XP dual boot mess - PLEASE HELP

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Guys,

Trying to be clever here and in real problems.

I have a laptop with one disk (80Gb) that I wish to use for two
purposes - client presentations and my own use. The former requires a
very stable environment to demo latest releases of code so I decided to
have two installations of XP sp1 - one for "sales" and one for "me".

Using PM I created partitions (actually 3) and loaded XP and all the
software I wanted into the first - "sales". I then ghost-ed this to
the third partition.

I then installed XP into the second using PM to give me access to this
partition.

Finally I went for BootMagic, got the install in a mess and ended up
with a partially installed BM that I cannot uninstall.

My partition information looks like this:

===========================================================================================================
Partition Information for Disk 1: 76,316.6 Megabytes
Volume PartType Status Size MB PartSect # StartSect
TotalSects
===========================================================================================================
Unallocated Pri 7.8 None -- 63
16,002
ExtendedX Pri 25,595.7 0 0 16,065
52,420,095
EPBR Log 25,595.7 None -- 16,065
52,420,095
E: NTFS Log 25,595.7 16,065 0 16,128
52,420,032
C: NTFS Pri,Boot 29,996.4 0 1 52,436,160
61,432,560
Hidden NTFS Pri 20,669.6 0 2 113,868,720
42,331,275
Unallocated Pri 47.1 None -- 156,199,995
96,390


E: is the drive which I can boot into fine and from where I am writing
this message.

C: contains the "sales" XP installation.

The other 20Gb partition is the ghost one.

As you can see I have a mixture of logical and physical partitions.

I have tried setting up a boot.ini with all the partitions but all
apart from (4) give me an error saying a windows file could not be
found.

Is there anyway to rescue this so that I can have dual boot?

If not, I am willing to delete sales (I know I have a ghost image that
works!) and recreate it in any way that means I can get to where I want
to be.

What worries me is the XP that is working seems to be in a logical
partition - does this cause a problem.

Also, I don't know what the unallocated space at the beginning of the
disk is.

I do hope someone can help - after two days of set up .... well you
understand!

Many thanks

Graham

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

sorry dude make it abit clear, so you want make you'r laptop a duel boot,
yeah?
and you want recover your partition ?

"Graham Parsons" wrote:

> Guys,
>
> Trying to be clever here and in real problems.
>
> I have a laptop with one disk (80Gb) that I wish to use for two
> purposes - client presentations and my own use. The former requires a
> very stable environment to demo latest releases of code so I decided to
> have two installations of XP sp1 - one for "sales" and one for "me".
>
> Using PM I created partitions (actually 3) and loaded XP and all the
> software I wanted into the first - "sales". I then ghost-ed this to
> the third partition.
>
> I then installed XP into the second using PM to give me access to this
> partition.
>
> Finally I went for BootMagic, got the install in a mess and ended up
> with a partially installed BM that I cannot uninstall.
>
> My partition information looks like this:
>
> ===========================================================================================================
> Partition Information for Disk 1: 76,316.6 Megabytes
> Volume PartType Status Size MB PartSect # StartSect
> TotalSects
> ===========================================================================================================
> Unallocated Pri 7.8 None -- 63
> 16,002
> ExtendedX Pri 25,595.7 0 0 16,065
> 52,420,095
> EPBR Log 25,595.7 None -- 16,065
> 52,420,095
> E: NTFS Log 25,595.7 16,065 0 16,128
> 52,420,032
> C: NTFS Pri,Boot 29,996.4 0 1 52,436,160
> 61,432,560
> Hidden NTFS Pri 20,669.6 0 2 113,868,720
> 42,331,275
> Unallocated Pri 47.1 None -- 156,199,995
> 96,390
>
>
> E: is the drive which I can boot into fine and from where I am writing
> this message.
>
> C: contains the "sales" XP installation.
>
> The other 20Gb partition is the ghost one.
>
> As you can see I have a mixture of logical and physical partitions.
>
> I have tried setting up a boot.ini with all the partitions but all
> apart from (4) give me an error saying a windows file could not be
> found.
>
> Is there anyway to rescue this so that I can have dual boot?
>
> If not, I am willing to delete sales (I know I have a ghost image that
> works!) and recreate it in any way that means I can get to where I want
> to be.
>
> What worries me is the XP that is working seems to be in a logical
> partition - does this cause a problem.
>
> Also, I don't know what the unallocated space at the beginning of the
> disk is.
>
> I do hope someone can help - after two days of set up .... well you
> understand!
>
> Many thanks
>
> Graham
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Err ... nope!

What I want IS:

1) dual boot
2) the ability to select which partition to boot into when the machine
starts

It's the fact I can't see the "sales" partition at present that is
causing me the concern.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Ok dude, thats more like it.

1. just install windows as normal but if you are installing another windows
on the same partition then change the file name i.e: c:\windows to somthing
else c:\windows1 or somthing like

if not if the partition is different select another one and install it
there. this also applies to other OS.

