Sample boot .ini
Sample Boot.iniThis is a sample of a default Boot.ini file from a Windows XP computer.
One O/S loaded on one hard drive.
disk is 0 - that is not the letter allocated by windows that is the disk as shown in computer management - disk management
windows is on 1st partition of disk, OR there is ONLY one partition.
[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" /fastdetect
This is a sample of the above Boot.ini file after adding another partition running Windows
Still only on ONE disk, but now with a second partition
NOTE rdisk has not changed.
Default operating system is the one loaded on partition 1.
and will load by default after a timeout of 30 seconds, if on boot you do not choose the other O/S - in this example it is as yours XP.
[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" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP" /fastdetect
So briefly I was trying to explain WHY it did not work when you, asked this, but then did it before anyone had chance to reply
do i change the "red zero" to a "1" then save it, to make the systen use the other H-D on startup ??
This may help
About Editing Boot.iniBe careful with your typing when you edit Boot.ini. And remember that
spaces are as important as content.
A few examples:
bootcfg /rebuild uses correct syntax.
bootcfg/rebuild is wrong - space is missing
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect uses correct syntax
multi(0) disk(0) rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect is wrong - spaces are used when they should not be
multi()disk()rdisk()partition()\directory="menu text"
in Boot.ini's ARC path on x86-based computersThese define the location where that Windows XP/2K/NT's folders/files are installed i.e. the OS
boot partition. Each line must be a complete line (no Word Wrap), and must be exactly correct! Otherwise you are likely to get 'Hall.dll', or other error, indication the Windows can not be found. The Bootcfg /rebuild command normally handles a Boot.ini creation quite efficiently. Occasionally user intervention is required or preferred.
multi() The multi() syntax indicates to Windows that it should rely on the computer's BIOS to load system files. It's virtually always set to
0 (zero). If the SCSI() notation is used instead of multi() it indicates that Windows will load a boot device driver (NTBOOTDD.SYS) and use that driver to access the boot partition.
disk() This is always 0 when multi(0) is used because the INT 13 call is involked. If scsi() is used then the number will be the SCSI ID of the target disk.
For the vast majority of users the correct syntax will be multi(0)disk(0).
rdisk() rdisk() refers to physical hard disks and starts counting from
0. Therefore rdisk(
1) refers to a
second disk.
Every hard disk counts, not just disks with OSs installed.
The Primary Master hard disk is always rdisk(0).
If a Primary Slave exists, it has priority over any Secondary disk(s).
If a Secondary Master exists, it has priority over a Secondary Slave.
A number is allocated to each partition in the order that they occur on the hard disk specified by rdisk(). It starts counting from
1, and Primary partitions on that disk are counted first..
Therefore partition(
2) is the
second Primary partition on the disk.
rdisk(0)partition(1) refers to the
first hard disk and its
first partition. An example of the
third partition on a
second hard disk would be
rdisk(1)partition(3).
\directory Directory is the name of the installation directory of that Windows. The default is WINDOWS for Windows XP.
NOTE
You should exercise caution, I seem to be always saying this to you.
But it is only to provide you with the best advice.
That is why I stressed the caution requirement when you created the topic about building your new system.
In this case, of the dual boot, the issue is that one of the installations came from another computer
then i purchased another old system that needed parts replaced in it, to be able to function. it came with it's own HD with the same operating system as what i had. so i ended up with two HD's with the same operating system in this old thing.
the fact that THIS drive is installed in the computer and can be accessed, as you would EVEN if Windows was not installed on it, does NOT mean that it will boot and load windows on this computer - as all the drivers installed when the system was setup will not be for this computer.
and I am not certain from which drive you are now loading windows.
That is WHY I have not examined your attached disk management
The best advice is enter BIOS, change boot priority to the hard drive you mention.
Leave the other hard drive as second boot device
See what happens.
and finally with respect, but again trying to provide the best service to you - sooner or later you are going to get yourself into problem areas.
I admire your quest for more knowledge.
However your working everyday computer is NOT the one on which to experiment.