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Multi-Boot Win. XP Pro. (SP2)

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by sg-1

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Hi,
I want to modify the boot.ini file in Win. XP Pro. (SP2) & Win. 2000 Pro. (SP4), & the file for Linux RedHat 9 to allow multi-booting.
Win. XP (SATA), Win. 2k (IDE) & Linux 9 (IDE) are all on separate HDDs. At the moment I have to select from BIOS.
Linux 9 is not yet installed, but would like the option under the Windows Boot Menu.
Also, which is "better" LILO or GRUB?
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in Advance.

3 replies

by bcpgm

I do not believe you can combine the two HDs (Windows 2K and XP) and make them a multi-boot Windows system because each HD has its own NT boot loader.

I gather the Windows XP and 2K were installed independently in each HD by judging that you are selecting a boot HD (2K or XP) from the BIOS.
The first Windows must be present when installing the second Windows to make a dual boot system. The two Windows are to be installed with different driver letters.

Options:
1. Multiboot system with XP, 2K, and Linux. You have to clean install XP with the Windows 2K HD as the 1st boot HD then to install Linux. You will get a Startup menu from which you can choose Windows XP, 2K, or Linux. It is strongly recommended to install the latest Windows the last. The Linux is to be installed after Windows.

2. Dual boot system with Windows 2K and Linux. Make the 2K HD as the 1st boot HD in the BIOS. Install Linux in its own HD. You will get a Startup menu from which you can choose Windows 2K or Linux. If you want to boot from Windows XP, you need to make the Windows XP HD as the 1st boot HD in the BIOS.

3. Dual boot system with Windows XP and Linux. Do the same procedure as above replacing 2K with XP.

If you need more info or help, please add a comment.

by kiltie

Looks like you need some info on how to use boot.ini lilo etc to multi boot.

First link is from a Windows perspective, and explains very well all about boot.ini and what the items mean (very well imho)

http://tinyurl.com/dkuky

The second link is from a Linux perspective:

http://tinyurl.com/l779r

There are other reference web pages about, Google is your friend if you want to find out more, but I found these two the best for me, so I bookmarked them.

A couple of my systems are similar to what you are setting up, however I also found excellent help in the forums of the distros I have been testing.

The Linux community is great, everyone really goes out of their way to help us noobies :D

by kevin.kennedy

Grub seems to be able to detect any drive with an mbr and make it available for boot. In my system I have 3 separate bootable OS, one is Ubuntu64, WinXP Pro and FDOS32.. All work...

I would leave the existing windoz installations alone and make the drive with linux and grub installed the primary drive and use Grub as your only boot loader.

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