A little help needed- can't access to my second OS

yellowbus · 10-31-2006, 11:38 PM

I already had Windows XP on my computer. I cut off a partition usign p artition magic, then used a windows install disk and installed another windows xp on the second partition. However, when i start my computer and pressed F8, only my first OS would come up on the OS menu. How do I make the second OS that i just installed come up on the OS menu?

**edit: I remember now that you have to go to control panel and use one of tools that changes how the OS menu will look like, but i forget how to get there.

talldude123 · 10-31-2006, 11:53 PM

Go to Start -> Run

Type "msconfig".

Go to the Boot.ini tab and modify.

yellowbus · 11-01-2006, 04:00 PM

um, currently, my boot.ini looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

When I turn my computer on, there's only one menu, and that's the "windows media center edition", which is my C drive. I installed a new windows home edition on my H drive, but it won't appear on the startup menu. I tried to add a:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windo ws xp home edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

in order to put the other boot OS in my menu. It shows up when i start up my computer, but it leads back to the OS in my C drive. How should I edit the boot.ini so that I can enter my other OS (H drive)? What I want to do is make a dual-boot system. Thanks in advance

FlashDude · 11-01-2006, 04:05 PM

It should edit the boot.inf file automatically, you shouldn't have to do anything. Go to computer management and see if the H drive has a system installed on it. You might have to format and reinstall it again.

Edit - but now that I am thinking about it I have never installed two identical os's they were always different. Go into your bios and change the boot sequence to the H drive.

EricB · 11-01-2006, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by yellowbus
um, currently, my boot.ini looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

When I turn my computer on, there's only one menu, and that's the "windows media center edition", which is my C drive. I installed a new windows home edition on my H drive, but it won't appear on the startup menu. I tried to add a:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windo ws xp home edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

in order to put the other boot OS in my menu. It shows up when i start up my computer, but it leads back to the OS in my C drive. How should I edit the boot.ini so that I can enter my other OS (H drive)? What I want to do is make a dual-boot system. Thanks in advance

when you add that line click check boot paths it will tell you if it's ok.

Click on the h drive and see if it mistaking left a boot.ini in file in there too

MrCoffee · 11-02-2006, 05:30 PM

also you can use the bootcfg /rebuild command from the repair console to recreate your boot.ini file, it looks though your hard drives and asks you which windows installations you want to add to the boot.ini.

Spinalcracker · 11-02-2006, 06:23 PM

I always use PQboot, and have no problems, I use the second Partition for 2 O/S's and use images of ME and XP for old DOS games, testing etc,

EricB · 11-02-2006, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spinalcracker
I always use PQboot, and have no problems, I use the second Partition for 2 O/S's and use images of ME and XP for old DOS games, testing etc,

you can't use that if you didn't set it up for it, unless somehow the other partition did set itself as unactive

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