Guest Sumgod Posted July 31, 2007 Posted July 31, 2007 Hello One & All! Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc with a choice of which to boot to. The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the thinking at the mo'). So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. How do I go about doing this? Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free space there is. Also got two external hard drives for data. Options I've considered (having extensively googled): 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. Will this work? I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is mentioned. I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously (though this was on ME!). Many thanks - Chris
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted July 31, 2007 Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... > Hello One & All! > > Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. > > Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc > with a choice of which to boot to. > > The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, > pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). > > The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio > (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got to > say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the > thinking at the mo'). > > So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I > chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. > > How do I go about doing this? > > Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current > OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. When/If > I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free space there > is. Also got two external hard drives for data. > > Options I've considered (having extensively googled): > > 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard > drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the > CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? > > 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. > Will this work? > > I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: > http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm > > Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and drive > letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see link). > The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' the old > XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is mentioned. > > I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account > specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user > accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously > (though this was on ME!). > > Many thanks - Chris There are several ways to do this. One of them works like so: - Ask your friendly computer dealer for an old disk. 4 GBtyes will do very nicely. - Make it your primary master disk and install the free boot loader XOSL on it. - Reconnect your existing disk as a slave disk. - Add your existing WinXP installation to the XOSL boot menu. - Use Acronis to WinXP to your second partition. - Instruct XOSL to hide the two installations from each other. When it's finished and done you will have two completely independent and mutually invisible installations of WinXP on your disk. You can select each at boot time. Each will run off its own drive C:. There is, of course, a certain amount of detail work to be carried out. Post again if you wish to go down this track and need more details. By the way, your disks are getting dangerously full. You should have at least 20% spare capacity on each partition.
Guest Anna Posted July 31, 2007 Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... > Hello One & All! > > Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. > > Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc > with a choice of which to boot to. > > The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, > pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). > > The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio > (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got to > say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the > thinking at the mo'). > > So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I > chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. > > How do I go about doing this? > > Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current > OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. When/If > I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free space there > is. Also got two external hard drives for data. > > Options I've considered (having extensively googled): > > 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard > drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the > CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? > > 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. > Will this work? > > I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: > http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm > > Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and drive > letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see link). > The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' the old > XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is mentioned. > > I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account > specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user > accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously > (though this was on ME!). > > Many thanks - Chris Chris: How does this sound to you?... I'll assume you're working with a desktop PC and your hard drives are PATA... First of all, it's not too clear - at least not clear to me - why you just don't multi-partition your HDD along the lines you think practical based upon your anticipated programs & data and let it go at that. Why do you think you need two hard drives with the identical OS installed on each? Is your present disk capacity an issue here? But we'll assume you have good & sufficient reasons for contemplating what you're contemplating! Instead of having two instances of the same XP OP on a single HDD, could you consider purchasing another HDD of whatever capacity you think necessary for the use you have in mind with that secondary drive? With the cost of hard disks getting cheaper nearly every day - down to about 25 cents per GB in today's market - might you consider this? As a matter of fact, since you mentioned that you have two external HDDs (I'm assuming they're USB devices), perhaps