Re: Booting from second hard drive
From: Peter (please.reply_at_to.this.ng)
Date: 09/11/04
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Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2004 02:04:34 +0000 (UTC)
On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 09:21:49 -0500, "R. C. White" <RCWhite@msn.com>
wrote:
>Hi, Peter.
>
>> My question is this, is it possible to boot XP Pro from a second
>> hard drive?
>
>This depends on what you mean by "boot ... from".
>
>In the native Microsoft system, the boot process always begins with the
>first partition on the first HD (typically C:), then branches to load
>Windows from whichever location is chosen from the menu in C:\boot.ini. The
>very few "system files" must be in this "system partition" C:, but all the
>rest of Windows is in the "boot folder" (\Windows, by default) on the "boot
>volume", which can be just about any volume on just about any HD in your
>computer.
>
>Terminology here is counter-intuitive, as many writers have pointed out: We
>boot from the system partition (C:), and keep our operating system files in
>the boot volume (D:, E:, X:?). :>( The reasons are buried in computer
>legacy and are not likely to be changed, so we have to live with these
>terms.
>
>Your problem may be solved by simply booting from the WinXP CD-ROM and
>telling Setup to install WinXP in that "biggy" partition on your second HD.
>First, though, delete the Win98 boot folder (\Windows, by default, but be
>sure you are dealing with the right volume because the same name is used by
>default for WinXP's boot folder). Or, if there's nothing on that partition
>that you want to keep, just let Setup reformat it before clean installing
>WinXP there.
>
>Since that is a Win98 partition, it must have been formatted FAT32. You can
>keep it FAT32, or have Setup reformat it NTFS. Microsoft limits WinXP's
>ability to format FAT32 to partitions smaller than 32 GB, although WinXP can
>use larger partitions already formatted FAT32 by Win98. There's no reason
>to keep FAT unless you plan to reinstall Win9x/ME on that computer some day,
>but if you do want to keep that partition FAT32, don't let WinXP reformat
>it.
>
>But you say you've already wiped out Win98 by "restoring" the WinXP image to
>it, didn't you? Then maybe the only problem is that WinXP on the second HD
>thinks it is still on the first HD. If this is the case, then either (a)
>physically switch the second HD to primary master, or (b) do an in-place
>upgrade to the WinXP on that second HD so that it can re-write its Registry
>to conform to the new hardware environment. (For instructions on how to do
>an in-place upgrade, see KB article 315341.)
>
>I'm not sure I understand your statement that you have "three bootable
>partitions on the first hard disk". Any primary partition can be marked
>Active (bootable), but typically only one at a time can be so marked on any
>one HD. Is any operating system installed in any of those partitions?
>
>Your simplest solution might be to install WinXP on one of the partitions on
>the first HD and let the second HD hold only your video editor and data
>files.
>
>RC
RC,
Thank you for taking the trouble to reply that is so long and
detailed. It is now 0230 Hrs and very nearly time for bed so I have
only skimmed your reply as yet. At first glance it does seem that
my informal use of "Boot from" is technically sloppy!. I will give
your reply the attention that it deserves later today.
For a start though, I have three "C:" drives on HD1 and one"C" drive
on HD2. Boot Magic ensures that three of these drives are hidden at
any time. I do keep my data, as far as possible, on D: to F:. G:
is my technical data storage area and H: is reserved for backup
images. I may be a bit simple computerwise but I have learned to
create backup images very methodically. When one learns by making
mistakes, as I do, the backups are essential.
The whole computer is FAT32 to enable all files to be accessed by
Win98 and WinXP. The "C:" drive on the second HD is 75Gb FAT32. It
took me a little while to find out how to format that!
Concerning the configuring of the video editor program to keep its
data remote from the operating system - I have tried to do this but
the particular program has a distributed folder tree for data and
settings. This has proved to be too much for me to sort out.
I bought this program, which receives no end of stick in NGs,
because part of the package is a superb external unit with
Camcorder\VCR\S-Video\Composite video\Firewire input to ditto
output.
That is why I want to have the program and the OS on the same
partition. This is not all that inefficient, even XP Pro looks a
little small in 75Gb. Having the program plus system together also
means that the data and program are imaged together for backup
purposes.
It is time for bed now, 0300 Hrs.
Thanks again RC, I look forward to really absorbing your reply when
I get up.
Peter
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