Help please, 2 OS - 2 HD's

[-ninja-]

Hey guys,

You have already helped me through so much. I have a question. I just recently built a system. I put Vista 64 on it for the dx10. I am really disgusted with it as a operating system. I just ordered an other copy of XP home and another hard drive. I am sure its been covered. If you have a link I would appreciate it. I have not found anything in a search. What I would like to do is...

I have my main hard drive right now with Vista. I want to install another hard drive with XP, just for internet surfing and such. How can I set this up in my bios to ask me each time on boot up which hard drive I want to boot from. I don't think I want to set the boot disc priority so one drives boots as a default, I would rather have bios ask me which hard drive to boot from, either XP or Vista.

Please let me know what I would need to do to have bios ask me what to do.

Thanks.

[Know Nuttin]

You'll need to install XP, then boot off of the Vista installation DVD to repair the bootloader so you get the option of which OS to choose from.
Or if you just need to use XP for remedial things, you could probably get away with just using a virtual machine inside Vista instead?

[bz2klag]

There is no way to get the BIOS to prompt you automatically.

(There is the bios boot menu you call up with an F-key, but you'd have
to hit that every time you turned on or rebooted your PC.)

I did see an article recently about making a hardware switch to switch
between hard drives by toggling their power. But I wouldn't recommend
that project unless you really really know what you are doing.

[ou_phidelt]

Know Nuttin's method would be the easiest. Just choose to install to the second HD during the XP installation and repair the boot loader. When you boot you will be prompted which OS you want to start. Its not asking which HD but the end result is the same.

[-ninja-]

Just to be safe, should I disconnect my hard drive with vista on it while installing XP, or with that mess up something? Will my PC recognize I have 2 operating systems automatically after repairing that boot loader file?

To be honest, I am a little nervous putting my Vista disc in to repair, I don't want to to erase anything. I know it shouldn't unless I want it to but Vista hasn't worked out to well for me so far.

I don't mind having to press a button every time I boot, that would actually work out well for me.

[joedymueller]

if your bios has a boot menu you could remove the vista drive, install xp on drive 2. hook them both up. then when you boot press whatever key the bios uses to goto the menu and select the harddrive you want to boot to.

[-ninja-]

if your bios has a boto menu you could remove the vista drive, install xp on drive 2. hook them both up. then when you boot press whatever key the bios uses to goto the menu and select the harddrive you want to boot to.




I would rather not have to go into bios everytime unless I can set one HD for default

[joedymueller]

not in the bios right after post some have a function key to give you an option on what to but, though it might be primary HD, CD-rom, or network.

[-ninja-]

So what would happen if I unplug HD 1 (vista), plug in and install XP on HD 2, then plug HD 1 back in? Would Vista auto load being in the sata 1 position? I probably wont be using XP much so if Vista will auto load by default, I could live with going to bios and changing the boot priority.

Actually if I just set it to first boot HD (Vista) then CD rom then disable third boot I wouldn't have any problems... I will have to see. I should get the HD and XP in a few days. I will try some stuff.

[joedymueller]

that would be setup in your bios drive priority. set Cd-Rom first, Vista second, Xp third

then default would goto Vista given there is no bootable cd in the drive.

or skip the cd-rom all together and move vista and xp up 1

[-ninja-]

that would be setup in your bios drive priority. set Cd-Rom first, Vista second, Xp third

then default would goto Vista given there is no bootable cd in the drive.


Thanks I will change the boot priority to vista, cd then XP
or skip the cd-rom all together and move vista and xp up 1

[turbohans]

that would be setup in your bios drive priority. set Cd-Rom first, Vista second, Xp third

then default would goto Vista given there is no bootable cd in the drive.

or skip the cd-rom all together and move vista and xp up 1

Thats what I do with windows 7, it automatically boots to that drive unless I go into bios and switch the priority. Not bad seeing as I rarely do, have heard of people doing dual boots offa one disk with two partitions though...

[-ninja-]

Ya I would rather have 2 seperate HD's, each with its own OS just in case.

One thing I did not think of.. I have 2 HD's in there now. 1 is Vista the other is a backup of programs, pics, bookmarks, music stuff that I dont want to loose or try to find again if something were to happen to my HD. This new HD with XP will be the third one in there. I hope it wont change my temp of the case much. I am currently overclocking and would like to take those numbers up higher.

[ou_phidelt]

A third 7200RPM isn't going to dramatically change your case temps. Sure it may increase it a touch but nothing major. If all three disks are tightly together I would have some direct air flow on them. though.

[-ninja-]

A third 7200RPM isn't going to dramatically change your case temps. Sure it may increase it a touch but nothing major. If all three disks are tightly together I would have some direct air flow on them. though.

I do right now. The way my case is set up, my HD bays are right in front of my case intake fan. I do not like that though because my case cannot pull in cool air from outside and circulate it. Any cool air that comes in passes through (as of now) 2 hot HD's. So the design keeps the drives cool but has to effect overall case and component temps.