you might even consider using one of the drives as the secondary internal HDD assuming, of course, that the disk can be removed from its USB enclosure without any problems. In any event, then after installing your new HDD as a secondary HDD in your system, say as a Slave to your Primary Master HDD or better yet connecting/configuring that secondary HDD as Secondary Master, use your ATI program to clone the contents of your primary HDD to the new drive. Delete from the secondary HDD whatever programs and other data you deem unnecessary, (ensuring, of course, that you still retain a potentially bootable OS on that secondary drive) and install what programs & data you want onto that secondary HDD. So now you'll have two bootable hard drives, each with the same OS but each having different programs & data (for the most part). Presumably the system will boot to the Primary Master HDD (which I'll assume is the drive you would mostly be working with on a day-by-day basis), however, you would be able to boot directly to your "secondary" HDD when needed by accessing the BIOS and selecting that HDD as the bootable drive. The basic advantage to the above configuration is that the operating systems would be physically divorced from each other (for the most part) since they would be residing on separate disks - always a desirable thing when a user desires this type of configuration. However, when booting to one or the other drive, the data on both drives could be accessed. Frankly, in all candor I have to tell you that I'm not at all comfortable with this whole rigmarole. Having to access the BIOS whenever you would want to boot into this or that drive is an awkward technique especially if you're doing this on a common & routine basis. It's workable but not exactly elegant to my way of thinking. What I would much rather have you do - again, assuming that for one reason or another you need identical operating systems on separate hard drives in the same PC - is to use removable hard drives (mobile racks) to achieve this kind of configuration. That would be the *real* way to go. But that's another story... Anna
Guest Sumgod Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message news:OctC%23S60HHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > > "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... >> Hello One & All! >> >> Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. >> >> Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc >> with a choice of which to boot to. >> >> The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, >> pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). >> >> The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio >> (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got >> to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the >> thinking at the mo'). >> >> So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I >> chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. >> >> How do I go about doing this? >> >> Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current >> OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. >> When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free >> space there is. Also got two external hard drives for data. >> >> Options I've considered (having extensively googled): >> >> 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard >> drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the >> CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? >> >> 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. >> Will this work? >> >> I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: >> http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm >> >> Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and >> drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see >> link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' >> the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is >> mentioned. >> >> I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account >> specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user >> accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously >> (though this was on ME!). >> >> Many thanks - Chris > > There are several ways to do this. One of them works like so: > - Ask your friendly computer dealer for an old disk. 4 GBtyes will > do very nicely. > - Make it your primary master disk and install the free boot loader > XOSL on it. > - Reconnect your existing disk as a slave disk. > - Add your existing WinXP installation to the XOSL boot menu. > - Use Acronis to WinXP to your second partition. > - Instruct XOSL to hide the two installations from each other. > > When it's finished and done you will have two completely > independent and mutually invisible installations of WinXP > on your disk. You can select each at boot time. Each will > run off its own drive C:. > > There is, of course, a certain amount of detail work to be > carried out. Post again if you wish to go down this track > and need more details. > > By the way, your disks are getting dangerously full. You should > have at least 20% spare capacity on each partition. > Pegasus, Many thanks for your reply and sharing your knoweldge with me. But why do things have to be so complicated??????? (Banging head against wall!) Time for a rethink. Conclusion: This is not as simple as my naivete assumed it to be (also see Anna's post). So.........turn the problem around. I want to: 1. Play music, edit photographs, burn cds/dvds, access the internet, etc and have the programmes associated with these activities in 'one place'; 2. Record multitrack audio in a 'separate place'. Since recording audio is resource hungry I want to unload as much extraneous (to the recording progs) software as possible. Anna seemed to allude to some way of doing this by mentioning partitions though (relatively) clueless me doesn't quite follow. Got the feeling that the simplest way might be the user account way. But would I be able to unload all the non-necessary progs? Might they be simply hanging about in the background? Again Pegasus thanks for your help. If you can add any pointers based on that and the above I'd be grateful. Regards - Chris
