Dual Boot: XP on SATA with ME on IDE Problem...

[rampitdave]

I have 2 hard drives set up for dual booting with XP Home on a SATA drive, and Me on the primary IDE
The boot.ini file on XP is set as follows:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Home Edition"/fastdetect / NoExecute=OptIn
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Me"/fastdetect

XP boots ok, but when I try to boot ME I get the following message "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: Windows\system32\Hal.dll".

Any help in this matter would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[bcastner]

Windows ME does not use HAL.DLL, so obviously something is wrong.

The install of XP was confused by the additon of the SATA drive, and enumerated the SATA controller prior to the IDE controller. This is shown in the highlighted portion of your boot.ini file:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Me"/fastdetect

Meaning that as far as XP is concerned your SATA drive is the first drive in the system, not your original IDE drive.

Some reading about ARC path statements in BOOT.INI in multi-boot situations:

http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/asm/mbr/bootini.htm

Repair Idea #1: Use Recovery Console and Bootcfg

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307061

Repair Idea #2: Edit BOOT.INI in Windows

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Home Edition"/fastdetect / NoExecute=OptIn
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Me"/fastdetect

Put the "\" in the default string as shown highlighted above.

Additional Reading:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306559&sd=tech

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q249/3/21.ASP&NoWebContent=1

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307061

 

[linney]

I am ignorant of SATA booting but I don't recall 9x operating systems having multi boot entries. I normally see entries like this -

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
C:\="Windows 98se"
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

As you see the 9x entry is just "C:\="Windows 98se"

Like I said though, I am not that familiar with SATA.

 

[bcastner]

It is not a SATA issue.
XP understands equally well the ARC specification of a drive and path as it does C:\="Windows 98se"

(By the way, it would understand C:\="Linney" just as well. The only important thing is the C:\ )

 

[wolluf]

But it can't boot ME from multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS because the bootsect.dos file won't normally be there - it will be in the root of C:\.

 

[bcastner]

C: is now D:
I think.

I would really like the user to run bootcfg /rebuild from Recovery Console.

 

[rampitdave]

Thank you all for the ideas.

bootcfg is not available on XP Home so i have upgraded to XP Pro.

bootcfg /scan only detected the XP pro instalation, the ME instalation on the IDE drive was not picked up.

If i disconect the SATA drive, the ME instalation boots as normal, but with both connected only the SATA XP instalation is available.

I forgot to mention, the entries relating to ME in the BOOT.INI file I listed were inserted by me, not automaticaly setup by the XP instalation.

I have tried a number of changes to the ME entry all to no avail.

The drive with ME installed shows up in the BIOS and in "My Computer" in XP so why wont it boot ??? and why dosent bootcfg detect it ???

Any more ideas please.

 

[bcastner]

I think at this point you should use a boot manager. This is an excellent piece of freeware:

http://www.boot-us.com/functions.htm

What you need to configure is to hide the partition you are not using so that the drive enumeration is C in both OS instances.

 

[wolluf]

as Bill says that boot manager should do the trick - though if you use the free version you'll need to install the boot menu to floppy disk (because you're using > 1 drive). You don't actually need to hide any partitions - it will boot either operating system with C: as its system drive.

there are ways of getting XP's boot menu to work - but boot manager is easier (and allows complete independence of the 2 o/s).

 

[linney]

How do I install Windows® 98/Me after I've installed XP?

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm

http://www.petri.co.il/install_windows_98_after_windows_xp.htm

Dual boot to 98 after installing XP first
thread779-284874

HOW TO: Create a Multiple-Boot System in Windows XP (Q306559)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q306/5/59.asp

If you want to try another boot manager that runs from floppy each time you want to boot 98.

Smart boot manager

http://btmgr.webframe.org/index.php3?body=docs/user-guide.html

 

[PRPhx]

How large is your SATA drive? Could be, that if it is over 137 Gig, ME won't like it.

You might also have to back up your data, reformat your drives, then install ME first. Then XP. You can install the OS's to what ever partition you want. Part of the problem may be that the IDE controller and the SATA controller conflict with each other.

I've had the same problem installing XP on a SATA drive with a secondary IDE drive. Removed the IDE drive and XP wouldn't boot. Also, when installing XP, Xp way want some free space on the IDE drive.

Instaling OS's with both an IDE drive and a SATA drive is very possible. However it can be tricky and sometimes the aggrivation it causes may not be overally worth the trouble.