Solve : Another Dual Boot question?

1.	Solve : Another Dual Boot question?
Answer» My mobo is a Gigabyte MA790XXT-UD4P. Is this capapble of booting from more than ONE hard drive? If so how do I set it up so that I get a boot menu asking me which version to boot? I have windows 7 Ultimate on one hard drive and Windows XP Professional (both full retail version). It was my understanding that both OS's had to be installed on one drive, the oldest installed on the first partition. Right now I manually plug in and unplug the power and data cables depending on which OS I want to boot.You could hook up both drives and use the BIOS to determine which one boots at startup...Quote from: RudeDawg on November 28, 2009, 07:01:07 PM It was my understanding that both OS's had to be installed on one drive, the oldest installed on the first partition. Not necessarily. Two hard drives can be used for this. Quote from: RudeDawg on November 28, 2009, 07:01:07 PM Right now I manually plug in and unplug the power and data cables depending on which OS I want to boot. How did you install the two OS's? See this reference, which should apply to XP and Windows 7, same as for XP and Vista: How do I... Install Windows Vista in a dual-boot configuration along with Windows XP?I installed 7 first. During installation I missed the opportunity to create extra partitions so 7 got the full 320 Gb on that disk. A week later I wanted to see how XP would work on a machine powerful enough to let it run free. Knowing how to partition with XP I set up 2x 80 Gb partitons on the second 320 Gb disk, one each for XP and 7 leaving the remainder intactfor storage. I then installed XP on the first 80 Gb partition.Quote from: RudeDawg on November 29, 2009, 09:49:58 AM Knowing how to partition with XP I set up 2x 80 Gb partitons on the second 320 Gb disk, one each for XP and 7 leaving the remainder intactfor storage. I then installed XP on the first 80 Gb partition. OK, if you disconnect the other HD, you should be able to install Windows 7 on the second 80GB partition of the HD on which you already have Win XP installed. That should create a dual boot setup that provides you the choice of OS when STARTING your computer. The screen that SHOWS the two OS would be SHOWING the Win 7 you installed on the second 80GB partition of the HD on which you already have Win XP installed. At this point, if you have no interest in keeping Win 7 on the other HD, you could delete it and use the full drive for storage.Great! Thanx for the advice. After using 7 for 2 weeks methinks me will end up keeping the dual boot. 7 just doesn't impress me as much as it frustrates me!Have a great day!Not sure what this means but Good LUCK....Quote from: RudeDawg on November 29, 2009, 02:46:20 PM Great! Thanx for the advice. After using 7 for 2 weeks methinks me will end up keeping the dual boot. 7 just doesn't impress me as much as it frustrates me!Have a great day! Hmm ..., you're not impressed with Win 7 and it frustrates you but you think you'll keep it, right?

Answer»

My mobo is a Gigabyte MA790XXT-UD4P. Is this capapble of booting from more than ONE hard drive? If so how do I set it up so that I get a boot menu asking me which version to boot? I have windows 7 Ultimate on one hard drive and Windows XP Professional (both full retail version).
It was my understanding that both OS's had to be installed on one drive, the oldest installed on the first partition.
Right now I manually plug in and unplug the power and data cables depending on which OS I want to boot.You could hook up both drives and use the BIOS to determine which one boots at startup...Quote from: RudeDawg on November 28, 2009, 07:01:07 PM

It was my understanding that both OS's had to be installed on one drive, the oldest installed on the first partition.

Not necessarily. Two hard drives can be used for this.

Quote from: RudeDawg on November 28, 2009, 07:01:07 PM

Right now I manually plug in and unplug the power and data cables depending on which OS I want to boot.

How did you install the two OS's? See this reference, which should apply to XP and Windows 7, same as for XP and Vista: How do I... Install Windows Vista in a dual-boot configuration along with Windows XP?I installed 7 first. During installation I missed the opportunity to create extra partitions so 7 got the full 320 Gb on that disk. A week later I wanted to see how XP would work on a machine powerful enough to let it run free. Knowing how to partition with XP I set up 2x 80 Gb partitons on the second 320 Gb disk, one each for XP and 7 leaving the remainder intactfor storage. I then installed XP on the first 80 Gb partition.Quote from: RudeDawg on November 29, 2009, 09:49:58 AM

Knowing how to partition with XP I set up 2x 80 Gb partitons on the second 320 Gb disk, one each for XP and 7 leaving the remainder intactfor storage. I then installed XP on the first 80 Gb partition.

OK, if you disconnect the other HD, you should be able to install Windows 7 on the second 80GB partition of the HD on which you already have Win XP installed. That should create a dual boot setup that provides you the choice of OS when STARTING your computer. The screen that SHOWS the two OS would be SHOWING the Win 7 you installed on the second 80GB partition of the HD on which you already have Win XP installed. At this point, if you have no interest in keeping Win 7 on the other HD, you could delete it and use the full drive for storage.Great! Thanx for the advice. After using 7 for 2 weeks methinks me will end up keeping the dual boot. 7 just doesn't impress me as much as it frustrates me!Have a great day!Not sure what this means but Good LUCK....Quote from: RudeDawg on November 29, 2009, 02:46:20 PM

Great! Thanx for the advice. After using 7 for 2 weeks methinks me will end up keeping the dual boot. 7 just doesn't impress me as much as it frustrates me!Have a great day!

Hmm ..., you're not impressed with Win 7 and it frustrates you but you think you'll keep it, right?

Solve : Another Dual Boot question?

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