# Dual Booting Windows XP and Ubuntu on two separate drives



## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Hello, everyone. It's me again. (It's been awhile!)

Well, I ma finally in a Linux class at the college, and I'm loving every minute of it.

I guess I'll just start off by explaining my current situation: I have tried to dual boot Linux and Windows XP on the same drive (before knowing what I do now...which is still not enough information for me...) and I was very unsuccessful...had to reformat/reinstall Windows XP. I decided that I would be better off purchasing a second drive and having Windows XP on one drive and Ubuntu on the other.

My new HDD has not yet arrived (I am expecting it before the week is ended), but here are the basic specs of both drives:

Current drive--Seagate 80GB HDD containing Windows XP Professional
New Drive--Maxtor 250GB drive (got a great deal on this one...only $59 after rebates!)

The following is what I want to do:
1. Make a clone of the Windows XP drive onto the new 250GB drive which will be set as the primary master drive.
2. Use the 80GB drive as the Linux (Ubuntu) drive, thus completely removing Windows XP from the 80GB drive completely.
3. (This is where you guys come in...haha...) configure the most appropriate boot loader to dual boot the operating systems on each drive.

Any ideas/suggestions? I'm looking forward to getting this all set up. I know that first I must (after cloning the Windows XP drive) test the 250GB drive to verify that it works correctly before installing Ubuntu on the 80GB drive...My only issue is which boot loader should I use? I've learned in class how to configure GRUB. Would this be a decent candidate? And if so, it is possible to create a GRUB boot floppy in case of failures, correct? Or would it be better to use boot.ini?

Sorry for all of the questions. Thanks very much in advance for any and all help provided.

Take care.


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## DVOM (Jun 21, 2002)

Couple of suggestions: (or "how i would do it")

After you clone the 80G to the 250G, what you'll have is 2 primary active partitions with identical OS's on them. Don't boot to windows with this config. Everytime I've tried it I've had to redo it.

First after the cloning> shut down, take out the 80G, reposition/ rejumper the 250G as master then boot windows. Once you've verified this works then:

Install the 80G as slave or by itself (safer by itself) and delete the partition/s on it. Linux likes unallocated space for the install.

Then set the 80G as slave to the 250G and install linux. As for "configuring" lilo or grub, when I recently (2 days ago) installed Mepis it asked if I wanted grub y/n. Then if I wanted it on hda in the MBR (master boot record on the windows partition) or hdc (the mepis partition). In my experience it doesn't work unless installed in MBR on hda. 

After the initial install, you can adjust default OS and how long the delay when booting as root.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

Just to add to what DVOM wrote,

Note of caution: I've never owned or even used WinXP so I can't give you the "fine points" of dual booting two hard drives. But I know XP can do it WITHOUT any "third party" [Partition Magic, etc...] software.

What I will suggest, is after you have WinXP on the 250 gig HD, set that drive as "master" and pull the power plug [4 wire plug] from the Seagate drive. This will prevent the Seagate drive from "even running" while you "fine tune" the NEW WinXP installation.
Your computer will still be WinXP only, BUT using the 250 gig drive.

Next go to the Seagate web site, and download what ever disks they have for setting up/repairing their drives. I don't use Seagate, but Maxtor has "Max-Blaster" and Western Digital has "Data-Guard" for this purpose. Seagate should have the same.

With the "Seagate disk" you should be able to clean of just about "anything" from that 80 gig drive and it will be ready for a Linux installation.

Actually, "I'm sure" as one of the installation steps Ubuntu has an option to "use entire disk" this will also clear off the 80 gig drive.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks for the replies.

I had something along those lines in mind, but I didn't have it laid out as well as the both of you have shown me.

I guess the only thing I need to know now is if the grub.conf file will automatically generate an entry for Windows XP or if I have to manually place the entry in?

Hopefully I will have this up and running by the end of the week. If I don't get a chance to come back to see further replies, I will come back and let you know how it turns out. I don't think that it will be too difficult, but I just needed a bit of guidance in the right direction.

Thanks again.

