dual boot Windows XP Pro and Win ME

[drunkrider]

I am currently running a dual boot of Windows XP Professional and Windows ME. I have two separate hard drives, each of which contains an OS. ME is on drive C, which is the primary master, and XP Pro is on the primary slave. Apparently, the boot partition resides on my primary master disk. I want to remove the drive with ME on it and put it in another PC I have here, but the PC will not boot with just the disk that has XP Pro on it. Does anyone know how to resolve this?

 

[linney]

Have a look at XP's Recovery Console.

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp

The Bootcfg command with the rebuild switch might work for you.


Bootcfg.........Use the bootcfg command for boot configuration and recovery (boot.ini for most computers).

The bootcfg command with the parameters listed below is only available when you are using the Recovery Console. The bootcfg command with different parameters is available from the command prompt.

Usage:

bootcfg /default
Set the default boot entry.

bootcfg /add
Add a Windows installation to the boot list.

bootcfg /rebuild
Iterate through all Windows installations and allow the user to choose which to add.

 

[linney]

This might be helpful too.

Place a blank floppy in Drive. Right click on Floppoy Drive Icon and select Format. Select "Create A MS-DOS Start up Disk". Copy ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini to floppy to boot your XP installation. These are hidden and System files (make sure options are set to see them).

How to Use System Files to Create a Boot Disk to Guard Against Being Unable to Start Windows XP (Q314079)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q314/0/79.asp

Q305595 - HOW TO: Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q305/5/95.asp

 

[wolluf]

Linney's given you some of the answer.

If you want to boot from the XP disk, you'll need to copy ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini to root of XP partition. If the disk is to be the only drive in the system you'll need to edit boot.ini too - it will probably look something like this:-

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

Will need to look something like this:-

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

Then you'll need to run fixboot x: (where x: is XP system drive as seen from recovery console) from recovery console.

hth

 

[linney]

wolluf, (or anyone else)

Perhaps you can clear up something for me. Does the Bootcfg /rebuild command only rebuild the boot.ini file or does it add ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini, allowing XP to boot.

 

[wolluf]

Linney,

Bootcfg will add entries to a boot.ini file in the 'primary' drive boot sector to boot any copies of windows that it finds on the machine. But it will not create a boot sector on a second drive (because the NT/2k/XP boot loader always works with just one boot sector on the 'primary' drive).

So, if you want to make an NT/2k/XP installation that was installed on a second drive bootable, you need to create a boot sector for it - by copying the famous ntldr etc and then running fixboot.

 

[wolluf]

PS - I don't know if bootcfg will rebuild boot sector (ie, effectively copy ntldr, ntdetect.com & create a boot.ini & do a fixboot) if the only nt/2k/xp installation is on the primary disk and there isn't one there already (like the situation here if XP disk on its own in machine). Worth trying (I'll give it a go on test machine & report back, if nobody comes back with answer earlier).

 

[linney]

Following with interest (especially as Drunkrider is talking about having one disk after removing ME drive).

 

[drunkrider]

I tried doing all the things that wolluf suggested... copying files, editing boot.ini, and running fixboot, but when I try to boot, I am still getting an error... "Disk error" and "DISK BOOT FAILURE"... it does not seem to recognize this as a bootable disk. Any other suggestions?

 

[smah]

drunkrider, did you change the jumper on the drive to master and is it detected as primary master in your bios?

 

[drunkrider]

Yes thanks smah, CMOS is recognizing the drive, and I made sure HDD 0 is the first boot option. Still, for some reason, I cannot boot from this disk.

 

[Stealer]

Did you make the xp partition active?

 

[wolluf]

bootcfg only creates a boot.ini file if none there - doesn't create boot sector/add boot sector files.

 

[drunkrider]

Stealer... by making it active... do you mean with fdisk?

 

[Stealer]

Yea, Fdisk or partition magic should do it. It may already be active, but worth a look.

 

[wolluf]

drunkrider

you have just the xp disk in the machine
so you can boot into recovery console
you have ntldr, ntdetect.com & boot.ini in the root of the XP partition.
you have run fixboot x: where x: is the xp system drive as far as recovery console is concerned (this may or may not be c.

And it doesn't boot.

So try making an XP boot floppy. Newly formatted floppy disk, copy the same 3 ntldr, ntdetect.com & boot.ini files to it and see if you can boot from that.

PS. Your XP is on partition 1 of the drive? (otherwise boot.ini is wrong).
PPS. This is a primary partition?

 

[Stealer]

Hi,

I have a VERY similar problem that I am trying to work out. I am starting a new thread here called "No more dual boot".

Thanks
Stealer

 

[drunkrider]

Woluff... booting from the floppy did work. That's the way I'm doing it at present. There is only one hard drive in the machine, and only one partition on it.

 

[wolluf]

drunkrider,

if booting from floppy works, so should booting from the hard drive. Suggest going throught the steps again. Ie boot into recovery console and:-

Copy ntdetect.com, ntldr & boot.ini from flopy to root of hard drive (overwrite existing).
Run fixboot x: (where x: is the xp partition drive letter as seen from recovery console).
Just for good measure, run fixmbr also (won't do any harm - just writes a standard windows master boot record - which is what you should have any way, but...).

exit, and try booting from hard drive.