test to see if both installation work at this stage before major
installations and customisation. Then if you want to re-name the boot menu's
it's in properties for "My Computer", advanced tab, boot options, "edit"
edits the Boot.ini file on the C Drive, MAKE A BACKUP of this file before
making changes.
One installation runs from the C Drive, and is labeled as normal, one also
runs from the D Drive, and while you can still access the C Drive, any
changes to the C Drive effect the other installation. Applications and User
settings/documents have to be set-up on both installations.
You cannot change the boot drive letter of the D Drive without preventing it
from working, but it's possible to remove or re-map the C Drive to another
option, to prevent it from being accidentally damaged. Also if your running
Windows XP Pro you can use Encryption to prevent access to private files on
the other partition, if user profiles are marked as Private under XP Home,
any admin account on the other installation will have FULL access to them
without regard.
As to license issues - in the past MS have allowed two installations on the
same PC since only one can be running at the same time. and activation
should'nt be a major problem, the system hardware has'nt changed - so it's
just the same as a re-install of the same OS.
| Quote: | I have two harddrives and I have installed windows xp sp2 on both of them
with the one unplugged during installation. So now I have two bootable
harddrives.
I need to use a boot manager to select my os. Powerquest Bootmagic doesn't
seem to work. I can set it up but it locks up as soon as I select XP on
the
secondary disk.
How can I go about getting this to work. I did modify the boot.ini file on
the secondary disk to point to the correct partition.
I also tried creating a small partition on the primary disc with ntldr,
ntdetect.com and boot.ini. I then modified boot.ini to point to the
secondary disk (just the way windows does it when you install two XP's on
two disks) but it also didn't work. I would like to stick with this idea.
What other files do I need to place on this partition to make it bootable?
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pil
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 07, 2005 1:59 am Post subject:
Re: how to make an empty partition bootable |
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Thanks I did figure that out along the way but I need to boot these two with
a boot manager because I will be installing other OS's on the secondary disk
as well so the windows multiboot approach is not going to work. Thanks
anyway!!
"Alan Shepherd" <spam@awshepherd.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:wqudnbOJEbbmx_PeRVnygQ@pipex.net...
| Quote: | Windows XP & 2000 address HDD's as controllers & connections, not directly
linked to drive letters, but the Boot drive is locked in a way such that
if the drive is installed to a HDD that is Master on the IDE channel it
will only run from the master HDD on that channel. if you change the drive
slave, it does not access the correct HDD for it's registery info.
The correct way to install windows on two HDD's (according to M$) is:
1) Install windows onto the first HDD as normal, preferably with a format.
If drive letters other than C exist the second installation may take an
installation (boot drive other than D:)
2) When finished installing windows you create an installation partition
on the second HDD (preferably with a format) and install onto that
partition. Windows creates a boot menu to select which version of windows
to run, both are labeled Windows XP at this stage this can be changed
later.
3) Test to see if both installation work at this stage before major
installations and customisation. Then if you want to re-name the boot
menu's it's in properties for "My Computer", advanced tab, boot options,
"edit" edits the Boot.ini file on the C Drive, MAKE A BACKUP of this file
before making changes.
One installation runs from the C Drive, and is labeled as normal, one also
runs from the D Drive, and while you can still access the C Drive, any
changes to the C Drive effect the other installation. Applications and
User settings/documents have to be set-up on both installations.
You cannot change the boot drive letter of the D Drive without preventing
it from working, but it's possible to remove or re-map the C Drive to
another option, to prevent it from being accidentally damaged. Also if
your running Windows XP Pro you can use Encryption to prevent access to
private files on the other partition, if user profiles are marked as
Private under XP Home, any admin account on the other installation will
have FULL access to them without regard.
As to license issues - in the past MS have allowed two installations on
the same PC since only one can be running at the same time. and activation
should'nt be a major problem, the system hardware has'nt changed - so it's
just the same as a re-install of the same OS.
I have two harddrives and I have installed windows xp sp2 on both of them
with the one unplugged during installation. So now I have two bootable
harddrives.
I need to use a boot manager to select my os. Powerquest Bootmagic
doesn't
seem to work. I can set it up but it locks up as soon as I select XP on
the
secondary disk.
How can I go about getting this to work. I did modify the boot.ini file
on
the secondary disk to point to the correct partition.
I also tried creating a small partition on the primary disc with ntldr,
ntdetect.com and boot.ini. I then modified boot.ini to point to the
secondary disk (just the way windows does it when you install two XP's on
two disks) but it also didn't work. I would like to stick with this idea.
What other files do I need to place on this partition to make it
bootable?
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Ken Maltby
Guest
|
| Posted:
Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:06 am Post subject:
Re: how to make an empty partition bootable |
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|
"pil" <pil@webmail.co.za> wrote in message
news:_MOdndUGbo-HyPPeRVn-tw@is.co.za...
| Quote: | I have two harddrives and I have installed windows xp sp2 on both of them
with the one unplugged during installation. So now I have two bootable
harddrives.
I need to use a boot manager to select my os. Powerquest Bootmagic doesn't
seem to work. I can set it up but it locks up as soon as I select XP on
the
secondary disk.
How can I go about getting this to work. I did modify the boot.ini file on
the secondary disk to point to the correct partition.
I also tried creating a small partition on the primary disc with ntldr,
ntdetect.com and boot.ini. I then modified boot.ini to point to the
secondary disk (just the way windows does it when you install two XP's on
two disks) but it also didn't work. I would like to stick with this idea.
What other files do I need to place on this partition to make it bootable?
|
You might consider using removable drive enclosures.
Luck;
Ken |
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