Modifying boot.ini

[peet]

Have a IDE and a SATA hard drive. How do I modify boot.ini so I can select which drive to boot to?

 

[peet]

The 2 hdd's have the same OS, win2kpro.

 

[P5-133XL]

Could you please post your current boot.ini file. It is far easier to tell you what to modify, if we can see the specifics of what is being modified.

Basicly it should look something like this if your SATA drivers emulate IDE drives:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect

or it may be like the following, if your SATA drivers emulate SCSI:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect
multi(1)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect

Here is a reasonable tutorial on the syntax of the boot.ini file: Boot.ini tutorial

As a strong suggestion: First copy the original boot ini to a floppy so that it can be restored by using the remote console, if necessary. Also, Do not change what you have that works, rather use copy/paste to append extra lines. Then try out the extra lines (choices). Edit only the extra lines added and never the original text. Then when everything works, you can strip out any unecessary lines. The point of this is to ensure you don't accidentilly make your system unbootable by an accidental edit.

 

[peet]

boot.ini;

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal

Plextools Professional is the software for my Plextor SATA DVD r/w drive. The drive is connected to SATA pin 2. Maxtor 250gb SATA hdd is on SATA pin 1. Seagate 80gb IDE hdd is on IDE 1 connector. Nothing is on IDE connector 2. Win2kPro is on both hard drives. BIOS boot sequence is floppy, HDD0, SCSI.

 

[P5-133XL]

boot.ini;

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal

Plextools Professional is the software for my Plextor SATA DVD r/w drive. The drive is connected to SATA pin 2. Maxtor 250gb SATA hdd is on SATA pin 1. Seagate 80gb IDE hdd is on IDE 1 connector. Nothing is on IDE connector 2. Win2kPro is on both hard drives. BIOS boot sequence is floppy, HDD0, SCSI.

If your SATA drivers emulate IDE drives it will look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="IDE Drive -- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="SATA Drive -- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal

If your SATA drivers emulate SCSI drives, it will look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="IDE Drive -- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(1)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="SATA Drive -- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal

I really don't know if your SATA drivers emulate SCSI or IDE, so I can't pick which will work for you and which won't. Note, I did not change what you already have for your boot.ini, All I did was two new lines: one pointing to the ide drive and the second one pointing to the SATA drive. If during testing, all three selections work on the menu, then you can feel safer about editing what was previously there. Specificly, you may want to change the labels; delete the original line that pointed to the IDE drive (so that there are only two choices); or changing the default to point to the SATA drive.

Please, do only one change at a time and then test to make sure everything still works before making another change in the boot.ini file. You really don''t want to make a mistake that prevents booting. Multiple simultanous changes drasticly increase the odds of making your system unbootable.

I am assuming, that while SCSI drives are in your boot order, you actually don't have any operating.

Also, since you have multiple installations, you may want to enter Drive manager in each installation and make the other installation invisible by removing its drive letter.

 

[Bozo]

There is a problem here. Win2K should have setup the dual boot menu automatically.
It sounds like there might be two Boot.ini files, one on each hard drive.

Right???

Bozo :joker:

 

[P5-133XL]

If so, then he can cut & paste the two together to get one that will work because the syntax for the SATA drive will be contained in its Boot.ini and the syntax for the IDE drive will be contained on its drive.

 

[peet]

Don't know if this will help but the driver for the SATA (SCSI) drive is -> Silicon Image Sil 3112 SATA RAID controller for windows.

Motherboard;

http://abit-usa.com/products/mb/techspec.php?categories=1&model=124

 

[P5-133XL]

No it doesn't: I don't know how the specific drivers are written and that is the question. Gimmie a break -- There are only two choices to try.

 

[Mercutio]

The Sil device isn't going to be integrated into the motherboard, so it'll more than likely be

multi(2)disk(0)rdisk(0 or 1)partition(1)

multi(0) would be the Primary IDE channel,
multi(1) would be the secondary IDE channel
multi(2) will be for whatever additional disk controller he has.

rdisk refers to the position on the channel - normally master or slave on an IDE drive, but for SATA on a normal controller it could be 0 - 3, depending on which port the drive is actually plugged in to.

 

[peet]

boot.ini for IDE drive:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
-------------------------------------------

boot.ini for SATA drive:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
---------------------------------------------

Change boot.ini on IDE drive to (no change to boot.ini of SATA hdd);

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Restart and select 2nd OS and system boots to it.
Restart and select 1st OS and get blue screen with: *** Stop: 0x0000007B(0x81E6FCB0, 0x000..........

