Dual Boot config change question

[AlwaysUp]

I have an older system with C drive NTFS volume with Win2K on it and a second volume, D with XP Home edition on it. My question is (sans, actually trying it first) what would be the result of just disconnecting the HDD on the Primary IDE controller (C drive) and then booting up? Would the files on the C Drive be required for boot up? Is XP robust enough to detect an OS and reconfigure or is this a "Partition Magic" sort of issue?

[Kov-Ice]

THIS (http://www.thpc.info/dual/bootsectdos.html#menu) page has a ton of great info and links on dual boot issues. According to it, all boot files are going to be on the active primary partition (probably your 2K C: drive). My guess is that you could unplug and then run the Repair Console on the XP install of that other drive if it didn't boot of its own accord, but I dunno.

That would not be in answer to your original request of what would happen without trying it first, so... sorry. If you did try it and it went awry, at least that THPC site would have the info to get it right again.