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Dual boot XP64 & XP32 (Already installed)

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Hi,

My situation is this, I have XP64 on my C Drive and I have a fresh install of XP32 on my D: Drive (Which is a physically different drive). All I want to do is to be able to dual boot into either at startup. The reason I have re-installed XP32 is because I have an Audio workstation and sorry to say it but the Software just hasn’t caught up yet completely. so I need 32 bit windows.

This is really bugging me now. I’ve tried modifying the boot.ini file as I was told this was the best and easiest way to sort this out. I have unplugged the SATA cables from the other drive and booted directly to the installation of both. When I modified the boot.ini file of the XP32, I added the follwing line at the end of the file: J:\ “Windows XP Professional 64”, rebooted and the choice of the two appeared. I selected the XP 64 and it just rebooted the machine. The other way around, I added the following line to the XP64 boot.ini file: “D:\ “Windows XP Professional”, and then rebooted. Got the boot menu, selected XP Professional (32) and I got the following error “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt.” Yet when I take out the cable from the XP64 and just boot to the XP32 Drive (D:\) it boots up fine.

I really do not understand what is happening here, so would really appreciate some help with this.

Thanks

Paul

Topic

Clarifications

In reply to Dual boot XP64 & XP32 (Already installed)

Clarifications

Use this as an example

In reply to Dual boot XP64 & XP32 (Already installed)

If you want to boot to XP Pro as the default Operating System, modify your boot.ini to these settings which are explained later.

[Boot Loader]

Timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /noexecute=optin /fastdetect


multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Windows Server 2003, Standard” /fastdetect

The first hard drive is represented by multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

Your second hard drive with XP Pro is represented by default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS


If you want to change the default drive to the Server change default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

rdisk(0) is your Primary Hard Drive.

rdisk(1) is your Secondary Hard Drive.

partition(1) represents the Boot Partition on the Drive.

Keep us informed as to your progress if you require further assistance.

If you think that any of the posts that have been made by all TR Members, have solved or contributed to solving the problem, please Mark them as Helpful so that others may benefit from the outcome. 😉 😀

This error message now

In reply to Dual boot XP64 & XP32 (Already installed)

Hi Jacky

I edited the boot.ini on the XP32 install as you stated before, but am now getting a different error, when I reboot. It gives me the choice of the 2 operating systems, but I get this error, when I select the 64 bit install: Windows couldn’t start because the following file is missing or corrupt:- WINDOWS ROOT>\SYSTEM32\HAL.DLL

Also how do I know what the 2nd OS’s name is, is it what I choose it to be or would it default to WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL 64?

This is really so annoying, because if I boot from either drive windows boots up fine. But if I try to boot to the “other” OS, it gives me errors.

Nitemare!

Thanks

Paul

You

In reply to This error message now

said that the 64 was the original drive. That is the boot.ini that you should be modifying. WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL 64 and WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL 32 will distinguish it for you. rdisk(0)will be WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL 64 and rdisk(1) will be WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL 32.

Keep us informed as to your progress if you require further assistance.

If you think that any of the posts that have been made by all TR Members, have solved or contributed to solving the problem, please Mark them as Helpful so that others may benefit from the outcome. 😉 😀

Thanks

In reply to You

Jacky, it worked a treat after I had swapped the SATA cables over in the connectors on my MB. Basically I had had the two boot drives plugged into the Slave connectors and the data drive into the boot one! Checked my MB manual, swapped over, no errors and I now have a dual boot system, THANKYOU!!

No Problems :)

In reply to Thanks

.

Do it the easiest way

In reply to Dual boot XP64 & XP32 (Already installed)

If you still have an XP CD (either one); First put your original Boot.ini file back in place.
Boot into the Recovery Console, choose the X64
Type bootcfg /add
follow the prompts.

Edited to add, if you do not have the CD build an UBCD4Win; this will have a Recovery Console option.

Good tip

In reply to Do it the easiest way

I will keep that for future reference. I learn something new here every day. 😉

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