Revert system with GoBack Deluxe and undo boot.ini change.
-----------------------------------------------------

Change boot.ini on IDE drive to (no change to boot.ini of SATA hdd);

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(1)disk(0)rdisk()partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Restart and select 2nd OS and get: Windows 2000 could not start because of computer disk hardware configuration problem.
Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.
Restart and select 1st OS and system boots to it.

Revert system with GoBack Deluxe and undo boot.ini change.

BIOS boot sequence, floppy, HDD0, HDD1.

 

[Mercutio]

You should only have ONE boot.ini file on your machine. One. Not Two. You make the change in one place - whichever drive your computer is configured to boot from.

Usually that means your primary master IDE drive.

If you copied and pasted the contents of your boot.ini file, there is at least one point where you don't include a full ARC path.

multi(1)disk(0)rdisk()partition(1)\WINNT="Microsof t Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

needs to be

multi(1)disk(0)rdisk(0 or 1 depending)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsof t Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Also, I still suspect that you're going to need multi() set to 2 before your second windows install will boot.

You might want to do a little reading about the Windows boot process. Google is your friend.

Also, Adobe Goback is the opposite of a friend. It is like a demon from hell. A kitten-raping pedophile demon from hell.

 

[peet]

Thanks for the correction. Will try the suggestions. So my BIOS sequence should have only the IDE hdd (You should only have ONE boot.ini file on your machine. One. Not Two. You make the change in one place - whichever drive your computer is configured to boot from.) ?
Using Roxio GoBack Deluxe.:drl:

 

[peet]

Can I delete boot.ini file on other hdd by just removing its contents and leaving it empty?

 

[peet]

boot.ini for IDE drive: worked; deleted contents of SATA hdd boot.ini file;


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Didn't work. Could not boot to SATA hdd.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(1)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(2)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Thanks for your help.

 

[peet]

Getting stop error with blue screen when boot to IDE drive. Can't boot to SATA drive (drive's boot.ini file was emptied).
Had booted to SATA drive and scandsk ran automatically. It corrected error in journal file (SATA drive info in boot.ini does not have NOGUIBOOt).
Then tried to boot to IDE drive. Got blue screen with stop error (drives info in boot.ini file has NOGUIBOOT.:cheese:

 

[P5-133XL]

I don't understand, I'm totally confused. Booting to both was working, right? At somepoint, things happened and it stopped working, for one, and then more things happened the other the other stopped working too.

Now you can't boot to the SATA drive (What's the error message) because the boot.ini is messed up and you can't boot to the ide drive because of a bluescreen? You somehow booted to the SATA drive, ran Chkdisk on the IDE drive and if fixed a journal entry, but now the boot.ini file is messed up?

So what happended between everything working and nothing working and please try to be clear in the timeline and the processes.

 

[peet]

Could boot to both hard drives. Then booted to SATA drive (second in OS selection list) and chkdisk ran automatically. It fixed error(s) in journal file, and system booted to that drive.
Next I restarted the machine and tried to boot to the IDE drive (first in OS selection list). Got blue screen with stop message and some memory addresses. It gave some troubleshooting instructions including to run chkdisk. I don't know how to run chkdisk. Inserted emergency repair disk into floppy drive and restarted machine. DOS boot message screen ran and stopped part of the way.

Restarted and tried to boot to SATA drive again. Got this message:

Windows 2000 could not start because of computer disk hardware configuration problem.
Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

So I can't boot to any of the hard drives. Made no change to the final boot.ini file. SATA drive boot.ini file contents were deleted instead of deleting the file itself so only IDE drive has boot.ini data.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microso ft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect/ NOGUIBOOT /PlexTools Professinal
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microso ft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect :cheese:

 

[peet]

The only thing that happened between everything working and nothing working is that Chkdisk ran automatically and fixed error(s) in journal file when I booted to the SATA hard drive on one occasion. After errors were fixed sytem continued and booted to SATA drive. I restarted and tried to boot to the IDE drive and got a blue screen with stop message and memory addresses (first time that this happened). I restared and tried to boot to the SATA hard drive again and got this message:

Windows 2000 could not start because of computer disk hardware configuration problem.
Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

Booting to IDE drive just gives me a blue screen with stop message. Trying SATA drive gives error stated above.

 

[Mercutio]

peet, it's a process of elimination. You just need to keep trying different options. Eventually you'll hit the right one. There's not much else I can say than that.

