2 hard drive dual boot

Bob Jeffery · 02-26-2008, 11:37 PM

Is there anyway to dual boot with 2 hard drives?? Ive got my hard drive and my old one from my REALLY old comp. It has windows xp on it too and im wondering if i can boot it from it. If i can i want to put Ubuntu on it too.

imsati · 02-26-2008, 11:57 PM

Yes, you can do it.

Are you looking to keep the Windows Install on the old one or format it and load Ubuntu on it?

On my way out for about 2 hours or so, but others should jump in

Bob Jeffery · 02-27-2008, 12:03 AM

i want to keep the old os on my old hard drive.And maybe add ubuntu. I was just wodering how i could load the old os so i know ubuntu will load from it. The drive shows up in my computer but the os doesn't when i boot up the computer. Would i have to change the bios to load it first???

PC eye · 02-27-2008, 12:04 AM

With multiple drives you can even multiple boot different versions of Windows as well as other OSs. Everything depends on the boot loader used. The last build with 4 HDs saw XP Home on the first of two ide drives, second with Vista, and first of two sata models with XP Pro. For adding a Linux distro the Grub or Lilo entry into the mbr has to be made to see that listed as an option.

For two distros along with XP, http://www.linux.com/articles/53296?tid=129

The boot loader has to remain on the drive set as the default boot device. For two versions of Windows any ide drive is first unplugged if you planning to use a sata drive as the default there otherwise the Windows installer sees that as the first drive before any sata drives and places the boot files there.

Bob Jeffery · 02-27-2008, 01:07 AM

I think im just gonna make a new partition on my current hard drive. It will be easier :-). So far i love ubuntu. I thought it was all using the text based but ti is windows! I am writing this from the boot cd. I will use it if i just want to get on the internet or something liek that.

Bob Jeffery · 02-27-2008, 02:03 AM

if i resize teh partition and make a new one on ubuntu will it delete my old files??

PC eye · 02-27-2008, 02:27 AM

Shrinking down a partition will depend on what you currently have on it. When you shrink any partition it will start to compress things a little and eventually stall if there's a lack of so much space needed. Often you have to remove things in order to shrink a partition past a certain point where you then have to back things up first before removal.

On a the system here running Vista seeing an ide drive removed and dual booting both sata drives were split up into two primary type partitions seeing files and folders moved back and forth lately. With a third sata drive being added soon that will be designated strictly for storage. But to give you an idea of how that came out look at the screen capture here.

When seeing the number 4 for the amount of hard drives remember that is the total for logical not physical drives installed. The second sata was originally the storage drive while XP was on the first and Vista on an ide model. As preplanned Vista is now on the first sata as well as seeing a dual boot with XP on the second. The label for each logical drive shows the what is on each.

Bob Jeffery · 02-27-2008, 12:26 PM

The only reason i wanted to keep xp on my old hard drive is in case i needed it or wanted to boot up my old comp. I cant get access to my documents from xp but when on Ubuntu live cd it gave me access to them.LOL! Do you see any reason to leave xp on it??? If i need to boot up my old computer i can just boot it with Ubuntu on it. SO to boot xp on one hard drive with Ubuntu on the other, i need a boot loader on my sata drive????(thats my main one) I guess i can just reformat the old xp one and have xp just on my sata drive.

PC eye · 02-27-2008, 05:11 PM

Have you also considered a second partition for ubuntu even on both drives? For data rescue from an inaccessible partition on a drive ubuntu wasn't actually the first for that. http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/

As you can see from the capture earlier that both sata drives have been split into two partitions each. Grub4Dos has been a good one for seeing Windows and a distro share the same bootloader.

At one time all you needed was a floppy drive and two OSs on two separate partitions since you booted up with the ubuntu boot manager floppy where you choose the partition instead of the OS. The OS on the selected partition would then be loaded up with nothing being changed on the one or more drives involved. The problem was you always had to boot from the one or floppy disks seeing that same tool there.

02-26-2008, 11:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bob Jeffery Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate sc,us,earth Posts: 315	2 hard drive dual boot Is there anyway to dual boot with 2 hard drives?? Ive got my hard drive and my old one from my REALLY old comp. It has windows xp on it too and im wondering if i can boot it from it. If i can i want to put Ubuntu on it too. __________________ MY SPEEDTEST http://www.speedtest.net/result/238475138.png Windows xp home 2.1ghz amd sempron 1gig of ram 8600gt 22" LCD :-)

02-26-2008, 11:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
imsati Diamond Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: EHT, NJ Posts: 2,729	Yes, you can do it. Are you looking to keep the Windows Install on the old one or format it and load Ubuntu on it? On my way out for about 2 hours or so, but others should jump in __________________ --Jay Gigabyte EP31-DS3L \| E4500 \| Masscool HSF paired with AS-5 80 GB SATA2 x 2 \| e-GeForce 7100 GS \| CM Elite 330 (gorgeous!) Triple Boot: Ubuntu 7.10/XP Home/Kubuntu 7.10 You do realize that everytime PC eye Posts, God kicks a puppy, and every time someone takes his advice, He smothers a kitten in front of a child, right? http://www.computerforum.com/114761-...tml#post922619

