2 Hard Drives - XP Pro on 1 and Linux on the other

[MIJ-VI]

Paul1109889 Wrote:

> 2nd Base wrote:

> > My Computer came with Linux. I added another HD and installed XP. I

> would

> > like to have the option at start up. As it stands (with the case

> open) I have

> > to unplug 1 and plug the same strap into the other. Please help.

> Thank You

>

> Are you sure the BIOS doesn't have a "_pop_up_boot_menu_" ?

>

> On my motherboard, I press F11 at startup, and a small menu

> appears, listing all disks. I select the disk I want to

> boot from. The choice of boot disk, is not permanent,

> and if I don't press any keys the next time, the

> boot choice in the BIOS boot page, is what is used

> instead.

>

> Your motherboard may use a different function key for

> the pop up boot menu. Read the BIOS screen at startup.

> My BIOS tells me the available options are F2 and F11,

> where F2 gets me into the BIOS, and F11 gives the

> popup boot menu. I can press the "Pause" key, to

> stop the BIOS boot up screen long enough to read the

> options. If your BIOS uses a "full screen logo", you

> may need to disable that, to read the BIOS text.

> (Consult your motherboard manual, for how to enter

> the BIOS, and disable full screen logo.)

>

> _I_don't_use_a_boot_loader_to_manage_the_entire_computer,

> and_the_BIOS_boot_options_are_sufficient_for_my_needs.

> I_only_install_one_OS_per_disk,_as_that_makes_it_simpler

> to_manage._

>

> Paul



+1



In a three hard drive (each is partitioned differently) Ubuntu/Ubuntu

Studio 9.10 rig I too do an independent install of one OS per drive (by

powering the PC down, disconnecting the data cables of all the HD's

except the one I'm installing to, then repeating the process for the

remaining drives) in order to avoid wasting more time dealing with

broken GRUB2's.



For anyone else who may wish to explore this approach, there's a

caveat:



Twice since installing '9.10, Ubuntu's updates have included a few for

GRUB2. The first time this occurred I let the updates proceed and the

updated GRUB2 tied all the hard drives together thus defeating the

purpose of doing an independent OS install per hard drive.



Since I was setting up a new (to me) machine anyway, I reformatted the

drives and reinstalled the operating systems while making a mental note

to scrutinize each new list of updates for any future signs of an

impending GRUB2 update.



Upon eventually finding said signs, I powered down, disconnected all of

the drives except the one whose OS I wished to update, and then repeated

the routine for each of the other drives.



I realize this is not the correct way of dealing with a broken GRUB2

but I'm spoiled from my Mac days.

 

[Alias]

MIJ-VI wrote:

> Paul1109889 Wrote:

>> > 2nd Base wrote:

>>> > > My Computer came with Linux. I added another HD and installed XP. I

>> > would

>>> > > like to have the option at start up. As it stands (with the case

>> > open) I have

>>> > > to unplug 1 and plug the same strap into the other. Please help.

>> > Thank You

>> >

>> > Are you sure the BIOS doesn't have a "_pop_up_boot_menu_" ?

>> >

>> > On my motherboard, I press F11 at startup, and a small menu

>> > appears, listing all disks. I select the disk I want to

>> > boot from. The choice of boot disk, is not permanent,

>> > and if I don't press any keys the next time, the

>> > boot choice in the BIOS boot page, is what is used

>> > instead.

>> >

>> > Your motherboard may use a different function key for

>> > the pop up boot menu. Read the BIOS screen at startup.

>> > My BIOS tells me the available options are F2 and F11,

>> > where F2 gets me into the BIOS, and F11 gives the

>> > popup boot menu. I can press the "Pause" key, to

>> > stop the BIOS boot up screen long enough to read the

>> > options. If your BIOS uses a "full screen logo", you

>> > may need to disable that, to read the BIOS text.

>> > (Consult your motherboard manual, for how to enter

>> > the BIOS, and disable full screen logo.)

>> >

>> > _I_don't_use_a_boot_loader_to_manage_the_entire_computer,

>> > and_the_BIOS_boot_options_are_sufficient_for_my_needs.

>> > I_only_install_one_OS_per_disk,_as_that_makes_it_simpler

>> > to_manage._

>> >

>> > Paul

> +1

>

> In a three hard drive (each is partitioned differently) Ubuntu/Ubuntu

> Studio 9.10 rig I too do an independent install of one OS per drive (by

> powering the PC down, disconnecting the data cables of all the HD's

> except the one I'm installing to, then repeating the process for the

> remaining drives) in order to avoid wasting more time dealing with

> broken GRUB2's.

>

> For anyone else who may wish to explore this approach, there's a

> caveat:

>

> Twice since installing '9.10, Ubuntu's updates have included a few for

> GRUB2. The first time this occurred I let the updates proceed and the

> updated GRUB2 tied all the hard drives together thus defeating the

> purpose of doing an independent OS install per hard drive.