 

[Bozo]

I can't see how you got two boot.ini files. Windows 200 will automatically make a dual boot menu for you.
At this point you have nothing to lose. so...

Disconnect the IDE drive. Then boot from your 2000 CD. Add drivers when promted. After you agree to the EULA, you should say "looking for previous version of Windows" or something similar. If it finds your original install, it will give you the option to repair it. Select repair and follow the instructions. If it does not find the original install, delete all partitions and do a clean install. This can be done from the CD install program.
When install #1 is up and running, shut the computer down. Connect the IDE hard drive and leave the SATA drive attached. Boot from the CD and make sure to press F6 and load your SATA drivers again.
When you get to the partition page, delete the partitions on the IDE drive. (Be careful here, make sure you are on the IDE drive) Then create a partition on the IDE drive and install the OS there.
When all is said and done, you should be presented with a menu at boot-up that ask which OS you want to boot from.

Bozo :joker:

 

[P5-133XL]

An emergency repair disk is not used the way you used it: You can't just boot to it. To use an emergency repair disk, you would have had to boot to the OS CD and select repair: At which, you would have inserted the repair disk(s) at OS's prompting.

If you actually did successfully use the emergency repair disk(s), then it would have replaced the boot.ini file with whatever boot.ini file was when the emergency disk had been created and if that was before you modified the boot.ini file, then the modified file has been replaced with the original. There is also the issue of: Do you know if the emergency disks you used were created for the IDE install, of the SATA install?

Just as an incidental, since you can't boot to either drive how did you examine the boot.ini files of either drive?

As a solution for at least the SATA drive install, have you tried to Rebuild the Boot.ini file.

 

[P5-133XL]

I can't see how you got two boot.ini files. Windows 200 will automatically make a dual boot menu for you.

Bozo :joker:

Bozo, you can get independant boot.ini files if both installs, were done when the other drive was disconnected. In this case, there were early issues with not loading the SATA drivers which will also make the SATA drive invisible to the OS during the IDE install. So, my point is, it is possible, to mess around with Windows' creating the automated dual-boot entries into the boot.ini.

 

[peet]

Bozo - Got 2 boot.ini files because had 1 hard drive originally, the I
DE. Then recently installed a new Maxtor SATA drive. Installation software asked if I wanted to put contents of existing drive to new drive. Said yes and copied info. It then asked if I wanted to make new drive bootable. Said yes. So had 2 drives with the same info (OS win2kpro). Modified boot.ini files so I could select which drive to boot to without having to disconnect one drive.
Will try the steps you suggest.

P5-133XL - I was able to boot to both hard drives before this incident. Had to disconnect one drive to do so. Opened boot.ini files of each drive with notepad while booted to the respective drive. Boot.ini was modified to select boot drive without having to disconnect one of the hard drives. See earlier posts of this thread. I can't rebuild the SATA boot.ini file because I can't boot to that drive to access its' boot.ini. Will check the info on your link. Thanks.

 

[P5-133XL]

If you can boot to each drive individually, then you can simply replace the boot.ini files on the respective drives with the one that was modified and is in this thread.

 

[peet]

P5-133XL - I notice that the Boo.ini file link applies to winxp. Using win2kpro.

 

[Bozo]

Somewhere along the line I missed the fact that he did one drive and copied the install with the Maxtor software.

I still think you should hose that mess and do it right.

Who mentioned a Emergency Repair Disk. I thought those died with NT

Bozo :joker:

 

[P5-133XL]

The operating systems are the same in this: Don't worry about it.

 

[P5-133XL]

Somewhere along the line I missed the fact that he did one drive and copied the install with the Maxtor software.

I still think you should hose that mess and do it right.

Who mentioned a Emergency Repair Disk. I thought those died with NT

Bozo :joker:

No, emergency disks still exist, though their usefullness has always been suspect. The gods that be (M$), simply made their creation obscure in the extreme. You now make them inside the backup program. Don't ask me why, because I have no idea.

Further, I have no idea how Peet could have figured out how to create them, especially since he doesn't know how to use them. Regardless, Peet said he tried booting from them, so he must have made a set.

 

[P5-133XL]

I still think you should hose that mess and do it right.

Bozo :joker:

He may actually end up needing to, but we aren't there yet...

 

[.Nut]

No, emergency disks still exist, though their usefullness has always been suspect...

From Windows 2003.....



Automated System Recovery Wizard

The ASR wizard helps you create a two-part backup from your system: A floppy disc that has your system settings, and other media that contains a backup of your local system partition.

 

[Bozo]

From Windows 2003.....