02-27-2008, 12:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bob Jeffery Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate sc,us,earth Posts: 315	i want to keep the old os on my old hard drive.And maybe add ubuntu. I was just wodering how i could load the old os so i know ubuntu will load from it. The drive shows up in my computer but the os doesn't when i boot up the computer. Would i have to change the bios to load it first??? __________________ MY SPEEDTEST http://www.speedtest.net/result/238475138.png Windows xp home 2.1ghz amd sempron 1gig of ram 8600gt 22" LCD :-)

02-27-2008, 12:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 20,267	With multiple drives you can even multiple boot different versions of Windows as well as other OSs. Everything depends on the boot loader used. The last build with 4 HDs saw XP Home on the first of two ide drives, second with Vista, and first of two sata models with XP Pro. For adding a Linux distro the Grub or Lilo entry into the mbr has to be made to see that listed as an option. For two distros along with XP, http://www.linux.com/articles/53296?tid=129 The boot loader has to remain on the drive set as the default boot device. For two versions of Windows any ide drive is first unplugged if you planning to use a sata drive as the default there otherwise the Windows installer sees that as the first drive before any sata drives and places the boot files there. __________________ Turning the Tongue into a Device Controller http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Sma...ory?id=5647175 Is EBay going out of the Auction Business? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

02-27-2008, 01:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
Bob Jeffery Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate sc,us,earth Posts: 315	I think im just gonna make a new partition on my current hard drive. It will be easier :-). So far i love ubuntu. I thought it was all using the text based but ti is windows! I am writing this from the boot cd. I will use it if i just want to get on the internet or something liek that. __________________ MY SPEEDTEST http://www.speedtest.net/result/238475138.png Windows xp home 2.1ghz amd sempron 1gig of ram 8600gt 22" LCD :-)

02-27-2008, 02:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
Bob Jeffery Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate sc,us,earth Posts: 315	if i resize teh partition and make a new one on ubuntu will it delete my old files?? __________________ MY SPEEDTEST http://www.speedtest.net/result/238475138.png Windows xp home 2.1ghz amd sempron 1gig of ram 8600gt 22" LCD :-)

02-27-2008, 02:27 AM	#7 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 20,267	Shrinking down a partition will depend on what you currently have on it. When you shrink any partition it will start to compress things a little and eventually stall if there's a lack of so much space needed. Often you have to remove things in order to shrink a partition past a certain point where you then have to back things up first before removal. On a the system here running Vista seeing an ide drive removed and dual booting both sata drives were split up into two primary type partitions seeing files and folders moved back and forth lately. With a third sata drive being added soon that will be designated strictly for storage. But to give you an idea of how that came out look at the screen capture here. When seeing the number 4 for the amount of hard drives remember that is the total for logical not physical drives installed. The second sata was originally the storage drive while XP was on the first and Vista on an ide model. As preplanned Vista is now on the first sata as well as seeing a dual boot with XP on the second. The label for each logical drive shows the what is on each. __________________ Turning the Tongue into a Device Controller http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Sma...ory?id=5647175 Is EBay going out of the Auction Business? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

02-27-2008, 12:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
Bob Jeffery Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate sc,us,earth Posts: 315	The only reason i wanted to keep xp on my old hard drive is in case i needed it or wanted to boot up my old comp. I cant get access to my documents from xp but when on Ubuntu live cd it gave me access to them.LOL! Do you see any reason to leave xp on it??? If i need to boot up my old computer i can just boot it with Ubuntu on it. SO to boot xp on one hard drive with Ubuntu on the other, i need a boot loader on my sata drive????(thats my main one) I guess i can just reformat the old xp one and have xp just on my sata drive. __________________ MY SPEEDTEST http://www.speedtest.net/result/238475138.png Windows xp home 2.1ghz amd sempron 1gig of ram 8600gt 22" LCD :-)

02-27-2008, 05:11 PM	#9 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 20,267	Have you also considered a second partition for ubuntu even on both drives? For data rescue from an inaccessible partition on a drive ubuntu wasn't actually the first for that. http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/ As you can see from the capture earlier that both sata drives have been split into two partitions each. Grub4Dos has been a good one for seeing Windows and a distro share the same bootloader. At one time all you needed was a floppy drive and two OSs on two separate partitions since you booted up with the ubuntu boot manager floppy where you choose the partition instead of the OS. The OS on the selected partition would then be loaded up with nothing being changed on the one or more drives involved. The problem was you always had to boot from the one or floppy disks seeing that same tool there. __________________ Turning the Tongue into a Device Controller http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Sma...ory?id=5647175 Is EBay going out of the Auction Business? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

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