PS: Would it be a good idea to make a floppy disk with the boot files for Windows XP just in case of any problems, or does boot.ini become overwritten with the GRUB bootloader?


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

InterKnight,

Here is just one of the Seagate downloads.

http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/drivers/discwiz.html

There is also a diagnostic disk. And if you have a floppy drive it is ALWAYS good to have a boot floppy. I can link you to that if you need it.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

I'd greatly appreciate that, Old Bob.

I read in one of my tech books that all I need is a floppy containing a valid Ntldr, Ntdetect, and boot.ini file to boot into Windows XP if there is ever a corrupted boot loader file. I could just make one of those disks once XP is converted over to the 250GB drive and go from there.


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## DVOM (Jun 21, 2002)

InterKnight said:


> I guess the only thing I need to know now is if the grub.conf file will automatically generate an entry for Windows XP or if I have to manually place the entry in?


If it doesn't generate and entry for XP then download another distro. In "this day and age" there's no excuse for that deficiency.

With Mepis 3.4.3 it set up my XP install and itself automatically. I had to adjust that XP be default rather that mepis.

I did have to manually place the entry for my install of windowsME on the 2nd partition on the primary HDD.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

InterKnight,

There are what are called "Linus Rescue/Repair" CDs.

http://www.edmunds-enterprises.com/linux/modules/cart/index.php/ba/plst/category/24

This is just one example.

http://www.edmunds-enterprises.com/linux/modules/cart/index.php/ba/pdtl/product/255

Actually the "Boot Disk" that you can make during distro installation, will do similar fixes.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks for the help. The HDD is now in my area now (was shipped from California) and will be here (most likely) tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed. The anticipation is unbearable...haha I'll post back when I get everything up and running.

Thanks again for all of the help.

Take care.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

Just my 2 cents

(1) I would make a Grub bootable floppy, from a Live CD, with which I can boot up "manually" any PC system including any Dos, Windows, Xp, Linux, BSD and Solaris. This enables me to boot up any Windows or Linux without an installed boot loader in the hard disk. The 250GB disk tells me the user hasn't got a laptop but if he hasn't got a floppy drive just make a Grub bootable CD to do the same thing.

(2) I would use a Linux Live CD and in terminal mode to clone the entire Windows disk (say its hda) into the new 250Gb new disk (say if it is sda for Sata) with one command

```
dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/sda bs=32768
```
 I will make doubly sure that my input device is hda before issuing the above command, using the "cfdisk-l" to check the drive designations first.

(3) I would select a booting method most suitable (or easiest) to my need.

For (1) Last link of my signature refers

For (2) 1st link of my signature refers

For (3) 2nd link of my signature refers


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Just wanted to write and update...

The 250GB drive arrived Saturday. I installed it and cloned Windows to it via MaxBlast 4.

I tried to install Ubuntu on the second drive (80GB Seagate primary slave), but to no avail. What I am going to do a bit later is to unplug the Windows XP drive and set the Seagate as master, then attempt to install Ubuntu. Hopefully this will solve the problem as I have heard from friends who have had a problem in installing Ubuntu on a slave drive with a master containing Windows XP)...so I will write back pertaining to the results as soon as I can.

This was my first time working inside of my PC, so it was a bit frightening for me as this is the only PC I have now...but I did it successfully so far. (Otherwise I wouldnt' be able to post here...haha)

Take care, everyone. Thanks for all of the help.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

InterKnight,

The one caution -- STATIC ELECTRICITY !!!!

ASSUMING THE COMPUTER IS UNPLUGGED !!!

When you open the computer case - FIRST THING - touch the interior of the case, the silver box housing the power supply is a "good" spot.
And as you work keep touching "time-to-time"

You should have no static electricity "problems".


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

No worries, Old Bob. 

For the past two quarters I've been taking A+ Certification Preparation courses at the college. At the beginning of last quarter I didnt' even know really how to open up a PC case (granted I knew and do know how to work with the software). I was scared to death to work inside of the things because of my poor vision. It's amazing, though, that now I can do the things I've wanted to do for nearly 10 years. I'm just glad I can do these things on my own now for a change.

