Noob Partition Question

[dale5605]

I made two partitions on my RAID 0 stripe. I put 64 bit windows on one partition and it installed fine. Then I installed 32 bit windows on the other. The only problem is that is always boots to 32 bit windows and doesn't even ask me which partition I want to boot to. How do I switch between 64 bit and 32 bit OS with both of themn installed?

[jbm]

You need to install XP 32bit first then the 64bit version second.

[dale5605]

Umm oops. Isn't there anyway to do it without completely reformating now?

[jbm]

boot from the XP 64 cd and do a repair install.

don't choose the repair console but continue until

your asked if you would like setup to attemp to repair

your install or something like that.

Sorry I should have mentioned that in my first reply.

PS after the repair install you may have to reinstall

some applications and/or drivers

[KennyK]

Having the same, or totally different problem.

Installed win xp pro 32-bit on one partiotion, after that I installed win xp pro 64-bit. Now my computer ONLY logs on to win xp 64, how to fix this? Pleeeease help me, don´t want to reinstall everything again...

[jbm]

Sound like you installed it correctly for dual boot.

There should be a menu to choose 32bit XP or 64bit XP.

It defaults to 64bit and times out in 30 seconds or so.

If you don't see this menu, boot from the 64bit CD into

the recovery console and run bootcfg. type bootcfg /?

for instructions. If that doesn't help post back

[KennyK]

That´s the problem, don´t see the boot menu ;(

But I+ll try this when I get home later this afternoon, it´s 11 a clock in sweden so am at work right now.

Read on Microsoft XP support page about multi-boot system, saw that I should be able to set the start up options in Win xp 64 to show the boot menu, I think, haven´t checked yet thoug, that win xp 64 have set it self to the be the standard windows startsystem.

Thanx for the tip, as I said, I will have a look at theese 2 things when I get home and see if I can´t fix this

[ButlerKevinD]

What does your boot.ini file in the root of the c:\ partition look like?? Generally, you should be able to modify it. Just make certain you have a backup in case you make an incorrect change to the file.

[jbm]

What does your boot.ini file in the root of the c:\ partition look like?? Generally, you should be able to modify it. Just make certain you have a backup in case you make an incorrect change to the file.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats what bootcfg does for you. When I manually edit boot.ini I almost always

screw it up.

[ButlerKevinD]

Thats what bootcfg does for you. When I manually edit boot.ini I almost always

screw it up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

can you post me a copy of yer boot.ini so i can see how its configured??

[jbm]

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional x64 Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

[ButlerKevinD]

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional x64 Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

your boot.ini looks correct. i cant imagine what could be screwing up. i have an ibm thinkpad that i dual boot between the english and german versions of windows. here is what mine looks like:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

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

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional English" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Deutsch" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

the only differences, besides mine being 2 32-bit installations, is the cmdcons line at the end of yours. i see that you have these installed on 2 physical hard disks, where with my install, i have 1 disk with 2 partitions. have you tried changing the value of "default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS" to "default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS" and see what happens there?? does it default to loading xp x64?? if you do manually edit the boot.ini, make certain its flagged with the system and hidden attributes.

[jbm]

Oops sorry I thought you were asking for my boot.ini.

And your correct mine is working.

KennyK if you haven't got it working could you post your boot.ini

[KennyK]

Actually I got mine to work, after a bit of fiddeling with Bootcfg

Thanx for the tip.

Short resume on how I´ve done it:

1. Booted from the cd, chosse r when apropiete

2. Did a bootcfg /list to see which I had, and it was only my x64 edition that was showing.

3. Bootcfg /scan, found 2 different ones

4. Bootcfg /add, in my case I had to add 1, named it Win xp Proffesional x32 and left the other options empty

5. Bootcfg /list vóila, they were both there and now it works prefectlly, will post my Boot.ini when I get home

thanx for he excellent help guys

[KennyK]

This is my boot ini

[boot loader]

timeout=10

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

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional 32 bit" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional x64 Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect