Dual Boot Windows XP

[Debbie]

Hi,

My son is setting up my computer to dual boot Windows Xp
with another version of XP.

He is using Partition Magic 8 and Boot program that comes
with it.

We have 2 hard drives (75 Gb and 20GB) with the current
Windows on the 20GB.

Can anyone give any advice on the best way to do this as
he does not seem to be able to get it to work.

[RonK]

If both your hard drives have an operating system or data on them -Use
Partition Magic to create the new partition.
Set the computer bios to boot from cdrom - as first boot device.
XP will start the install and will ask you which partition to install to.

If the 75 gig has nothing on it - Boot with the cdrom and have XP install on
the 75 gig drive.
Be very carefull when selecting where to install it to so you don't lose any
data if it installs on the wrong drive or partition.
After XP installs you will have a boot menu when you start the computer. You
can select which OS to load.

"Debbie" <debbie...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:478f01c26f32$eeeea3a0$39ef2ecf@TKMSFTNGXA08...

[Debbie]

Hi,
The below is where I'm at:

Wish to have:
Mums XP
Matts XP
Matts Linux (Linux not completely set up as yet)

Current setup:
75GB (basically Matts HD)&#8211; Linux (eventually) + other stuff
20GB (basically my HD)&#8211; 4 partitions (Boot sector size
unsure(FAT32) &#8211; this is for Boot Magic, XP Pro approx 7GB
(NTFS) , 2nd XP Pro approx 10GB (NTFS) , Other Stuff size
unsure (NTFS)

75GB HD on same ribbon as CD Drive
20GB HD on ribbon by itself (think this is set as Master
but have no docs to change)

Have loaded Partition Magic 8 and done the partitions on
20GB drive, then loaded 2nd XP (1st XP is mine - and the
original OS - and I&#8217;m not letting my son reformat it at
this stage), then Boot Magic was set up (unsure exactly
what setting have been used).

When the system is rebooted the Boot Magic selection comes
up and when one of the XPs are selected it goes to the XP
log on screen but doesn&#8217;t show any log ons and then just
sits there???????

My son is now just randomly changing the settings in Boot
Magic and the set up of the HDs hoping to get it to work &#8211;
I am becoming very fearful of my files on the 1st XP (none
of which he backup up before starting this little
exercise).

I&#8217;m in desperate need of some help otherwise I&#8217;m going to
go back to a single OS and have one very unhappy 17yo on
my hands as he wants to have his own setup that he can
use the way he wants.

Can someone please help me (and make a teenager happy)

[Walter Clayton]

Your son messed up by putting a partition in front of the existing XP
partition without modifying boot.ini.

At present, the best option is to delete the fat partition on the 20G, slide
the XP partition back to fill it then add an additional arc entry in
boot.ini to point to the new target location. Once that's done, slide the
partition back up, create the new partition and go on.

And before he does anything else, take you're own backups.

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org
http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/fileversion/default.asp

"Debbie" <debbie...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

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