# Dual boot XP and XP



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

I have been reading all I could find here about dual booting. So far I don't see anything about dual booting two version of XP. I want to keep my primary hard drive the way it is for time being. I would also like to format a brand new hard drive so that I could boot to either my first hard drive with XP on it or my second hard drive with Xp on it. I looked into doing it with an external USB and the editting involved looked a tad beyond me. 
I am wondering if it would be better to remove my first hard drive while I install XP on the second hard drive and then reinstall them both , hoping windows will ask me which version I want to boot to. or if I should format the second drive from within windows and then put on the OS? Or do I for sure need a program to dual boot this way? 
Thank you so much
PS I have many identical hard drive caddies and did that for a while ( switching ) but it seemed to kill my hard drives faster ( heat I think) and /or the caddies seemed to lose their ability to connect after a while so I am hesitant to go that route.


----------



## erick295 (Mar 27, 2005)

Why are you trying to do this? Since XP supports multiple users, maybe there's a better alternative.

It's possible to install an IDE switch and keep both drives in the case, switching to the one that you want to use. They're not easy to come by, though. Here's an example:

http://www.industechnologies.com/idexpg.html


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

HI , I dont' have multiple users , just me.. well and the cats .. and I have my suspicions about them getting online while I am out I can't prove that. LOL. I don't want to wipe my first hard drive YET. I may eventually . But it is slow and nasty right now but has a lot of good stuff on it. 
I want a nice new clean system to boot to , surf the net etc. I have looked around for an IDE switch but can't seem to find one up here ( west coast of Canada) thus far. 
I was thinking of the hd caddies again but I don't like the heat problem with them even with the fans .
I just figured I would try to find out any problems with this before I tried doing it rather than after.


----------



## Tapeuup (Apr 6, 2005)

are you going to use the same version of XP for both or two separate XP versions, in other words are you using one key or two?


----------



## Scorpion (Jun 14, 2005)

Ok, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems you want to do away with the drive you have now, but not lose any data/pictures/documents/movies etc etc that are on there...???

If so, it is easy to do. You just disconnect the 'old' drive, connect the 'new' drive, and insatall XP. Once it is installed and running nicely, you can then set the 'jumper' (a little connector on the back of the drive) on the old drive to 'slave', reconnect to IDE 2, and restart the machine. Once booted, it will 'see' the old drive, and you can transfer all the data you want across to the new drive (except programs...they will need to be reinstalled).

If this is what you want to do, let us know, and someone will find a tutorial for you, or just help you through it.

Scorp.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

I am going to use the same version of XP.
I don't want to lose some of the programs on my first hard drive and I have no idea where my installation cds have gone and some of them have been damaged by aforementioned cats. I have no problem putting the first hard drive on as slave but was wondering and hoping that there might be a way I could boot to it occasionally if I so desired to use some of the programs I can't install on the second hard drive, that is without having to constantly remove them both and reset the jumpers. If it is impossible I will accept defeat in advance and not try it.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

Well since noone said it couldn't be done or that my computer would blow up if I tried.. I went ahead , formatted my new hard drive put it and the old one on cable select and found out all I have to do it change the boot order in the bios to decide which one I want to boot. So consider this one solved and I thank you all for your replies.


----------



## Tapeuup (Apr 6, 2005)

It's wasn't a matter of if it could be done but if it was legal under the EULA, having 1 OS on two harddrives may fall into the piracy category. 1 licence 1 computer, I know this was not your intention (piracy) but reading the EULA it seems iffy to me so I left this one alone .


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Negative ... The license goes with the Computer ... Not the HD your booted from.

Catlady ... There may be a way during bootup to choose which drive to boot from.
What's the Make n Model of your Puter ?

Try tapping the escape key during bootup  that works for me.

I had to install a surveillance Camera to see who's been using my Puter


----------



## renegade X (May 27, 2003)

> HI , I dont' have multiple users , just me.. well and the cats .. and I have my suspicions about them getting online while I am out I can't prove that. LOL


LMAO that is too funny.