>

> Since I was setting up a new (to me) machine anyway, I reformatted the

> drives and reinstalled the operating systems while making a mental note

> to scrutinize each new list of updates for any future signs of an

> impending GRUB2 update.

>

> Upon eventually finding said signs, I powered down, disconnected all of

> the drives except the one whose OS I wished to update, and then repeated

> the routine for each of the other drives.

>

> I realize this is not the correct way of dealing with a broken GRUB2

> but I'm spoiled from my Mac days.

>

>



Are your disks SATA or PATA?



--

Alias

 

[paul_36]

On 2010-04-13, Alias wrote:

> MIJ-VI wrote:

>> Paul1109889 Wrote:

>>> > 2nd Base wrote:

>>>> > > My Computer came with Linux. I added another HD and installed XP. I

>>> > would

>>>> > > like to have the option at start up. As it stands (with the case

>>> > open) I have

>>>> > > to unplug 1 and plug the same strap into the other. Please help.

>>> > Thank You

>>> >

>>> > Are you sure the BIOS doesn't have a "_pop_up_boot_menu_" ?

>>> >

>>> > On my motherboard, I press F11 at startup, and a small menu

>>> > appears, listing all disks. I select the disk I want to

>>> > boot from. The choice of boot disk, is not permanent,

>>> > and if I don't press any keys the next time, the

>>> > boot choice in the BIOS boot page, is what is used

>>> > instead.

>>> >

>>> > Your motherboard may use a different function key for

>>> > the pop up boot menu. Read the BIOS screen at startup.

>>> > My BIOS tells me the available options are F2 and F11,

>>> > where F2 gets me into the BIOS, and F11 gives the

>>> > popup boot menu. I can press the "Pause" key, to

>>> > stop the BIOS boot up screen long enough to read the

>>> > options. If your BIOS uses a "full screen logo", you

>>> > may need to disable that, to read the BIOS text.

>>> > (Consult your motherboard manual, for how to enter

>>> > the BIOS, and disable full screen logo.)

>>> >

>>> > _I_don't_use_a_boot_loader_to_manage_the_entire_computer,

>>> > and_the_BIOS_boot_options_are_sufficient_for_my_needs.

>>> > I_only_install_one_OS_per_disk,_as_that_makes_it_simpler

>>> > to_manage._

>>> >

>>> > Paul

>> +1

>>

>> In a three hard drive (each is partitioned differently) Ubuntu/Ubuntu

>> Studio 9.10 rig I too do an independent install of one OS per drive (by

>> powering the PC down, disconnecting the data cables of all the HD's

>> except the one I'm installing to, then repeating the process for the

>> remaining drives) in order to avoid wasting more time dealing with

>> broken GRUB2's.

>>

>> For anyone else who may wish to explore this approach, there's a

>> caveat:

>>

>> Twice since installing '9.10, Ubuntu's updates have included a few for

>> GRUB2. The first time this occurred I let the updates proceed and the

>> updated GRUB2 tied all the hard drives together thus defeating the

>> purpose of doing an independent OS install per hard drive.

>>

>> Since I was setting up a new (to me) machine anyway, I reformatted the

>> drives and reinstalled the operating systems while making a mental note

>> to scrutinize each new list of updates for any future signs of an

>> impending GRUB2 update.

>>

>> Upon eventually finding said signs, I powered down, disconnected all of

>> the drives except the one whose OS I wished to update, and then repeated

>> the routine for each of the other drives.

>>

>> I realize this is not the correct way of dealing with a broken GRUB2

>> but I'm spoiled from my Mac days.

>>

>>

>

> Are your disks SATA or PATA?

>



An easier method is to use "bootpart" to configure the winxp boot.ini.

The boot-drive must have winxp installed while the 2nd drive can be

linux only works even if the linux os is 64-bit.



The other requirement is that linux must be configured to have its

boot loader/sector also installed in its root partition. Have use both lilo

& grub at different times & had suse's yast install the loader in BOTH

the mbr of the windows boot drive (c & linux's root/boot partition.



Most linux want to avoid using winxp to be available to boot linux or

have anything to do with winxp controlling the boot. I use it as a

suspenders & belt now as found that windows "fixes" also "fix" the

mbr so that linux can no longer be booted from the mbr sector.



Bootpart is a very long time freebie & may have been developed by

the windows users group.



However, it was interesting that when I did a "clean" install (without

formatting the drive) of win7 x64, the new win7 boot method did

recognize the winxp's boot.ini & I still had the option of booting

into either win7 or linux! Couldn't figure how it was done &

my win7 crashed very badly after 1 1/2 weeks before I reloaded

all that I wanted to use by win7. Will let win7 sit for another day

as the constant rebooting crash by win7 tells me to wait for the

sp1 later this year.