Dual-Boot Procedures: Add WinXP to WinXP

Introduction

You have a Windows XP Installation and you decide to add a second (or additional) copy of Windows XP in a dual (or multi) boot Configuration. However you installed them seperately and now wish to put them together in a dual (or multi) boot configuration.

Alternatively, you have a dual (or multi) boot already set up with two or more copies of Windows XP installed and as a result of re-installing one of them, you loose the ability to boot into the other/s.

The following procedure shows you how you can repair your dual (or multi) boot system.

The Step by Step Procedure

  1. Ensure that all your hard drives with your Windows XP are properly connected into you computer.

    2. If you are connecting two or more hard drives together to put together separately installed Windows XP installations into a dual (or multi) boot configurations, then pay attention to all the Master Slave jumpering and decide which one will be main OS and connect that as the master.

    If you are repairing a lost dual (or multi) boot arrangement then this item does not apply to you.

  2. Repair the WinXP installation to re-instate or to set up dual (or multi) boot.

    3. This is essentially about reconfiguring your boot.ini file to allow you to select which OS you want to boot into during start up.

    This can be done either by using the Recovery Console from the WinXP CD and running bootcfg /rebuild, or by manually the editing boot.ini file on the main active partition of the first hard drive.

    1. The Recovery Console, bootcfg /rebuild method.

      2. This will require you to boot of the WinXP CD and use the recovery option as follows:

      1. Boot up with your WinXP in your CDROM drive.

        2. Ensure that the boot order in the BIOS is set to boot from CDROM before the hard drive.

      2. The WinXP CD will run its set up routine.

        3. Setup is loading files ......... - Wait for it to complete

        NOTE:
        For those who have their hard drives located on raid channels, you will probably need to load your third party RAID drivers. When the XP CD boots up and displays the Windows XP Setup screen with the following text:

        Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver ...

        At this point you can load your RAID drivers and continue with the repair procedure.

        On completion of setup you will eventually get the following message:
        Welcome to Setup message - Press R to select Recovery Console.

      3. Press r or R to select the recovery option.

        4. You will be prompted as follows:

        [1] C:\Windows
        [2] D:\Windows

        Which Windows installation would you like to log onto
        (To cancel, press ENTER)? 1 - Select as appropriate (in this case 1).

        NOTE: If more than one is displayed (as is likely), select the one on the first hard drives active partition (i.e. C: drive).

      4. You will now be prompted to enter the administrator password as follows:

        5. Type the administrator password:
        Enter your root password if you set up one, otherwise press the ENTER key.

      5. You will now be placed in command mode in the C:\Windows directory.

        6. Use the bootcfg /rebuild option to re-build your boot.ini file. Perform the following actions:

        NOTE: This is the preferred method, as it will correctly identify your installs and add them, as directed by you, to your boot.ini with the correct ARC paths.

        • Type bootcfg /rebuild

          • The bootcfg /rebuild command scans the hard disks of the computer for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP installations, and then displays the results. You can add the detected Windows installations.

          You will receive a message that is similar to the following messages:
          Scanning all disks for Windows Installations
          Please wait, since this may take a while...

          Total Identified Windows Installs: 2

          [1] C:\Windows
          Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All): y
          Enter Load Identifier: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 1 - (or your own Custom description)
          Enter Operating System Load Options: /fastdetect

          [2] D:\Windows
          Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All): y
          Enter Load Identifier: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2 - (or your own Custom description)
          Enter Operating System Load Options: /fastdetect

        • Type exit

          • The PC will now re-boot and you should see an option of all the WinXP installs you selected to add above.

    2. The manual method - This method requires you to manually edit the existing boot.ini file. However, it does require that you have a working knowledge of the contents of the boot.ini file.

      3. Have you seen your boot.ini file? Have you wondered at what it all means ? Do you want to be able to add/delete OS options to/from the boot menu ? Do you want to be able to temporarily hide OS options so that they are not selectable ? You can read all about it here (also includes working examples of boot.ini files).

      All you ever wanted to know about boot.ini files

      If you are happy to proceed. Then edit your boot.ini as follows:

      • Remove the Read-only attribute against the boot.ini file

        • With the mouse, select the the boot.ini file, right click and select properties
        Uncheck the Attributes box indicating Read-only and click apply.

      • Open the boot.ini file for editing

        • With the mouse, select the the boot.ini file, right click and select open
        Select notepad if it does not open with notepad and asks which application to use.

        Assuming that you are editting the main boot.ini file which is in the first hard drives active partition (i.e. disk 0 partition 1), your boot.ini will look something like this:

        [boot loader]
        timeout=30
        default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
        [operating systems]
        multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

        NOTE: The /noexecute=optin will only be there if you have WinXP SP2 installed.

      • Add one line for each WinXP over and above the main one, to the bottom of the boot.ini file

        • The example below shows an entry being added for a WinXP installed in the second hard drives first partition.
        multi(0)disk(0)rdisk (1)partition (1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Proffesional Version 2" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

        Note rdisk(x) and partition(y) have to be correct for each entry that you add to the boot.ini file.

      • Save the changes once you have completed editing.

        • Change the boot.ini files attribute back to Read-only.

      • Re-boot your PC. You should now see all the options, you added, in the boot menu.

        • Ensure that you can successfully select each one in turn. Fix any errors encountered.

  3. Final note.

    4. Enjoy your dual (or multi) boot system.
© MAK 2004
End of Document