Automated System Recovery Wizard

The ASR wizard helps you create a two-part backup from your system: A floppy disc that has your system settings, and other media that contains a backup of your local system partition.

Cool! Learn something everyday.
I usually use the repair built into the install CD.

Bozo :joker:

 

[peet]

Disconnected IDE drive and was able to boot to SATA hdd.

Quote:
Bozo
When install #1 is up and running, shut the computer down. Connect the IDE hard drive and leave the SATA drive attached. Boot from the CD and make sure to press F6 and load your SATA drivers again.
When you get to the partition page, delete the partitions on the IDE drive. (Be careful here, make sure you are on the IDE drive) Then create a partition on the IDE drive and install the OS there.
Quote:

I would like to keep the info on IDE drive. Is this possible?

 

[Bozo]

With both of your drives hooked up, boot from the 2000 CD. Load the SATA drivers when prompted. After you agree to the EULA, the install program will look for previous windows installs. If it finds both, it will ask if you want to repair the present install. Select the install on the IDE drive and do a repair.
I am not sure how you will be able to tell which 2000 install is on the IDE drive as I have not run into this situation before.

Bozo :joker:

 

[peet]

Trying to boot to IDE drive and backup info. If disconnect IDE drive can boot to SATA drive. When both drives connectted (don't boot from OS CD) get option to select which hdd to boot to. If select 1st OS, tries to boot to IDE drive and get blue screen with Stop error. If selcect 2nd OS tries to boot to SATA hdd and get message:

Windows 2000 could not start because of computer disk hardware configuration problem.
Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

Boot with both drives connectted (boot from OS CD) and choose to repair OS. Press C for Recovery Console. Get:

The path or file specified is not valid
C:\>

Boot with both hdds' connected and press F8 (safe mode). Can't get to safe mode, have blue screen with Stop error.

Didn't use emergency repair disk because don't know which hard drive it was made from. Disk has 3 files (autoexec.nt, config.nt, setup-notepad) . Setup has a lot of WINNT file info. Don't know if I can determine the particular hard drive from this.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Part of setup:

[Paths]
TargetDirectory = "\WINNT"
TargetDevice = "\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1"
SystemPartitionDirectory = "\"
SystemPartition = "\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1"
[Signature]
Version = "WinNt5.0"
[Files.SystemPartition]
NTDETECT.COM = "NTDETECT.COM","f41f"
ntldr = "ntldr","3e8b5"
arcsetup.exe = "arcsetup.exe","379db"
arcldr.exe = "arcldr.exe","2eca9"
[Files.WinNt]
\WINNT\system32\drivers\kbdclass.sys = "kbdclass.sys","e259"
\WINNT\system32\drivers\mouclass.sys = "mouclass.sys","7e78"
\WINNT\syst

 

[P5-133XL]

If you can boot to the IDE drive when it is seperate from the SATA drive and it blue screens with the SATA drive attached, then boot to the IDE drive while seperate and uninstall/reinstall the SATA drivers. With a little luck that will fix the blue-screen problem when the SATA drive is attached.

 

[Bozo]

There are TWO repair options on the CD. The first one is the one you selected and got the repair consul. The second one is After you agree to the license agreement (pressF8 if you agree....).
You don't need the repair floppies either. The second repair will rebuild the operating system with losing your data.

Bozo :joker:

 

[ddrueding]

There are TWO repair options on the CD. The first one is the one you selected and got the repair consul. The second one is After you agree to the license agreement (pressF8 if you agree....).
You don't need the repair floppies either. The second repair will rebuild the operating system with losing your data.

Bozo :joker:

He meant without losing your data!

 

[Bozo]

Yes, I meant Without

Also, you will have to reinstall any service packs and updates you had previously installed.

Bozo :joker:

 

[peet]

There are TWO repair options on the CD. The first one is the one you selected and got the repair consul. The second one is After you agree to the license agreement (pressF8 if you agree....).
You don't need the repair floppies either. The second repair will rebuild the operating system with losing your data.

Bozo :joker:

I don't see a repair option after I agree to the user licence. After EULA Windows 2000 Setup shows a list of the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on the computer. There are options to:

Setup the OS on the selected partition by pressing Enter.
Create a partition in the unpartitioned space by pressing C.
Delete the selected partition by pressing D.

I pressed Enter and message says - Windows 2000 cannot recognize the partition you selected. Setup cannot install windows 2000 on this partition.........

The above message appeared when the SATA hard drive was disconnected and only the IDE hdd is connected.