Thanks for the warning, though.

Still haven't gotten to try to install Ubuntu, but I've read in a lot of cases that its' best to just disable the Windows XP drive completely and set the drive to have Linux installed as the master and go from there. We'll see how it goes.

Take care and thanks again.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

No need to open up the case.

Just tell the Bios to boot from the slave first and so it becomes the first boot disk.

Install Ubuntu on it. Make sure it work to your satisfaction. Ubuntu should automatically dual boot your Windows but may not know that it was originally insalled in a master disk so just make sure the two red lines are in Ubuntu's /boot/grub/menu.lst. The Windows will boot with the following lines inside menu.lst

```
title My WIndows original installed in hd0 but now in hd1
root (hd1,0)
[color=red]map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)[/color]
chainloader +1
```
The two red statements above switch the Windows disk back to the first boot disk "temporarily" whenever you opt for Windows.

You can leave the slave as the first boot disk permanently.

In Linux we can play tones with the hard disks to have as many MS systems as you wish installed inside them.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

I just wanted to post back an update...I am writing this message from Ubuntu...It's up and running! Thanks for all of the help, everyone.

Now...where do I get one of those Registered Linux numbers? (haha) 

Thanks much for the help, everyone.

Take care.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Well...things didn't work out as I had originally planned...but it's fixed now.

I learned some very valuable lessons on this installation today that may be of some help to others.

NOTE: I'm not sure if this applies to all flavors of Linux, but this was my experience with Ubuntu.

If you have a Primary Master/Slave configuration (determined by the jumpers on the drives) Ubuntu seems to come up with installation errors. As to why...I do not know.

I tried setting the drive with Ubuntu to be installed as the Master and install, but the process for getting a dual boot to work under these circumstances was quite frustrating...As a matter of fact, I could not get it to work at all.

What I did next was I set the drive for Ubuntu to be installed on in the Cable select mode. I do not know why, but it installed perfectly without a problem. Upon rebooting after the install, I received a GRUB error 21.

A Google search resulted in a posting by someone who said that his way of solving the problem was through turning on the drive (the slave in my case) in the BIOS as it is set to the OFF setting by default. Activating the drive solved the problem completely.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all of the help and support everyone. I'm going to mark this thread as solved and go and start working with Linux!

Take care.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

Just some basics

(1) When both hard disks are set to "cable select" the unit at the end of the IDE cable is automatically regarded as the master and the one hooked to the middle plug is the slave.

(2) Linux call the master hda and the slave hbb for the primary IDE cable. Similarly hdc and hdd are reserved for the second or secondary cable. Any of the hda to hdd designations can be assigned to a CD drive if one is hooked up. Therefore knowing the hard disk designation will confirm the hardware connection.

(3) The standard boot loader for Ubuntu is Grub. Grub uses its own hard disk designation of hd0, hd1 etc. The first bootable disk is hd0 but it can come from any of the hda to hdd.

(4) Master and slave is only used on a hardware level and do not feature in any operating system. Linux always refers them as hda and hdb or hdc and hdd.

(5) In booting the Bios always start to search for a boot loader from the first boot disk. When one isn't found it tries the next disk on the booting queue and so on.

If you have made the slave to boot first you would have installed Ubuntu in hdb and it will be known as hd0 to Grub, which always counts from 0.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

InterKnight,

You're Welcome !!


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## sjpritch25 (Sep 8, 2005)

Since your a Ubuntu newbie. i recommend installing this program. Its basically installs all a bunch of stuff for you. Here are some of things it installs; Java runtime, Mozilla firefox 1.5.0.3, Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5.0.2, Firestarte Firewall, Nitivdea Video card drivers, bunch a media players, audio codecs, much more. While installing it will give a list and you can choose what to install. Here is the link for intructions Automatix

Playing .wmv files can be tricky and i found the only media player to work for me was totem. Some say mplayer is good, however, i couldn't fix the choppy sound. Hope this helps and good luck with Ubuntu.


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