Guest Sumgod Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? "Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message news:O83epI70HHA.5772@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > > "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... >> Hello One & All! >> >> Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. >> >> Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc >> with a choice of which to boot to. >> >> The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, >> pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). >> >> The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio >> (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got >> to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the >> thinking at the mo'). >> >> So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I >> chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. >> >> How do I go about doing this? >> >> Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current >> OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. >> When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free >> space there is. Also got two external hard drives for data. >> >> Options I've considered (having extensively googled): >> >> 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard >> drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the >> CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? >> >> 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. >> Will this work? >> >> I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: >> http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm >> >> Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and >> drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see >> link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' >> the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is >> mentioned. >> >> I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account >> specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user >> accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously >> (though this was on ME!). >> >> Many thanks - Chris > > > Chris: > How does this sound to you?... > > I'll assume you're working with a desktop PC and your hard drives are > PATA... > > First of all, it's not too clear - at least not clear to me - why you just > don't multi-partition your HDD along the lines you think practical based > upon your anticipated programs & data and let it go at that. Why do you > think you need two hard drives with the identical OS installed on each? Is > your present disk capacity an issue here? > > But we'll assume you have good & sufficient reasons for contemplating what > you're contemplating! > > Instead of having two instances of the same XP OP on a single HDD, could > you consider purchasing another HDD of whatever capacity you think > necessary for the use you have in mind with that secondary drive? With the > cost of hard disks getting cheaper nearly every day - down to about 25 > cents per GB in today's market - might you consider this? As a matter of > fact, since you mentioned that you have two external HDDs (I'm assuming > they're USB devices), perhaps you might even consider using one of the > drives as the secondary internal HDD assuming, of course, that the disk > can be removed from its USB enclosure without any problems. > > In any event, then after installing your new HDD as a secondary HDD in > your system, say as a Slave to your Primary Master HDD or better yet > connecting/configuring that secondary HDD as Secondary Master, use your > ATI program to clone the contents of your primary HDD to the new drive. > Delete from the secondary HDD whatever programs and other data you deem > unnecessary, (ensuring, of course, that you still retain a potentially > bootable OS on that secondary drive) and install what programs & data you > want onto that secondary HDD. > > So now you'll have two bootable hard drives, each with the same OS but > each having different programs & data (for the most part). Presumably the > system will boot to the Primary Master HDD (which I'll assume is the drive > you would mostly be working with on a day-by-day basis), however, you > would be able to boot directly to your "secondary" HDD when needed by > accessing the BIOS and selecting that HDD as the bootable drive. > > The basic advantage to the above configuration is that the operating > systems would be physically divorced from each other (for the most part) > since they would be residing on separate disks - always a desirable thing > when a user desires this type of configuration. However, when booting to > one or the other drive, the data on both drives could be accessed. > > Frankly, in all candor I have to tell you that I'm not at all comfortable > with this whole rigmarole. Having to access the BIOS whenever you would > want to boot into this or that drive is an awkward technique especially if > you're doing this on a common & routine basis. It's workable but not > exactly elegant to my way of thinking. What I would much rather have you > do - again, assuming that for one reason or another you need identical > operating systems on separate hard drives in the same PC - is to use > removable hard drives (mobile racks) to achieve this kind of > configuration. That would be the *real* way to go. But that's another > story... > Anna > Anna, Many, many thanks for your extremely detailed, knowledgable and informative reply. I really do appreciate it. One thing you've done (and I appreciate this) is to demonstrate that my naive solution to wanting to record audio separately from other pc activities (i.e. two version of WinXP) is fairly ludicrous and lacking in elegance. Oh well, time to think again! (See my reply to Pegasus - post above) You stated: "why you just don't multi-partition your HDD along the lines you think practical". I'm not sure I follow you totally here Anna. At the moment I have the internal hard drive partitioned into two (C and Recording). The two external usb hard drives are partitioned also to archive data.Ideally what I want to do is separate out the audio recording software from other software )all are currently in C:\Programs) in order that recording can be as efficient and glitch free as possible. Achievable? Thanks again - Chris
