varangian
February 5th, 2010, 12:49 PM
For completeness here's the history that got me to this point:
Stage 1
/dev/sda - disk with XP OS, set to be first boot disk in BIOS
/dev/sdb - a small data disk to supplement sda
/dev/sdc - disk with Ubuntu 7.10
This setup worked find, GRUB dual booting as you'd expect.
Stage 2
Disks setup as 1 but /dev/sdc now re-partitioned somewhat better than before and with Ubuntu 9.10 clean installed onto it.
This still dual booted but, as covered in numerous other threads here, GRUB2 was very slow to load the menu as it was not located on the boot disk.
Stage 3
/dev/sdb removed and replaced by a larger disk that was setup with a couple of NTFS partitions and the rest EXT4 as a data partition for Karmic. Windows 7 was then installed onto /dev/sdb.
W7's boot loader, as expected, noticed the earlier Windows version and ignored Ubuntu. It offered the option of booting XP which I assumed would have worked though I never actually tested that. However, as Ubuntu is my working OS and I only have the Windows OS's for playing games, I swiftly grabbed the Karmic live CD and re-installed GRUB2. I took this opportunity to put GRUB2 onto /dev/sdc and then set this disk to be the first boot HD in the BIOS.
At first glance this all seemed to be working fine. GRUB2 had noticed the W7 boot loader on /dev/sda and the delay loading the GRUB menu had vanished. Windows 7 would boot OK and its loader offered the option to boot XP if I wanted it, or so it seemed. However, once I'd finished setting up W7 and had some reason to boot XP I ran into what is, I assume, a failure in the way Microsoft do boot loaders. Following their usual tendency to re-boot at every possible opportunity selecting that option just took me back into the GRUB menu.
The ideal would to have both XP and W7 as options to boot from in the GRUB menu, though if I had to get to XP via a W7 boot loader (if such a thing is possible) that would OK. Eventually I'll phase out XP but for the moment it would be handy to have it around. I've got one method in mind to get there:
- use the XP install disk to put its own loader back onto /dev/sda.
- re-install W7 on /dev/sdb but this time have /dev/sda temporarily disconnected and set sdb as the first boot disk so that W7 won't see the XP installation. I've no investment in W7 or vital data on /dev/sdb so I can mess around with these areas as much as I like.
- reconnect /dev/sda, set /dev/sdc as the first boot disk again and, once Karmic has been booted, get GRUB to rescan and refresh its menu.
However I'm no expert when it comes to multi-boot setups so if there's anyone who can tell me:
a) Will the above approach work?
b) If there's a better way of doing it in the first place?
I'll be grateful for any advice.
Stage 1
/dev/sda - disk with XP OS, set to be first boot disk in BIOS
/dev/sdb - a small data disk to supplement sda
/dev/sdc - disk with Ubuntu 7.10
This setup worked find, GRUB dual booting as you'd expect.
Stage 2
Disks setup as 1 but /dev/sdc now re-partitioned somewhat better than before and with Ubuntu 9.10 clean installed onto it.
This still dual booted but, as covered in numerous other threads here, GRUB2 was very slow to load the menu as it was not located on the boot disk.
Stage 3
/dev/sdb removed and replaced by a larger disk that was setup with a couple of NTFS partitions and the rest EXT4 as a data partition for Karmic. Windows 7 was then installed onto /dev/sdb.
W7's boot loader, as expected, noticed the earlier Windows version and ignored Ubuntu. It offered the option of booting XP which I assumed would have worked though I never actually tested that. However, as Ubuntu is my working OS and I only have the Windows OS's for playing games, I swiftly grabbed the Karmic live CD and re-installed GRUB2. I took this opportunity to put GRUB2 onto /dev/sdc and then set this disk to be the first boot HD in the BIOS.
At first glance this all seemed to be working fine. GRUB2 had noticed the W7 boot loader on /dev/sda and the delay loading the GRUB menu had vanished. Windows 7 would boot OK and its loader offered the option to boot XP if I wanted it, or so it seemed. However, once I'd finished setting up W7 and had some reason to boot XP I ran into what is, I assume, a failure in the way Microsoft do boot loaders. Following their usual tendency to re-boot at every possible opportunity selecting that option just took me back into the GRUB menu.
The ideal would to have both XP and W7 as options to boot from in the GRUB menu, though if I had to get to XP via a W7 boot loader (if such a thing is possible) that would OK. Eventually I'll phase out XP but for the moment it would be handy to have it around. I've got one method in mind to get there:
- use the XP install disk to put its own loader back onto /dev/sda.
- re-install W7 on /dev/sdb but this time have /dev/sda temporarily disconnected and set sdb as the first boot disk so that W7 won't see the XP installation. I've no investment in W7 or vital data on /dev/sdb so I can mess around with these areas as much as I like.
- reconnect /dev/sda, set /dev/sdc as the first boot disk again and, once Karmic has been booted, get GRUB to rescan and refresh its menu.
However I'm no expert when it comes to multi-boot setups so if there's anyone who can tell me:
a) Will the above approach work?
b) If there's a better way of doing it in the first place?
I'll be grateful for any advice.