2. if you want to change to the order of booting the system for windows you
will have to do this

control panel> system properties
go to the Advanced tab then you'll see startup and
recovery click on that. you will see the "System Startup" you chose which
windows OS you want to boot first in order and change the up time. here you
can also edit .ini file so cilck on the edit button this takes you booter
file( DOnt have to unless you know what you are doing)

the main command lines you may be looking at are

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

for exmaple, here you can chage the partition or if you dont the name the
windows xp you can put anything you like there. after that save the file for
the changes to take place.

i hope that answers your question

"Graham Parsons" wrote:

> Err ... nope!
>
> What I want IS:
>
> 1) dual boot
> 2) the ability to select which partition to boot into when the machine
> starts
>
> It's the fact I can't see the "sales" partition at present that is
> causing me the concern.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

oh yeah one more thing windows only use FAT32 or NFTS ( better hence you
get less problems), so any other partitions that you have whcih are not in
these partition formats you have to get rid of them for windows to see it in
OS.

"Graham Parsons" wrote:

> Err ... nope!
>
> What I want IS:
>
> 1) dual boot
> 2) the ability to select which partition to boot into when the machine
> starts
>
> It's the fact I can't see the "sales" partition at present that is
> causing me the concern.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

By having the clone on the same HD may have screwed you up.
Normally, with the clone on another HD, you have to boot the
clone up for its first time with the "parent" OS invisible to it. This
can most easily be done by disconnecting the HD containing the
"parent" OS. Thereafter, the clone can boot up with its "parent"
visible with no problems, and files can even be dragged 'n dropped
between them - the other OS is merely seen as a file structure
(a "Local Disk" in Disk Management's terminology) by the running
OS. But if the clone sees its "parent" when it boots for its 1st time,
some of its files somehow are set as shortcuts to its "parent's"
files, and it forever more depends on the presence of its "parent"
to access files named in its file table. The "parent" remains OK,
but the clone is essentially hosed.

But when you put the clone on the same HD, it's harder to make
the "parent" invisible. You *might* be able to do that with Partition
Magic by setting the "parent" partition to "hide" immediately after
making the clone and after assuring that the clone's partition is
set "active" (may not be necessary if the system sees only 1
partition, but do it to be safe). Then the next boot of the HD will
boot up the clone in apparent isolation. Of course, if the clone
does not function, un-hiding the "parent" partition becomes difficult.
Report back on this operation if you do it, please.

*TimDaniels*


"Graham Parsons" wrote:
> Guys,
>
> Trying to be clever here and in real problems.
>
> I have a laptop with one disk (80Gb) that I wish to use for two
> purposes - client presentations and my own use. The former requires a
> very stable environment to demo latest releases of code so I decided to
> have two installations of XP sp1 - one for "sales" and one for "me".
>
> Using PM I created partitions (actually 3) and loaded XP and all the
> software I wanted into the first - "sales". I then ghost-ed this to
> the third partition.
>
> I then installed XP into the second using PM to give me access to this
> partition.
>
> Finally I went for BootMagic, got the install in a mess and ended up
> with a partially installed BM that I cannot uninstall.
>
> My partition information looks like this:
>
> ===========================================================================================================
> Partition Information for Disk 1: 76,316.6 Megabytes
> Volume PartType Status Size MB PartSect # StartSect
> TotalSects
> ===========================================================================================================
> Unallocated Pri 7.8 None -- 63
> 16,002
> ExtendedX Pri 25,595.7 0 0 16,065
> 52,420,095
> EPBR Log 25,595.7 None -- 16,065
> 52,420,095
> E: NTFS Log 25,595.7 16,065 0 16,128
> 52,420,032
> C: NTFS Pri,Boot 29,996.4 0 1 52,436,160
> 61,432,560
> Hidden NTFS Pri 20,669.6 0 2 113,868,720
> 42,331,275
> Unallocated Pri 47.1 None -- 156,199,995
> 96,390
>
>
> E: is the drive which I can boot into fine and from where I am writing
> this message.
>
> C: contains the "sales" XP installation.
>
> The other 20Gb partition is the ghost one.
>
> As you can see I have a mixture of logical and physical partitions.
>
> I have tried setting up a boot.ini with all the partitions but all
> apart from (4) give me an error saying a windows file could not be
> found.
>
> Is there anyway to rescue this so that I can have dual boot?
>
> If not, I am willing to delete sales (I know I have a ghost image that
> works!) and recreate it in any way that means I can get to where I want
> to be.
>
> What worries me is the XP that is working seems to be in a logical
> partition - does this cause a problem.
>
> Also, I don't know what the unallocated space at the beginning of the
> disk is.
>
> I do hope someone can help - after two days of set up .... well you
> understand!
>
> Many thanks
>
> Graham
>