Guest M.I.5¾ Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:HJWdnZjtqtz2pi3bnZ2dnUVZ8seinZ2d@bt.com... > > "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message > news:OctC%23S60HHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> >> "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message >> news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... >>> Hello One & All! >>> >>> Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. >>> >>> Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc >>> with a choice of which to boot to. >>> >>> The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, >>> pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). >>> >>> The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio >>> (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got >>> to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the >>> thinking at the mo'). >>> >>> So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I >>> chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. >>> >>> How do I go about doing this? >>> >>> Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current >>> OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. >>> When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free >>> space there is. Also got two external hard drives for data. >>> >>> Options I've considered (having extensively googled): >>> >>> 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard >>> drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from >>> the CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this >>> work? >>> >>> 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. >>> Will this work? >>> >>> I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: >>> http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm >>> >>> Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and >>> drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - >>> see link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to >>> 'see' the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is >>> mentioned. >>> >>> I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account >>> specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user >>> accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously >>> (though this was on ME!). >>> >>> Many thanks - Chris >> >> There are several ways to do this. One of them works like so: >> - Ask your friendly computer dealer for an old disk. 4 GBtyes will >> do very nicely. >> - Make it your primary master disk and install the free boot loader >> XOSL on it. >> - Reconnect your existing disk as a slave disk. >> - Add your existing WinXP installation to the XOSL boot menu. >> - Use Acronis to WinXP to your second partition. >> - Instruct XOSL to hide the two installations from each other. >> >> When it's finished and done you will have two completely >> independent and mutually invisible installations of WinXP >> on your disk. You can select each at boot time. Each will >> run off its own drive C:. >> >> There is, of course, a certain amount of detail work to be >> carried out. Post again if you wish to go down this track >> and need more details. >> >> By the way, your disks are getting dangerously full. You should >> have at least 20% spare capacity on each partition. >> > Pegasus, > > Many thanks for your reply and sharing your knoweldge with me. But why do > things have to be so complicated??????? (Banging head against wall!) Time > for a rethink. > > Conclusion: This is not as simple as my naivete assumed it to be (also see > Anna's post). > > So.........turn the problem around. > > I want to: > > 1. Play music, edit photographs, burn cds/dvds, access the internet, etc > and have the programmes associated with these activities in 'one place'; > > 2. Record multitrack audio in a 'separate place'. Since recording audio is > resource hungry I want to unload as much extraneous (to the recording > progs) software as possible. > > Anna seemed to allude to some way of doing this by mentioning partitions > though (relatively) clueless me doesn't quite follow. > > Got the feeling that the simplest way might be the user account way. But > would I be able to unload all the non-necessary progs? Might they be > simply hanging about in the background? > > Again Pegasus thanks for your help. If you can add any pointers based on > that and the above I'd be grateful. > A simpler system (from your point of view) might be to get a copy of Partition Magic (a useful utility in itself). This comes with Boot Magic, a boot manager. This allows you to set up both of your XP installations as drive C: with the other being invisible. When you invoke boot manager and select the other installation, it shuts down the first, hides it, unhides the second and away it goes. All this happens transparently. Installation isn't that much more complicated. The only down side is that the boot manager must be installed on a FAT32 partition, but as you now have Partition Magic, it is easy to set up a small partition to hold it.
Guest Sumgod Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? "M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message news:46b04636$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net... > > "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:HJWdnZjtqtz2pi3bnZ2dnUVZ8seinZ2d@bt.com... >> >> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message >> news:OctC%23S60HHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> >>> "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message >>> news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... >>>> Hello One & All! >>>> >>>> Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. >>>> >>>> Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one >>>> pc with a choice of which to boot to. >>>> >>>> The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, >>>> pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). >>>> >>>> The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio >>>> (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got >>>> to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the >>>> thinking at the mo'). >>>> >>>> So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I >>>> chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. >>>> >>>> How do I go about doing this? >>>> >>>> Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the >>>> current OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also >>>> 54.8GB. When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute >>>> whatever free space there is. Also got two external hard drives for >>>> data. >>>> >>>> Options I've considered (having extensively googled): >>>> >>>> 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external >>>> hard drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot >>>> from the CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will >>>> this work? >>>> >>>> 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty >>>> partition. Will this work? >>>> >>>> I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: >>>> http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm >>>> >>>> Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and >>>> drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - >>>> see link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to >>>> 'see' the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this >>>> is mentioned. >>>> >>>> I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account >>>> specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user >>>> accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings >>>> previously (though this was on ME!). >>>> >>>> Many thanks - Chris >>> >>> There are several ways to do this. One of them works like so: >>> - Ask your friendly computer dealer for an old disk. 4 GBtyes will >>> do very nicely. >>> - Make it your primary master disk and install the free boot loader >>> XOSL on it. >>> - Reconnect your existing disk as a slave disk. >>> - Add your existing WinXP installation to the XOSL boot menu. >>> - Use Acronis to WinXP to your second partition. >>> - Instruct XOSL to hide the two installations from each other. >>> >>> When it's finished and done you will have two completely >>> independent and mutually invisible installations of WinXP >>> on your disk. You can select each at boot time. Each will >>> run off its own drive C:. >>> >>> There is, of course, a certain amount of detail work to be >>> carried out. Post again if you wish to go down this track >>> and need more details. >>> >>> By the way, your disks are getting dangerously full. You should >>> have at least 20% spare capacity on each partition. >>> >> Pegasus, >> >> Many thanks for your reply and sharing your knoweldge with me. But why do >> things have to be so complicated??????? (Banging head against wall!) Time >> for a rethink. >> >> Conclusion: This is not as simple as my naivete assumed it to be (also >> see Anna's post). >> >> So.........turn the problem around. >> >> I want to: >> >> 1. Play music, edit photographs, burn cds/dvds, access the internet, etc >> and have the programmes associated with these activities in 'one place'; >> >> 2. Record multitrack audio in a 'separate place'. Since recording audio >> is resource hungry I want to unload as much extraneous (to the recording >> progs) software as possible. >> >> Anna seemed to allude to some way of doing this by mentioning partitions >> though (relatively) clueless me doesn't quite follow. >> >> Got the feeling that the simplest way might be the user account way. But >> would I be able to unload all the non-necessary progs? Might they be >> simply hanging about in the background? >> >> Again Pegasus thanks for your help. If you can add any pointers based on >> that and the above I'd be grateful. >> > > A simpler system (from your point of view) might be to get a copy of > Partition Magic (a useful utility in itself). This comes with Boot Magic, > a boot manager. This allows you to set up both of your XP installations > as drive C: with the other being invisible. When you invoke boot manager > and select the other installation, it shuts down the first, hides it, > unhides the second and away it goes. All this happens transparently. > Installation isn't that much more complicated. > > The only down side is that the boot manager must be installed on a FAT32 > partition, but as you now have Partition Magic, it is easy to set up a > small partition to hold it. > > Betwixt and between MI5/6, Thanks for this. I'll make some enquiries (sound like a squeaky booted copper!) Ta - Chris
Guest Sumgod Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? Update Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? Update "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... > Hello One & All! > > Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. > > Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc > with a choice of which to boot to. > > The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, > pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). > > The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio > (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got to > say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the > thinking at the mo'). > > So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I > chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. > > How do I go about doing this? > > Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current > OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. When/If > I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free space there > is. Also got two external hard drives for data. > > Options I've considered (having extensively googled): > > 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard > drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the > CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? > > 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. > Will this work? > > I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: > http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm > > Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and drive > letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see link). > The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' the old > XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is mentioned. > > I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account > specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user > accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously > (though this was on ME!). > > Many thanks - Chris Update: Just found this: http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-423493.php Seems dual booting two versions of WinXP is possible (least some folks think so) and fairly straightforward. Or is it?????? Chris
