Partioning Problem

[Karnevil9]

Since this involves a Windows XP and Windows 2000 system I thought this was the place to put this thread.

I have Windows XP pro installed on a 60 gig WD hard drive. I decided to add another operating system to the HD using Partion Magic 8.0.

Resizing the XP Partition went fine. I also added a 50mb Fat 32 Partition to use the Boot Magic utility and that went fine also. Tried to install Windows 2000 Pro on another Partition and that's when the problems started.

When I tried to Install W2K into partition using the PM8 instructions, the installation disk wouldn't let me place it in the partition that I had prepared for it. The installation disk saw that as allocated space and I had to use unallocated space. I placed it in the unallocated space figuring that I can fix that with the PM8 tools later. The intallation was OK and I could get into W2K fine, but now I could no longer get into WXP. Error said that it couldn't boot to Windows 2000 and to push F8 to enter. Yet the system boots to W2K fine it is XP that I can't get into, but the message keeps saying that it can't boot to W2K. Push F8 nothing happens. It also says to use the set up CD to fix errors and push r at the prompt. But which CD to put in, XP or W2K? Unfortunately I can't find the XP disk at the moment. We moved stuff around to safe guard computers during the Isable threat. Seems I saved it so well I can't find it now, lol. Tried to use the two rescue disks from PM8 I made but the second disk apperently is no good. Get error messages on that too.

I can probably get this solved when I find the XP disk but my big question is, are there any known issues with either XP pro or W2K pro and PM8 that may be causing my problems. Or did I do something I shouldn't have when I put the W2K in the unallocated space. I tried to remove the W2K to see if I can get back XP because that's where my files are and now I can't get into anythingl. I will have to reinstall W2K just so I have access to the PM8

Sorry for the lengthy post, but if anyone has info or suggestions I would appreciated.

[andyms18a]

when you boot to 2k dose it see the xp Partition in my computer ? if not did you hide the xp partition using pm8

[lil Jimmie]

Best rule of thumb when doing a dual boot is install the older OS first there are work arounds but it's too late for me to go into it. Basicly what happened is 2K made a new MBR and didn't see the XP install. Find the XP disk and run a repair install and all should be well, except you will need to reinstall any MS updates including SP-1 if it wasn't included with your copy of XP.

Oh and there is no need for Boot Magic the 2K and XP bootloader will work a lot better when they are installed properly.

[Karnevil9]

Yes, the W2K does see the XP partition, but it won't open the system, just the files.

The reason for the XP being first is only because W2K was an after thought. Should I have switched the partition when I was setting up partition magic? My XP does have SP1 fortunately, when I find it.

Thanks for the tip on the boot magic. It sounded like a good idea at the time. I think an article I read recommended it just to have a fat 32 partition on the system.

[andyms18a]

try to open the boot.ini file witch is on the c: drive
and add this to it

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP " /fastdetect

[Karnevil9]

Thanks andyms18a. I found the XP disk but haven't had a chance to see if I can repair with it. If I can't I will try this.

[Karnevil9]

OK, the problems I am having are because I installed w2k after wxp. Live and learn. I found some work arounds on the micro$oft website, but they are just work arounds. Is it possible to use PM8 to solve the problem? That is, can I flip flop the two OS's, or would that just be an illusion and not really moving the boot record?

[andyms18a]

as you found the xp disk run setup and reinstal xp over the top it will fix your boot problams and give you a boot menu
or boot with the xp cd to the recovery concle and type fix boot and fix mbr but it may not work

[Karnevil9]

Tried the fix boot and fix mbr and it didn't work. I want to avoid the reinstall of XP because there are a lot of my finace's files associated with her web site and small business on it. She has worked real hard on it and would be a bit miffed if she lost it all because of my dumb a**.

Micro$soft has a workaround for this where it says "start computer in windows 2000, and then copy the NTLDR and Ntdetect.com files from the 1386 folder on the windows XP CD-rom to the root of the system drive".

Tried this and it didn't work, but I don't know if I did it right. What exactly is condiered the root of the system drive? and which system drive are they reffering too, xp or 2000.

I copied the files of the XP disk by clicking the NTLDR icon and Ntdetect, using Edit, copy. Then clicked on my computer in windows 2000, right clicked the win2000 F drive icon, (the partition letter where w2k resides, clicked open and pasted the two files there. I don't know if that is the way it should be done. It didn't say to place it any particular folder and I couldn't find a 1386 folder in the w2k side.

[Karnevil9]

OK it's back. Not really sure what I did though. I hate that. It seems that if you are persistant with fix boot and fix mbr, eventually it will work. XP reinstalled with all the files. Wheew. Thanks for your assistance.