Help editing boot.ini for dual boot after both OS (2K & XP) are already istalled.

[kingz]

I've filed through the FAQ's but I still do not know how to edit the boot.ini on my system. It previously had win2k server installed, and I just added a hard drive with XP (Both OS's have NTFS) from another computer. Here is how my drives look like:

Primary IDE:
--Master (IBM 75GXP 45GB)
----C: //Win2k

Secondar IDE:
--Master (Lite-On CDRW)
----D: //CDRW
--Slave (WD800BB 80GB)
----E: //Storage
----F: //WinXP


Yeah is a weird setup, but I'll fix it later when I have time. For now I just need to boot to win2K and winXP. Here is what my current boot.ini looks like:


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server" /fastdetect


I'm sure I have to add another line below [ os ], is this correct?
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional"

im not sure what the difference between disk and rdisk is? and does partition start with 1? whats multi? Also, I've heard about problems with 2k and XP, will I run into any problems with this? Thanks for all your help.

 

[WhoDeeny]

Search M$'s knowledge base for your answers, how ever if I remember correctly you can't dual boot Win2k & WinXP

 

[woodie1]

See if this article is of any help:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q306559

 

[SemperFi]

I read an article about doing just this off of a link supplied by the windows xp newsletter a couple of months ago. I tried doing the dual boot when I first upgraded but I couldn't get it to work and gave up. I didn't feel like messing with it after I found it though. The article was written by someone who works at Microsoft. That should count for something.

I will look and see if I can find it.

Semper Fi

 

[kingz]

I've browsed through the Knowledge base at microsoft, but all the articles on there had nothing to do with OS thats already istalled. Most dealt with installing an OS after another. In my case, both OS are already installed

 

[BiJiCool]

Sure you can have a dual boot W2K/WXP


I have it on all my systems, because XP just doesn't support my sniffer software



Just beware that the boot files of both OS's are a little different, you should use those of XP, they know how to handle W2K too. (rule of thumb: always install the most recent OS last)

multi = everything except old SCSI withoud BIOS
rdisk= always 0

and partition does start from 1

 

[kursplat]

could you boot to the XP cd and select to fix the installation ? i would think it would just amend the boot.ini file it's self.
good luck

 

[DonaldC]

Have you tried to edit the boot.ini according to this M$ article?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q289022

 

[SemperFi]

I found it. Look at this. Text There is a lot of other good info there.

 

[obenton]

Bear in mind that versions of NT have startup problems if you change the drive letter to something other than what it was when NT was installed.

 

[Skippy917]

kingz,
I have a PC that came with XP Home Ed. and I installed a second drive and put XP Pro on it.
Here is what my boot.ini looks like:

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINXP="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

I did adjust the "timeout" to 15 seconds from 30 seconds.

Hope this helps if you haven't already figured it out.

 

[kingz]

I finally got it working!!

I'm using Windows 2000 boot files, but I did copy NTDETECT.COM and NTLDR to C:\, so maybe that helped. Here is how I edited the boot.ini for my config:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

rdisk refers to the physical disk, I'm still not sure what disk is. This link definately helped:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q102873

Thanks for all your help everyone.

 

[gilster]

How to dual boot on 2 hard drives where Win 2k is on the first drive and Win Me is on the 2nd.

I have a similar problem in trying to dual boot Win 2000 and Win ME on 2 separate hard drives. I tried using the same method that you used by changing the boot.ini file, BUT WIN 2000 wouldn't let me save the new version of boot.ini. It said it was a read only file. Also I found several versions of boot.ini file but only the read only file seemed to be the right one.



Here is what my boot.ini file looks like:

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

[Operating Systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

C:\="Unidentified operating system on drive D." (this is a partition on the first drive where I have Win 95 that I only use once a year)

I added this line after the C:\="Unidentified operating system on drive D.":

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows Me" /fastdetect



I also installed Boot It a share ware disk partitioning software about 6 months ago that I only used once.

What I actally did after I gave up, was just go into my Iwill KK-266 motherboard software BIOS settings and change the boot up order, and just boot up the hard drive that has Win Me first, and it works fine and only takes a minute or so.

Because I don't use the Windows Me all that often. It was the easiest solution.

Thanks for any help