Guest Ron Badour Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? Update Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp on the same pc? Update BootIt Next Generation is available from: http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html and it does partitioning, makes a compressed image, does many other partitioning chores and is a boot manager. It is not quite as easy to use as Partition Magic but it is half the cost and has more features. Unlike the crippled PMagic demo, BING is a *full function* demo you can try for FREE for 30 days. The web site has a lot of support articles. It is fairly simple using this software. Basically, you use the partitioning software to create another primary partition on your drive. Then hide the current partition containing the operating system before installing the second instance of XP. You can then use the boot manager to select which instance of XP will boot. In the past, I have used this software to dual boot four systems. Now I use MS Virtual PC and install W98 in it so I can use both systems at the same time. -- Regards Ron Badour MS MVP 1997 - 2007 "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:W_KdnTiawPyt8C3bRVnyiwA@bt.com... > > "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... >> Hello One & All! >> >> Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. >> >> Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc >> with a choice of which to boot to. >> >> The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, >> pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). >> >> The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio >> (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got >> to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the >> thinking at the mo'). >> >> So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I >> chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. >> >> How do I go about doing this? >> >> Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current >> OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. >> When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free >> space there is. Also got two external hard drives for data. >> >> Options I've considered (having extensively googled): >> >> 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard >> drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from the >> CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this work? >> >> 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. >> Will this work? >> >> I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: >> http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm >> >> Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and >> drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - see >> link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to 'see' >> the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is >> mentioned. >> >> I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account >> specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user >> accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously >> (though this was on ME!). >> >> Many thanks - Chris > > Update: Just found this: > http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-423493.php > > Seems dual booting two versions of WinXP is possible (least some folks > think so) and fairly straightforward. > > Or is it?????? > > Chris >
Guest Sumgod Posted August 1, 2007 Posted August 1, 2007 Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp etc? Thanks Ron! Re: Two 'versions' of WinXp etc? Thanks Ron! "Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddress.com> wrote in message news:%23z8FOQD1HHA.3768@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > BootIt Next Generation is available from: > http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html and it does partitioning, > makes a compressed image, does many other partitioning chores and is a > boot manager. It is not quite as easy to use as Partition Magic but it is > half the cost and has more features. Unlike the crippled PMagic demo, > BING is a *full function* demo you can try for FREE for 30 days. The web > site has a lot of support articles. > > It is fairly simple using this software. Basically, you use the > partitioning software to create another primary partition on your drive. > Then hide the current partition containing the operating system before > installing the second instance of XP. You can then use the boot manager > to select which instance of XP will boot. In the past, I have used this > software to dual boot four systems. Now I use MS Virtual PC and install > W98 in it so I can use both systems at the same time. > > -- > Regards > > Ron Badour > MS MVP 1997 - 2007 > > > "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:W_KdnTiawPyt8C3bRVnyiwA@bt.com... >> >> "Sumgod" <sumgod@btinternet.com> wrote in message >> news:d6-dndO_BrHO4DLb4p2dnAA@bt.com... >>> Hello One & All! >>> >>> Any info I can glean here will be much appreciated. >>> >>> Briefly what I want to do is have two 'versions' of WinXp Home on one pc >>> with a choice of which to boot to. >>> >>> The first, WinXP1 say, would have all the usual stuff (antivirus, >>> pictures, mp3s, docs, etc). >>> >>> The second, WinXP2 say, would only have software for recording audio >>> (i.e. all other software including antivirus would be uninstalled - got >>> to say I'm not too sure about leaving off the antivirus but that's the >>> thinking at the mo'). >>> >>> So when I switch on the pc it would by default boot to WinXP1 unless I >>> chose (somehow?) to load WinXP2. >>> >>> How do I go about doing this? >>> >>> Background: The C drive has been partitioned. The drive with the current >>> OS is 54.8GB with 6.98GB free. The other partition is also 54.8GB. >>> When/If I get the two WinXPs installed I can distribute whatever free >>> space there is. Also got two external hard drives for data. >>> >>> Options I've considered (having extensively googled): >>> >>> 1. Make a backup of C using Acronis True Image and save to external hard >>> drive (I've done this). Make an Acronis Rescue Disc (done). Boot from >>> the CD and 'restore' the image of C to the second partition. Will this >>> work? >>> >>> 2. Clone the C drive using Acronis and install onto the empty partition. >>> Will this work? >>> >>> I've seen mention that drive letters may be a problem. See here: >>> http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/partsigs.htm >>> >>> Seemingly a way around this is to "clear the table of partitions and >>> drive letter assignments" using regedit (mentioned in above article - >>> see link). The article also advises not to let the new XP partition to >>> 'see' the old XP partition. Unfortunately no advise on how to do this is >>> mentioned. >>> >>> I would guess someone will suggest setting up a another user account >>> specifically for recording. Personally I'm not keen on different user >>> accounts having experienced probs with passwords and settings previously >>> (though this was on ME!). >>> >>> Many thanks - Chris >> >> Update: Just found this: >> http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-423493.php >> >> Seems dual booting two versions of WinXP is possible (least some folks >> think so) and fairly straightforward. >> >> Or is it?????? >> >> Chris >> > >
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