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Dual Boot Two Hard drives

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Name: placster
Date: October 11, 2002 at 07:22:46 Pacific
OS: Window2000
CPU/Ram: Pentium3/256
Comment:

I have Windows2000 installed on my computer. I took out the hard drive and installed Windows2000 Server on the other hard drive. I replaced the hard drive so now I have two in the system. They are cable select. When I start my computer it doesn't ask me which one I want to go to instead it just loads up Windows 2000. What do I need to do?



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Response Number 1
Name: dude
Date: October 11, 2002 at 08:44:12 Pacific
Reply:

To setup dual boot, you don't need to be swapping hard drives in and out. Just setup the first drive as master and the second drive as slave. Normally, dual boot is automaticallys setup when you install the second OS, but you didn't do it right so you will need to edit the boot.ini file to show the second hard drive or reinstall the second system.

To edit the file, go to Start/Run/notepad c:boot.ini to look something like this....

[boot loader]
timeout=15
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
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Server" /fastdetect


If that doesn't work, you may as well just do a reinstall.


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Response Number 2
Name: placster
Date: October 11, 2002 at 09:09:30 Pacific
Reply:

I have them set up as cable select. So it has it as the slave. Is that Okay? and I don't mind about reinstalling the Server so can I just throw the disc in the cdrom and start the computer and just tell it to load on the slave hard drive and after I do that will it then prompt me about dual boot?


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Response Number 3
Name: dude
Date: October 11, 2002 at 09:22:59 Pacific
Reply:

If you aren't sure if the dual boot will setup properly, go into the first system and go to Start/Run/ntbackup to make an Emergency Repair Disk.

That way, when you install the second OS, if the dual boot is not detected, run a repair install of the first system using the ERD. That will setup dual boot.

To start the install of the second OS, just insert the cdrom and start the install. Be sure to select CLEAN INSTALL(not upgrade) and install it to the second hard drive.


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Response Number 4
Name: trvlr
Date: October 11, 2002 at 10:39:43 Pacific
Reply:

Leave drives as cable select (ensuring both drive jumpers are correctly set to cable-select) and run W2K setup (CD boot/4 floppies route - whichever); choose the Repair option . Allow it inspect/verify/repair boot/start-up files.

This process will automatically detect the OS on the second drive (whichever W2K it is), add it to the boot.ini and thus complete the dual-boot.

Make/renew ERD once all OK; keep current/safe.


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Response Number 5
Name: Josh
Date: November 13, 2002 at 18:15:30 Pacific
Reply:

i have a problem maybe u can help. i got cable internet so i have been downloadin tons. i hvae a 19gb hard drive. it is al full. i have an extra 15gb hard drive. when i put both in it will not let me load the 19gb hard drive first what canj i do so i can do this


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Response Number 6
Name: caff_addict
Date: November 13, 2002 at 20:51:06 Pacific
Reply:

it sounds to me like you just have the drives setup wrong. Make sure that the 19gb drive is the master and the 15 gb is the slave (check the jumpers) If this is the case already, run fdisk, but be EXTREMELY CAREFUL!! using fdisk, make sure that there is an active partition to boot from (you may have only one partition). Hope that helps


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