Hi,
I have done this before, but I forgot how! I am trying to create a dual bootable XP system. I know I can partition, and install separate copies of XP and all my programs on both partitions, and use my boot manager....pain in the ***! Currently I have a loaded partition with all my stuff, which I regularly image and restore with Drive Image no problem. The problem is...if I try to restore it to a different partition, than the one it was imaged from...it will not boot off of the second partition. It has something to do with the settings in the boot.ini file, but I just forgot what I did.
I remember doing two things.
I just copied one partition over to the other, and changed some settings in the new partition, and then I could dual boot no problem.
and/or
I just restored the image in the new partition, and changed the settings, and I could dual boot no problem.
I just don%26#039;t want to have to install XP, and all my programs all over again.
Right now I have one partition, so I will create a second one, and copy or restore the image to the second partition, but then what settings will I have to change in the ini files of the second one so it will boot up, when I select it from my boot manager? Oh yea, I know about keeping it hidden or not. I remember unhiding it when I had to edit the files, and then hiding it once it was ready for booting...
Help!!!!!!!!!!|||You will still need to use the boot.ini of the first partition as this is called when the pc starts (it%26#039;s always the one on the %26quot;active%26quot; partition).
So simply add a new line to the boot.ini on your original partition and change the value for Partition from 0 to 1. (like the example below)
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition (1)
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition (2) \WINNT=%26quot;Second XP %26quot; /fastdetect
------addition
The %26quot;active%26quot; disk has a flag set that marks it as active, also the first partition is usually the %26quot;system%26quot; partition. When the PC boots, the bios runs first. then it looks for the %26quot;active%26quot; disk and looks for a boot loader in the system partition. The boot loader is taking its options from the boot.ini file (in case of windows %26lt; XP)
If you specify your second OS in the second line of the boot.ini and select it later in the boot loader, it will then simply go to the other disk/partition and load the boot record there, meaning it loads the os on the second partition. This does not %26quot;hide%26quot; or change the active disk or system partition. It will still be visible in the second os and can be used as any other disk. Also, once you reboot your computer, it will again go to the first, %26quot;active%26quot; disk/partition and display the boot loader from there.
Hope this clears it. Otherwise, feel free to ask again ;-)|||You could always shrink the XP partition and install something else in the free space?
