Ok a friend of mine gave me a computer(emachines t2682).I have Emachines C2881. The old one(t2682) have a HDD of 40GB and 256 of memory.The computer wasnt starting up but it was just some cables were broken in the power button, but i installed the memory and hdd over the new one.I found they both have something called boot.ini the one from my new computer (C2881) says
[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="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

The other one says
[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="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

So ones professional edition xp the other is home edition xp.I wanna recover some data from some user in the professional edition so i gotta boot from professional right probably in safe mode because drive are different.
The 40 GB have only 5GB used.I wanna triple boot with ubunto is their is a way to first configure to dual boot professional and home with boot.ini. And then deleated all xp pro and dual-boot with linux and xp home.Or triple boot.. how can i configure multiple boot and so that went I start my computer i press F8 and select another Os from there.Can it be done with boot.ini..
Also i notice they both say default is that bad it always start with home edition

This post has been edited by Canorro: Mar 21 2008, 12:46 AM

It can't be done wit boot.ini. You will have to do it with the GRUB bootloader that comes with Linux. There are some third party boot loaders as well.

I think you biggest challenge is going to be removing XP home from the system without damaging other files.

This post has been edited by Titan8990: Mar 21 2008, 07:47 AM

You can modify the boot.ini on the master drive were the first MBR will be read. Add the line "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect"

[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="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

But you'll have a problem. The hardware for the old eMachine is not the same as the newer one and you can have issues with detection. Second the Windows Activation will probably scream about the change in hardware.

These are OEM versions of windows and only licensed for one machine. Though XP pro didn't come on a emachines t2682.

If you get past the hardware issues GRUB will load Linux and give you the option to use the modified Boot.ini to boot Windows.

I want to remove Xp pro.I will just re-format it after i get some files from it.


So if i modifi it like that it shall be able to apear in boot os options.I know windows will say it not a legal copy but i know a hack that you can make it legal but i dont care about that(because i will format it and install linux) what im worried about the drivers and seems t2682 was modifi because the motherboard didnt macth, the HDD was suppost to be 80Gb and it seems they re-installed win xp pro in it but since they dont know much about computer thats why they gift it to me.
Also
[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="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Are you sure this will work because i have 3 HDD Main one is (C: master) 80GB with WinXp home,New ones 40GB(Slave F:) and external 200GB (drive L:).I want it to always bott into Xp home but if i press F8 go into os choices select others if it can be done thank you

The Boot.ini will read the HDDs according to the CMOS in the BIOS. Since your doing away with XP Pro I wouldn't worry about how to boot Windows. A Linux install will install either LILO or GRUB and most modern distros will auto detect other Operating Systems. I've rarely had issues with loading new systems and keeping Windows bootable.

OK it work still it doesnt start xp pro.Also I have Ubunto and Fedora which one do you suggest>?
Im re-formating the xp-pro hdd after you tell me the one then deleated that line of .I manage to recover some file.
I like how both ubunto and fedora seems thats why i have both live Cd.


This post has been edited by Canorro: Mar 22 2008, 04:32 PM

I'm a Debian fan. That said I'm not an Ubuntu fan. It has some habits that just irritate me. It is good for a beginner and I'm hearing very good things about Hearty Heron (8.04 Beta). For several years now SimplyMepis has been my day to day work horse and the version I've had installed the longest is Ubuntu based. The test system I ran the last Fedora on was a nice experience. It did a good job of detecting the OS's I had installed but I managed to blow up my Xconf and just didn't feel like repairing it(to many other things going at the time) As a single Distro install I'd go with Ubuntu. It's solid and does a good job for most day to day task and it plays well with Windows.

Ok i installed Ubunto Hardy works well detected my windows xp partions exported some bookmarks for now.Everythings fine gotta get around sudo's commands.I understand them but installing some program i get stuck.Also i think i once saw a mac that uses sudos are they related?
Thanks for the info

Sudo is one of the things I don't care for in Ubuntu. It's not that it is any different than the way I administer My systems and I understand the security reasons for sudo but "It Is My Computer" and if I choose to hose it by allowing root access, the quote says it all. That I haven't been able to keep the desktop mangers from blowing up in a multi-boot environment doesn't endear the Ubuntu family of distros to me either.

That is the beauty of Linux, if I don't like a distro I don't have to use it. Let's not forget The real reason we use Linux.