[NTLUG:Discuss] Dual Boot with MS2K & XP

[Bryan J. Smith]

On Sun, 2004-09-12 at 11:55, MadHat wrote:
> http://www.google.com/linux?num=30&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF
> -8&safe=off&q=Dual+boot+windows.XP+linux&btnG=Google+Search

He wants to boot _two_ versions of NT, not Linux and NT.
Most of those hits are nothing of the sort.

In a nutshell, if you know how the BIOS assigns disks, how the NT MBR
(disk) and bootstrap/NTLDR (partition) work and other details, you
should be able to have LILO or GRUB "hide/mark" partitions as
active/non-active so the it is properly fooled.

I highly recommend you _never_ attempt to use the same bootstrap/NTLDR
with the same BOOT.INI for two different NT versions.

Unlike Linux, _not_ even NT was _ever_ designed to be dual-booted with
itself.  At the most, the bootstrap/NTLDR supports loading an
alternative 512 byte bootstrap for DOS (and Linux, if you know what you
are doing).  I don't even recommend that, because if the installation of
NT that provides the bootstrap/NTLDR screws up, you're toast.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith                                  b.j.smith at ieee.org 
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