Dual booting off different HDDs

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 29 Sep 2003, 16:17

Okay

I have 2 HHDs one is gonna have XP, and I want to make it my primary. Another has 98SE and I want to run it as a slave.

Can I make a boot menu to select the OS at startup?

I havent tried as yet, as I heard it cannot be done.
I don't want to install 2 OS's on one HDD. They HAVE to be on separate HDDs.

Can it be done (instuctions please!), because I have been told that the normal process of creating a boot menu wont work if the OS's are on separate HDDs...

Post by **OnlyOneKenobi** » 29 Sep 2003, 16:23

As far as I know the boot menu will work even if the OS'ses are on seperate HDD's. You'll have to install Win 98 on your C:\ drive first, then when it's done, boot off your Win XP CD and when it asks for a location install it onto the other hdd - D:\ or wherever. You should have the OS selection screen when the installation is complete, as far as I know nothing more is needed.

Edit - if it doesn't give you a OS selection menu on startup, look for a file called Boot.ini in your root directory on C:\ and edit it to include the location of your second OS, and that should do the trick. I don' t think it will be necessary though.

RuadRauFlessa · Post by **RuadRauFlessa** » 29 Sep 2003, 16:29

The catch is to install win98 first and then install XP

98 will create a boot sector on the primary disk and launch from there.
Although XP overwrites these sectors it will create a boot menu to launch your 98 system.

(Well that is how Mickysoft's documentation describes it to be and we all know how reliable that can be)

My advice would be the try-test-and-rip-apart strategy.

Try the thing you want to do
Test to see if it works
If it doesn't work -> Put a 10 pound hammer to it

SnowMonkey · Post by **SnowMonkey** » 29 Sep 2003, 16:33

Well only one is right only one copy of windows per hardrive.
To have to os, on one HDD you'd have to partion the HDD.

Load 98se first then load XP onto the partion and viola two os's on one HDD.

Hope it helps, if you need a step by step guide ask and I might write one for ye.
Cheers

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 29 Sep 2003, 16:55

Thanks for the reply guys. OnlyOne, I'll give ur suggestion a try....

jbayman · Post by **jbayman** » 30 Sep 2003, 08:43

OnlyOne's method will work - I've done it before with 98 and Win 2000.
When you've done both installations, the menu WILL come up with XP being the default one. This can be changed by booting up XP, going to My computer properties, advanced, start-up and recovery.

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 30 Sep 2003, 11:09

OnlyOne's method will work

Alrighty then!

I setup 98 last night as Primary, will setup XP tonight on the Secondary HDD and wait for the fireworks.

lancelot · Post by **lancelot** » 30 Sep 2003, 11:58

OnlyOne's correct. Funnily enough that question is answered by the good Liuz in this moths PCF! The Win 98 is the key!

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 01 Oct 2003, 09:16

OnlyOne, I set the machine up as per your instructions and its working 100%!
Thanks, man...
Thanks to all the guys who posted advice!

Post by **OnlyOneKenobi** » 01 Oct 2003, 12:40

jamin_za wrote:OnlyOne, I set the machine up as per your instructions and its working 100%!
Thanks, man...
Thanks to all the guys who posted advice!

Glad to be of assistance Jamin