[SOLVED] SATA XP Dual Install Problem

[StickyLlama]

Hi,

Bought a new SATA drive

Partitioned and set it up

Created myself a slipstreamed nLite version including drivers from NVidia which were suggested by dell for my 1st SATA drive.

Ran the XP install - it saw both SATA drives. allowed me to pick the 2nd for install

Did all the copying of files - went to re-boot

After the bootloader I got a

"Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware."

error

Looked at the boot.ini - did some research on the internet

Brought up the repair console - did the bootcfg /rebuild

picked both installs and entered the info needed

rebooted again - same problem

looked at the boot.ini

After the REBUILD I saw it had put scsi(1) for the drive - I amended it and put multi(1) instead and rebooted again

still the same problem.

is now

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(1)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="New Windows XP"

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Old Windows XP"

signature(2cd09)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="New XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Old XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Granted I haven't got to properly install the 2nd XP verson yet - it only got to the first re-boot after copying the files

Did I do something wrong ? Is the error because it now cannot find the SATA driver on the new partition to continue ?

Should I have found specific drivers for the new SATA drive ? Even though it was recognised by the Dell/Nvidia ones ?

I haven't a clue about the first entry it made signature(2cd09) blah blah in the boot.ini

Any clues, advice , help would be very grateful

ty

[PROBLEM/RESOLUTION]

PROBLEM

Yep, I had partioned with a primary partition on the secondary drive -

[RESOLUTION]

I deleted all partions on the 2nd Drive - Made an Extended one instead. Populated it with logical partitons and picked one of those to do the secondary Win XP install in

Voila , No more install problems

Thanks everyone esp. Trance Energy

Edited May 14, 2008 by StickyLlama

[GMan_PCTT]

The problem is most likely occurring because the drive order must be set properly within your BIOS (it now thinks the new drive is the main one).

On the other hand, if you're trying to replace the OS on the first drive with one on this new drive (not a "dual-boot" so you'll have only one Windows install when you're through), disconnect the first drive (just the two cables, no need to physically remove the drive) and run the install again. Since it will then be the only one found, the BIOS will automatically declare the new drive as the boot drive and should proceed normally.

[StickyLlama]

Sorry -didn't explain myself very well

I AM trying to have a Dual boot setup. I would like to keep my original as default and then have the stripped down new version on the extra drive as another load option.

I don't want to disconnect the first drive and to be honest I shouldn't have to change the order of the disk access (Shouldn't it know where to launch it from when chosen from the boot menu if the menu is correct ?)

I really think there has been a problem whilst at the beginning of the install process of the other XP version on the new drive. And I'm guessing its something to do with the SATA drivers... ?

Anyone had a similar problem ?

Cheers

[GMan_PCTT]

Actually, you explained yourself quite well. That was completely my fault for being in such a hurry, I failed to read the part of your post that was below the scroll point. That will not happen again for a long time.

Most modern mainboards do not need those SATA drivers unless you are actually interested in building a RAID configuration. As far as the BIOS is concerned, once it recognizes a connected drive, it doesn't care if it's EIDE or SATA. You have further proof that this is the case in your own Boot.ini file as it's clearly showing the second drive has been both recognized and added to the menu.

Unfortunately, it has both OS's showing twice with the one that's in the install process described in two different ways (one for the continuing install and the other for a completed install). The confusion occurs because the boot menu will always go with the first listing of any particular volume and the first shown here one for the new drive lacks the install info. My suggestion is to remove the two extras (the ones that do not include the switches) which should also remove the installation's confusion.

Current Contents:

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(1)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="New Windows XP"

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Old Windows XP"

signature(2cd09)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="New XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Old XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Suggested Contents:

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

signature(2cd09)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="New XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Old XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

If setting it this way fails to take you back to continue the install, change the 3rd line to the following to help the boot menu to send you there.

default=signature(2cd09)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[StickyLlama]

Thanks again GMan for the reply

Firstly - I think the drivers were needed , because the very first time round - I used a nlite install without the drivers and the drives were not recognised

So I had to go get them off dell, intergrate and it worked ( I don't have an floppy drive for the F6 option)

Re the boot.ini

The two entries with the switches - was the original ini file created after the new XP install

The two entires without the switches are the ones entered ( appended by XP) after the bootcfg /rebuild

I have gone through and selected each entry individually from the boot menu and tried to boot from it.

The only successful boots are to the Old installation - both the new drive boot and the signature(2cd09) boot fail withe the same error.

Now I am not familiar with the XP install process - but is that what it tries to do ? continue the install by forcing a boot from the XP CD ?

If so, is it possible that it is the signature(2cd09) entry is incorrect somehow ? Or maybe that some hardware setup/driver is not being picked up ?

Or does XP continue the install from the 'just copied' files to the new drive ? And therefore somehow the recognition of that drive from the boot menu is incorrect ?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm not sure what XP is expecting in the next stage of installation, if I did, I could concentrate on that area i.e does it go to the CD ? Does it go to the new partition ? what does it expect etc. What could I be missing...blah blah

Maybe I should just reformat and try again.

However I do have the impression that if I was doing this for the first time on just one drive I would still have the same problem...

Edited May 14, 2008 by StickyLlama

[TranceEnergy]

The problem here comes down to 1 simple thing, that both drives were partitioned as primary ones. The only primary you should have, to be safe, would be the installing partition. If other partition/s was logical this problem would never have occured.

[StickyLlama]

Really ? Woah - Ok but I don't want to go changing my original drive ... would it work if I set all partitions on the new drive as logical ? Can I actually do that ? (no primary partition on the whole of a physical drive ?)

(Not at home yet to try)

[StickyLlama]

[PROBLEM/RESOLUTION]

PROBLEM

Yep, I had partioned with a primary partition on the secondary drive -

[RESOLUTION]

I deleted all partions on the 2nd Drive - Made an Extended one instead. Populated it with logical partitons and picked one of those to do the secondary Win XP install in

Voila , No more install problems

Thanks everyone esp. Trance Energy

[GMan_PCTT]

The problem here comes down to 1 simple thing, that both drives were partitioned as primary ones. The only primary you should have, to be safe, would be the installing partition. If other partition/s was logical this problem would never have occured.

That's a nice bit of sleuthing.

What told you that they were both set up as Primary?