6 O.S. Boot Xp32/Xp64/VistaU32/VistaU64/BackTrack3/Helix3

H

Harlock

Member
Hi All,

I need your help to set up a test system with 6 O.S. Boot Xp32/Xp64/VistaU32/VistaU64/BackTrack3/Helix3, I need to know the order of installation, and the type of partition for every O.S.

Actually I've an already working dual boot xp32/vista32 both primary partition and I have tried to install helix3 that use Grub, I 've tried to follow your instruction but if I try to boot from Helix3 all I got it's a Grub prompt.

Coudl you help me please?
 
You might want to use grub then... I think Helix utilizes stuff from the Ubuntu project so you'll need to use that version of grub and copy over BT's boot parameters. So get all of the Windows OSes working and then concentrate on BT and Helix. Havent installed BT to hard drive before, so if it uses syslinux just post your config and i'll revise it to work with grub for you.
 
Ok, I start to intall both windows(64 and then 32) after I'll install Vista Ultimate (64 and then 32), after that I'll back here for helix3 and backtrack3, I set as primary just xp partitions ok?

Helix3 is based on Ubuntu and use Grub I've intalled it with terminal usign commang ubiquity without parametrs or installation will freeze, I prepare 3 logical partition for it, boot 100Mb, swap 1000Gb, / the rest.

BackTrack3 is a slax based, it use lilo for installing it I use the following instruction http://forums.remote-exploit.org/showthread.php?t=14751

All installation are on SATA2 HD connected to a promise FastTrak4310 with booting ability
 
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BT's not entirely slax based anymore. The slax creater well refuse to install the newest version with a message stating that it didn't detect that it is a slax distribution. From what i've seen using other tools such as unetbootin to install BT, it utilizes syslinux for its primary bootloader. I perfer grub myself since it is easier to get my other bootable tools working with it.

You're fine to create up to 3 primaries, doesn't matter. The only limit is that you can't install pre-Vista Windows on a logical partition. Well you can as some others have done... but it usually doesn't work.
 
Yesterday, I succesfully install xp64 on the 2 primary partition but I don't understand 1 thing, the limit of primary partition is 3, so you told me that I cannot install Vista on a logical partition ?
 
Windows systems from XP SP1 onwards (I think) can be installed onto a logical disk, as long as there's a primary partition somewhere on the HDD for the boot files to go. The MBR looks for the "active" partition to locate the boot files, and a logical disk cannot be "active".
 
I said "pre-Vista", meaning legacy Windows, though Terry might be right about XP SP1 on up. Haven't tried that so cannot confirm.
 
Hi,
This week I have tried to install the 4 microsoft os, in the following order:

1) WinXP 64 on 2nd primary partition
2) WinXP 32 on 1nd primary partition
3) Vista U64 on 4th primary partition
4) Vista U32 on 3rd primary partition

But after the 2 xp vista doens't boot.

Can you help me please? :frowning:
 
Are you saying after installing XP 32-bit edition, Vista won't boot?

But according to your ordered list, Vista wasn't yet installed....
 
Yesterday night I retried to install starting from VistaU32 and it goes, but they put some files on the next partition, strange :S, after I have tried VistaU64 on 2nd partition but it goes into a neverending reset, tonight I will start with VistaU64
 
If you boot from a partition that calls itself something other than C:\, and it can see another partition called C:, then there's a lot of stupid 3rd party software out there which will put files into C:\program files\common files, even though you've told it to install in X:\Adobe (I use adobe deliberately, as it's guilty of this with every one of its products I've ever used)
When you also install the same software on the C:\ system (If it is another OS), you can get unpredictable behaviour, since both systems store things in the same place independently. (Adobe reader being an example of something almost universally installed).
The only ways to avoid this are
a) make sure all installed OSs call themselves C: by booting from the install CD/DVD
b) hide the C:\ partition from any OS that's not C:\ before you allow any 3rd party software to install.
 
Looking at your list above... If you got 4 primary partitions already, you won't be able to create any extended partitions for the rest of the OSes. Booting from the installation media should install everything just fine as long as you install each to thier own partition.
 
Yes, further to Justin's note, you do know that you can have a maximum of 4 primary partitions, but if you want more than 4 partitions in total, only 3 can be primary, and the 4th is extended (inside which you can create as many logical drives as you have spare letters for) ?
 
yesterday night I succesfully install xp32,xp64 and vistaU32 in this order:
first xp64 on 2nd partition called c:
second xp32 on 1st partition called d:
third VistaU32 on 3rd partition called e:

all seems to work but 2 things:

1) I'm not able to use easyBCD to access directly to all boot, couse I got first menu with other OS and Vista, I choose other OS and I got another menu with xp32 and xp64, perhaps I forget something during installation

2) VistaU64 also if installed alone doesn't boot, it arrives since at drivers loading and after it reboot by itself also in self mode boot, is there some incompatibility with my hw?
 
That's perfectly normal with 2 XPs booting through the Vista bootmgr.
Vista chains to XP's NTLDR, and it makes the choice between the multiple XP's from boot.ini.
It's unavoidable using bootmgr/BCD.
Read this guide for background.
 
If you want to avoid having to go through two menus to boot one of your XP installations it well take a little work, but its possible to get it the way you want it. Copy XP's boot files to each XP partition and add two XP entries in EasyBCD pointing to each partition's ntldr. Change the boot.ini files on each partition so that there is only one entry pointing to that partitions installation and whoa. The only catch here is that a copy of ntdetect.com needs to remain on Vista's partition.
 
Ok, the last results are these:

I have created 4 primary partitions:

C: active
D:
E:
F:

After I have installed the O.S. in the following order:

XP64 on F: after I move the boot files from C: to F:
XP32 on E: after I move the boot files from C: to E:
VistaU64 on D: after I move the boot files from C: to D:
VistaU32 on C:

I 've created the boot menu by EasyBCD and I got that VistaU32/U64 working but XP32/XP64 prompt erro "invalid boot.ini ......"

Where is the error ?

Please help me
 
Perhaps its you moving files around... there is no need for it here. Install XPs, than install the Vistas. The multiboot is created automatically. The Previous versions of Windows entry well give you a second menu to choose between XP 32 and XP 64. If you don't want this, make sure ntdetect.com is on the active partition and have a copy of ntldr and boot.ini on both XP partitions. Modify each copy of boot.ini so there is only one entry pointing to that partition's OS and delete the old entry in EasyBCD and create two new XP entries pointing to the seperate XP partitions.
 
If you don't want this, make sure ntdetect.com is on the active partition and have a copy of ntldr and boot.ini on both XP partitions. Modify each copy of boot.ini so there is only one entry pointing to that partition's OS and delete the old entry in EasyBCD and create two new XP entries pointing to the seperate XP partitions.
Click to expand...

I've tried but windows xp always looking for Boot.ini into active partition, where is my fault?
 
Add the XP entries in EasyBCD, but than edit them to point to the seperate partitions making sure each has a boot.ini, ntldr, and ntdetect.com file. The active partition (Vista) only needs ntdetect.com.
 
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