New xp install with xp already on system?

[rick123]

I recently installed a 120gb SATA drive. I currently run a WD 100gb drive with three partitions (c/f/g) with xp pro on the C partition. I would like to do a fresh install of Xp on the SATA drive, but keep the current xp version available on the C partition until I'm comfortable with the fresh install, switching back and forth between the two versions of xp as needed.

I'm thinking I could use the BIOS to "hide" the 100 gb drive (can you hide just a partition?), then do the install on the new drive. While I take my time with the new install, whenever I want to use the old version, I can "hide" the SATA drive and boot from the old drive (I'm thinking I'd probably have to mess with the SATA settings in the BIOS also?). Would this work?

Would the system let me fresh install on the SATA drive with the other version of XP visible?

Is there an easy way to do this?

Thank You,

Rick
Intel d845pebt2

 

[scarecrow]

An easy way:
1. Plug off the 100 GB drive.
2. Boot from the XP CD, partition the 120G drive, and install windows XP.
3. Connect to the net normally, and get a decent bootloader. I can suggest GaG ( http://gag.sourceforge.net/ ) which uses just a diskette for the installation, and is freeware/opensource. It's advantage over rubbish like Bootmagic and OS Selector is that it does not need any HD space/partitions to install, it uses just the first HD boot sectors to register.
Another goodie, maybe even better is Osloader (www.osloader.com ) but you must pay for it if you want to get rid of the random nagger (no other limitations).
4. Now connect your second HD too, boot from the GaG or Osloader diskette, and install the boot loader. You can now after a fairly simple configuration boot any XP version you like.
Osloader also features "advanced partition hiding", although I doubt if you will really need it.
All that said it is still a mystery to me what two XP installations in parallel are good for...

 

[plextorman]

All that said it is still a mystery to me what two XP installations in parallel are good for...

I agree....
@rick123 Why,my friend,would you want to do this???
(Unless,of course,you wish to create a kind of "parallel system image".In case of system failure and/or file loss/damage-the damaged data is "replaced" by the fresh untouched data on the other partition or drive..If this is the case,there`s a few other (and more efficient!) ways of doing this in XP.This was possible in Windows 98...No need in XP....

 

[big_gie]

I agree....
@rick123 Why,my friend,would you want to do this???

I have 2 computers that came with Windows XP Home OEM and wanted to change this to XP Pro. Since the OEM version doesn't have all the drivers, I installed the pro retail version but kept the home partition so I still had an usable Windows while configuring things my way on the new one...

I would not have been able to do so if I deleted everything before reinstalling.


@rick123
It is really simple and easy:
1-boot from the Windows XP CD
2-Install to anywhere you want, without touching your eXisting Windows installation.
3-Thats is

You don't need to "hide in the bios" or anything like this.
The new XP version will see that the computer is booting from the first hard drive, and add to C:\boot.ini (hidden file) some line telling the boot loader to ask you witch system to boot.
If you want to "simulate" this, just copy a line in this file like this:

Original:

[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 �dition familiale" /fastdetect

Modified:

[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 Home Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP New one!!!" /fastdetect

Adding the

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP New one!!!" /fastdetect

to your operation system list will show you witch type of "choice" you have at boot time.

**** Be carefull with this file: you can prevent your computer from booting after modifiying it...****

Just delete the line you added to get the original boot.ini

Its really simple...

good luck!

 

[plextorman]

Ah!,Big_gie..Nice one! BTW You can then also go into the `Recovery Console',log in as Admin and let XP 'scan' the system for different installations and it will 'add' these to the 'boot.ini' ,if you don`t fancy entering the entries manually...(Just a thought... )

 

[big_gie]

@pletorman:
hehe
Never tryed this one... Since installing a new XP will add it automatically, I've never used this

 

[scarecrow]

What's the big idea of having the one system's bootloader overwriting the other's? Why not having two COMPLETELY independent systems and toggle between them by using a "clean" OS loader?
The way you described above if the primary partition of the first disk is wiped then the second system will be unbootable too... that's fixable of course, but why mess things up with no good reason?

 

[big_gie]

@scarecrow:
yes, and its a good way to "try" and see if the second OS is ok... maybe a temporary way to check things?

Having an independant boot loader should be the "clean" way to do this..

 

[rick123]

Wow,

Thanks for all the great info!

I only want to save the old os install long enough to make sure I get the clean install (and all updates/software installs) running the way I want it. While I'm getting the clean install set up (this could take a while as I don't have great big blocks of time available to sit down and do it all at once), I want to be able to use my current configuration/software as needed.

Big-gie, your suggestion certainly sound easy. Almost too good to be true. With your method, what would I do when I'm done configuring the fresh install on the new drive and want to reformate the old drive with the original os on the "c" partition? In your example, were you able to get rid of the XP Home versions? I'm guessing maybe this "boot Loader" may auto configue the system once the original OS is removed from the system?

Again, thanks to everyone for the input! I know it would be just easier to wipe the old drive, boot with the cd, and fresh install everything, but I don't want to loose the function of the current install during the multiple sessions it will take me to get the new install running the way I would like.

Rick

 

[big_gie]

Big-gie, your suggestion certainly sound easy. Almost too good to be true. With your method, what would I do when I'm done configuring the fresh install on the new drive and want to reformate the old drive with the original os on the "c" partition? In your example, were you able to get rid of the XP Home versions? I'm guessing maybe this "boot Loader" may auto configue the system once the original OS is removed from the system?

Hum...
I must agree that what I proposed was a bit to simple..

If you delete the first partition, the boot loader won't be there anymore... You'll have to use a Os loader like someone else explain...

The first partition would be called C: on each XP version, the first one booting from it and the second one just seing it as another partition and would boot with D: (for exemple...) So if you get care of the boot loader, and delete the first partition, the second won't become C:...

You could get a copy of Partition Magic (maybe other partitionning software do the same...) I know it can change drive letters and check you drive for reference for the drive letter and change them to the new one, but never tryed it myself.. Or you could just stick with a "D:" partition for WinXP and a new formatted C:\ for data achiving...

When I installed the Pro version, it was just for testing unanttend installation, so I installed it a couple of time to check things, and when I was ready to make the big step I ereased everything... Its not the same as what you want, excuse me for any confusion

 

[rick123]

Thanks again!

Rick