Dual boot system, failing..how to boot from 2nd hdisk?

[Mickymoody]

I used Windows ME for ages, before getting a larger 2nd hdisk, and installed XP Pro on it, so setup a dual boot system. Now the origional hdisk seems to be failing, and if it won't boot neither will my XP hdisk.

So how to setup my 2nd boot device, as the primary? ie D: drive to boot XP, and ignore ME on C: even though it's dual boot with C:

C: = FAT32, D=NTFS, E = FAT32.

If C: fails, and it is, then can I access D, and E? (2nd hdisk partitioned equally).

Can't select D: drive as first boot device, as the drive isn't selected as the 1st boot device,.the comp boot from C:...and that's broken.

 

[Activ8]

Try changing them physically in the computer. On the back of a lot of the older ide drives, there are jumpers which let you choose the Master and Slave drive. If it is a newer sata drive then that is down to the system board, but going off the ME and Xp operating system I think they are IDE drives.
Also you can change the boot sequence in the computers Bios settings...


Dave

 

[Mickymoody]

Try changing them physically in the computer. On the back of a lot of the older ide drives, there are jumpers which let you choose the Master and Slave drive. If it is a newer sata drive then that is down to the system board, but going off the ME and Xp operating system I think they are IDE drives.
Also you can change the boot sequence in the computers Bios settings...


Dave

I know where you are coming from, (you're not Dave from another forum are you Dave?), they are IDE disks, the thing is, the MBR is setup on C: and I need to change that to D: so if I alter bootup, it won't in theory, see the drive as a bootable disk. Even altering the strapping, it won't boot, as it has no MBR. I've got the data from C backed upto D, but just need some boot method..plus the fact that one is FAT32, and one is NTFS..

It's also lastminute work, as I don't want to break anything and screw it up, before it actually breaks. My other halfs compy also has trouble booting, but gives the option of last known good config...something to do with the weather perhaps?

2 days ago it failed, yesterday it tried to boot from network card (???) I think, today booted fine. both. Reset or reboot cured both; no SMART issue, no hdisk errors in virus scans, or defrag. The fans aren't running excessively, they usually do in hot weather, as the video is overclocked.

*edit - the network card isn't an option in the bios to boot from, so do not understand why it would try that - naughty girl!

 

[Monkeh]

Boot the machine from the XP CD in recovery mode, and use fixmbr.

As for the other machine, could be a bad power supply. The heat would cause the symptoms, but not the fault.

 

[Mickymoody]

If I boot XP disk, it won't work if I run fixmbr, as it's trying to fix FAT32, not NTFS..

If I ran the equivalant, while it works? Is that also called fixmbr? and do I run it from XP or ME?

Can't I just make the compy boot from D: (XP), single boot, rather than dual boot?

 

[Monkeh]

If I boot XP disk, it won't work if I run fixmbr, as it's trying to fix FAT32, not NTFS..

Filesystem has nothing to with it. Remove the old HDD first, leave only the drive you wish to boot.

Can't I just make the compy boot from D: (XP), single boot, rather than dual
boot?

That's the idea of running fixmbr.

 

[Mickymoody]

How do I run fixmbr, if the compy dont boot? ATM it does, so run it now? but evil compy is being bad. boots one day, but stutters the next...If I run fixmbr NOW, will it kill my compy, or how to run it when my compy don't work?

 

[Monkeh]

.. From the CD. In recovery mode.

 

[opps]

Cant you just copy the boot.ini to the second drive and edit it accordingly before rebooting without the first drive???

eg., so that it reads

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

 

[Mickymoody]

Cant you just copy the boot.ini to the second drive and edit it accordingly before rebooting without the first drive???

eg., so that it reads

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

I've seen that;

Untitled

• Mickymoody
• 15 Aug 2010
• 1

Hope that works? Thats the setup? But if the computer fails before the BIOS pass, surely this is redundant? It's reading the MBR from the hdisk, rather than data from the hdisk?

 

[opps]

Sorry micky i didn't mean use msconfig- i was wondering if you could physically copy the boot ini.

I don't know if it will work or not, it was a question. Sorry if I mislead you

If you are failing the post (power on self test) are you getting any error messages/beeps.

If the above is true then it might not be a hdd problem.

What happens if you boot with no hard drives?

Have you tried to change the bios boot order and boot a linux distro from cd?

 

[Mickymoody]

Sorry micky i didn't mean use msconfig- i was wondering if you could physically copy the boot ini.

I don't know if it will work or not, it was a question. Sorry if I mislead you

If you are failing the post (power on self test) are you getting any error messages/beeps.

If the above is true then it might not be a hdd problem.

What happens if you boot with no hard drives?

Have you tried to change the bios boot order and boot a linux distro from cd?

No, sorry I misread you, the computer doesn't fail the POST, both drives are recognised, and SMART enabled, which passes on both drives. It 'seems' to boot from, or tries to boot from the network card, and this isn't an option in the BIOS, and repeatedly cycles thru trying to boot, until reset, where it then starts normally. I don't get the option to select which OS to use until the reset.

My worry is, is when it works, 99% of the time, if I start messing around with jumpers, swapping configs etc, then I'll lose everything. I've also noticed that it tends to happen when the environment is hot, not necessary hot outside, but the room is airless, and a quick blast of a fan makes the environment easier to breath? Hard to explain, you know when you are in bed, but too warm to sleep, but you hang a leg out of bed, then too cold? Anyway, daft explaination, I'm sure someone would understand that, so may be a fan or PSU issue..? Or the spindle motor isn't powering up quick enough for the booting of the computer, easy to put an extended bot time on to check memory..

Just no logical, one simple thing that says This is what is causing this, but rather a combination of things? Suppose I'll find out for sure if/when it breaks completely!