Next time modify boot.ini


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

renegade X said:


> ...Next time modify boot.ini


Hummmm ... both my Boot.ini's in my bootable partitions (in two different drives) are Identical.

I think this is more applicable to Catlady's application.
I carry a fresh install, but fully updated, copy of XP MCE in my D: drive.
I can boot to it ... updated it and get out.
Then I can make an Acronis recovery image .. and put it in my "Caddy" for a backup.

Then ... if needed .. I can just Clone it to the C: drive.
Acronis recovery Images of each boot partition are also stored in the alternate Data partitions.
My cat's cause almost as much trouble as Bill Gate's fragil system.
I call this the M$ BG Virus.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

Hi Noyb, My computer doesn't have a make and model , I buit it myself. Motherboard is MSI 648 MAX ( MSI 6585). I am running XP pro SP2. I have a gig of ddr pc 400 ram. It has an AMI bios. Are there any other specs you need? 
http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_detail.php?UID=355&kind=1 This is a link to my mobo manual. 
Every time I build a new computer I have to move my cats out of the open tower.. but I really do think Rocky has her own email addy .. ( huge flamepoint himmy girl )... 
I am about to reboot to try that escape key thing. I am not sure what that will do but am sure willing to try. 
Alas though I can build a computer I have NO idea about editting the boot.ini... so if I really need to do that I would need some help please.
Thank you all.
Oh and PS .. had no intention of being illegal.. THIS IS only one computer. I have two others but they both have their own copies of windows.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

Hmmm escape key tried to make computer boot to hard drive 2 which is my old hard drive. It did just seem to sit there though and hang. Perhaps I should have given it longer but It was sitting and sitting and sitting.


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

On my HP Media Center …
Escaping during bootup will list my bootable drives and let me choose …. Who.
No waiting involved.
Really don't remember how I found this out … I think it's probably built into the BIOS.
I'm thinking this is something unique to my SATA equipped HP Puter/Mobo.
Both my Boot.ini(s) .. and some spare HDs not installed ... look like this….

[boot loader]
timeout=3
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

I don't think you'll have to edit the Boot.ini
Basically the only option here is which partition (of the drive this file is on) … is the Boot partition.
See the number (1) in the line 3 & 5
My drives have two partitions … The first partition (1) is the C: system boot partition.
My Partition (2)s are Data storage only.

The only time I had to Change the Boot.ini was when I removed the HP Recovery Partition which was Partition (1) … the C: partition was (2)

Since then .. All my drive buildups have been Clones from a master Drive (in a desk drawer) .. or copies from Acronis.

To change who is the default Boot drive requires changing the BIOS… like you've been doing.
If this boot choice isn't in your computer … I'm guessing you'll have to add a boot manager.

All this is a little over my head … How bout some help from a Wizard.


----------



## skikaz (May 6, 2006)

here is info from microsoft on dual boot with 2 drives

Multibooting with Windows XP: Introduction
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/multiboot.mspx

Multiple dynamic disks
If you have two or more hard disks installed in your computer, each dynamic disk can contain one installation of Windows XP Professional, or Windows 2000. No other operating systems can start from a dynamic disk. Windows XP Home Edition does not support dynamic disks.


----------



## renegade X (May 27, 2003)

Hold on! Now I am totally confused.  Who has dynamic disks in this thread? Also, are there two different issues from two different people here? 

From what I see in the boot.ini, it is incomplete. Only the one operating system is in there. You'll have to have a second option to even select.


----------



## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

To give a better answer to the original question, yes [as you have found out] it can be done. There are two methods of doing this; you have found one that is disconnect one drive while doing the install and choosing which one to boot to in the bios.

The other method would be to leave the first drive connected and install xp on the second drive. This would result in giving you a boot menu as to which one to choose. Note in this method, some files are written to the boot section of the primary disk ie ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini. If you choose to remove the primary drive, you must repair the boot sector of the remaining drive in order to have it work.

There is another option for you now so you do not have to enter the bios; you can install a third party boot manager. This will do the same thing as the xp boot menu.


