Naming dual boot setups?

[mick7777]

Hi,
Just setup extra xp os on separate system drive partition. Everything is working great except for one annoyance. Both versions are called "windows xp home blah blah.." Can these boot names be changed? and i'd like to change their order so if no selection is made and it times out it'll boot my original general settings..? As it is if boot selection times out it'll choose my latest installation.

cheers

m

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Right click on "My Computer" and select Properties.. in the dialog that appears click on the Advanced tab.. then click the Startup and recovery settings button.

Press on the Edit button and you can change the string displayed.

Rail

[K.B.]

Right click 'my computer' / properties / advanced / startup... / settings /

with edit you can change names, and move the order of booting around.

Did you remember to include a small (100MB) paretition at the head of your disk to hold the MBR (which contains all the information you are editing above) so you can format C: without corrupting it? No? Well, then you must never format C: or you will not be able to start up properly.

You might find looking at this useful.

Also change the name of 'My Computer' to something like 'Computer C' and 'Computer D' so you always know where you are.




<edit> Ahhh....

[tele_player]

A Master Boot Record (MBR) is 512 bytes.

[K.B.]

Can you set a partition size to 512 bytes then?









Yes, I know, that's not what you meant....

[mick7777]

Thanks heaps you all are so helpful , problem solved. Now just wish i'd done the whole dual boot thing from the start... No i didn't leave space for the master boot record, it was an existing partition already in use so... Thinking i might start over, it's bout time i had a major backup session so could set the whole thing up correctly, and may purchase another hard drive, i might run another boot aswell. One lean machine for pro tools, one internet mail and word processing w/ virus protection, and one visual and internet apps (flash/dreamweaver/photoshop etc..)

hhmmmm....

[mick7777]

When i computer boots up now i have two choices -

General Machine

Kick Ass Pro Tools Lean Machine

[K.B.]

I have six boot up options one one machine here, and five on another. Never had a problem.

I need to rename each 'my computer' to know where I am!

BTW, if you go down the multi-multi-boot route, be sure to include the drive (c, d, e, etc) in naming your boot up options - someone else (a repair shop?) could get lost later. You can include lots of spaces so it looks cool...

Another drive you say? You definitely should have a second hard drive to store your data (and your paging file if you have one - mine is switched off. Do a search here if this is new to you)

[tommydee]

I have a dual boot system with no mini-partition for the MBR.

Should I reinstall all my stuff and add this new partition?? (I have to reinstall a bunch of stuff anyway.)

So it would look like this:
C: mini partition for the MBR
D: general partition
E: PTLE partition

is this correct??

what happens if the MBR is on the C: drive... why is this bad?

Tom.

[K.B.]

Don't bother. I haven't done that either. I set mine up a year ago before I heard of that tip.

Your MBR will automatically be on C:. Just make sure you don't re-format that drive. I never do.

Unless you really want to start from scratch.

Personally I would have a C: partition of at least 10Gigs because I've found that some software - like some games - will only allow an install into the C drive, and you don't want to run out of room.