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directing booting into win2k
Just need to know something about the booting up of win2k. When i installed win2k from g: onto g:, i could use my boot manager to boot straight off the g: partition without any probs, however, when i installed win2k onto g: by booting into winme on c:, the only way i can now boot into win2k is by booting off c:, then waiting for the menu to appear, and selecting win2k from there, because if i try to boot straight off g:, it either says win2k can't load, or it just doesn't work.
The reason i am concerned about this is because what would happen if my c: stops working, or if i format it, because that would mean that i wouldn't be able to boot into win2k, since i have to boot off c: first, and then boot off win2k using the boot menu. Because i am thinking of reformatting c:, but i still want to be able to boot off g: into win2k, which is the OS i mostly use.
How could i make it so that i could boot straight off onto the win2k partition? i have winme on c: on one hard drive (primary master) and win2k on another (slave). do i have to copy some files from c: onto g: or would i have to install something to write to the boot sector of the second hard drive?
extra note to make it slighty clearer:
how come when i booted from g: to install win2k onto g:, i could still boot directly onto g:, despite the fact that i still had win me installed on c: on the primary drive?
when i say booting directly from a drive, i mean using a boot manager installed on the boot sector of the primary drive, so when i boot off g:, it bypasses c: completely (both g: and c: have been formatted as primary partitions). meaning that before, when i installed win2k onto g: from g:, i didn't need c: at all, so i could format it or wotever, and still be able to boot into win2k on g:
if win2k places files or data in the drive or partiton it was installed from, surely it's possible to transfer them onto g: or onto the hard drive that g: is on?
The reason i am concerned about this is because what would happen if my c: stops working, or if i format it, because that would mean that i wouldn't be able to boot into win2k, since i have to boot off c: first, and then boot off win2k using the boot menu. Because i am thinking of reformatting c:, but i still want to be able to boot off g: into win2k, which is the OS i mostly use.
How could i make it so that i could boot straight off onto the win2k partition? i have winme on c: on one hard drive (primary master) and win2k on another (slave). do i have to copy some files from c: onto g: or would i have to install something to write to the boot sector of the second hard drive?
extra note to make it slighty clearer:
how come when i booted from g: to install win2k onto g:, i could still boot directly onto g:, despite the fact that i still had win me installed on c: on the primary drive?
when i say booting directly from a drive, i mean using a boot manager installed on the boot sector of the primary drive, so when i boot off g:, it bypasses c: completely (both g: and c: have been formatted as primary partitions). meaning that before, when i installed win2k onto g: from g:, i didn't need c: at all, so i could format it or wotever, and still be able to boot into win2k on g:
if win2k places files or data in the drive or partiton it was installed from, surely it's possible to transfer them onto g: or onto the hard drive that g: is on?
Responses (2)
Solutions (0)
- both c: and g: have been assigned as primary drivers (using PartitionMagic) as u are able to have 4 primary partitions at any one time, and i simply used a boot manager which allows me to choose to boot off any partition i want to, whether or not it's on a master/slave drive, as long as it's a primary partition, not logical.
however, i still think u answered my question, but just one more: When u say i can copy the three files to a floppy, then after formatting c:, i can copy them back to c:, well, instead of copying them back to c:, can't i just copy them to g:, or leave them on the floppy, so that i can boot off g: or the floppy without needing c: ?
basically, i still want to be able to boot into win2k on g:, without needing c: (it worked before when i installed win2k from g:, rather than c:)
thanks

Kanuk001
472 Posts
131
0
Posted May 23rd, 2002 18:00
In any case, installing XP (or 2000 ot NT for that matter) causes 3 files to be copied to the drive you booted from and the boot program is changed.
The 3 files required to boot (you can actually put them on a floppy) are
1) NTLDR
2) NTDETECT.COM
3) BOOT.INI
The last file is your boot selection menu.
You can change the menu so that the time delay is shorter (or even 0 seconds.)
If you want to format c:, just make sure you have those 3 files copied so that you can copy them back to c: after the format.
Charles,
Tag # 6VMY111
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