----------



## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

> From what I see in the boot.ini, it is incomplete. Only the one operating system is in there. You'll have to have a second option to even select.


 This is not correct since she is choosing which drive to boot from in the bios. On multi boot systems where you do not choose the boot drive, then you would be correct.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

HI , I do not have dynamic disk on any of my drives so it isn't moi. Thank you CRJ , I think that is a definitive answer . Can anyone suggest a good boot party manager please?


----------



## renegade X (May 27, 2003)

> This is not correct since she is choosing which drive to boot from in the bios. On multi boot systems where you do not choose the boot drive, then you would be correct.


Umm there are two issues here, you are referring to the other.

Catlady, why are you even going this route? Are you planning on keeping this configuration? If so, make it easy on yourself and modify the boot.ini file.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

I may keep it though I would suspect not indefinitely. I was about to say I tend to procratinate but I do a lot of work on computers for other people. It is done for free and most often for seniors and/or people who do not have a lot of money to go to a regular shop so it keeps me pretty busy. I try NEVER to do anything I am not sure about on someone else's computer but I put in hardware and take out viruses and spyware etc. Also this is how I learn , by doing. I have learned everything so far that I know about computers by doing and reading tech support columns .. well MOSTLY this tech support column . Thank you all very much by the way. If I want to do something new and "dangerous" I do it always to one of my computers first . My dream .. and I know it is a total dream would be one day to write the A+ exam. I just LOVE computers . I think I dream , sleep and eat computers but alas I was old when I got into them so will never know what all of you know but am reading every day trying to keep up. Sorry about the tome but I guess the question triggered a WHOLE bunch of things. 
I have NEVER put in a boot manager so I guess this would be another new thing to learn.


----------



## renegade X (May 27, 2003)

Catlady, take the A+ it is very benefically if you over study.=) Also the Network+ will teach you a lot. I would not suggest any Microsoft exams unless you will be working in a domain envirnment, but the 70-270 (which I am taking next week) is very useful for what little there is in there for workgroup computers.


----------



## bigbear (Apr 27, 2004)

I use Acronis Disk director, works very well, and you can try it for free


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Just another vote for Acronis Disc Director.
I don't use it to manage Boots ... but if your playing with computers .. it can't be beat for partitioning purposes.

One shortcoming ... It wont help manage the kids.


----------



## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

Anything made by acronis will be a quality product. I use disk director quite a bit, however I have not used the boot manager function.


----------



## catlady13 (Aug 4, 2003)

Thank you so much everyone.. I am going to try Acronis Disk Director. 
I have already done some studying for the A+ course. A friend I know took it and he gave me all his notes . Odd thing about that is he passed with flying colours and whenever he wants his computer fixed he brings it to me. I am his hairdresser. He works for the phone company here fixing computers.. That always makes me laugh. 
NOTHING will ever help manage furbabies. I may have a lot to learn about computers but THAT much I know. They rule, I am just housekeeping staff. 
I don't know how long it will take to get ready to write but you quit learning you die I figure.


----------



## joker91804 (May 31, 2006)

Hi everyone, 

after reading the discussion here, I got the impression my plan would work, but I'd sleep more relaxed with a confirmation.

I am a graphics designer and use a Dell Inspiron 9300 notebook, which does not give me endless power, therefore I have to use the resources I have quite carefully. What I would like to do is the following:

My 60GB HD I'd like to partition as follows:
1) 15GB - Graphics partition
2) 10GB - Scratchdisk partition
3) 30GB - Office partition
4) 15GB - Work data partition

On the graphics and office partition I'd like to install XP, one on each partition and configure it in such a manner that my computer asks me, each time it starts, which XP version I'd like to use, the one for graphics or the one for office (number 1 or 3). The other two partitions are just for data storage, no need for an OS.

The reason I'd like to configure my notebook in such a way is that Photoshop or Illustrator just need many resources and Windows is quite inventing about starting services I don't really need. And I don't want to shut down 1001 services to work well in PS, I prefer rebooting.

So, the question is, will it work?
Do I HAVE to use something like Acronis Disk Director?

Thanks to everybody!


----------

