XP to Windows 7

  • Thread starter Thread starter bobster
  • Start date Start date
"bobster" wrote in message

news:ulqlTmDqKHA.4836@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Anna,

>

> I've hit a snag. When I partition my external HD into 3 partitions, only

> one (always the first) partition can contain a bootable volume. The

> second

> and third partitions have unique drive letters assigned but my BIOS

> recognizes only the first volume drive letter in its lists of bootable

> drives. I have found no way of changing the BIOS to overcome this

> limitation.

>

> When I go to XP disk management, the first volume shows up as the "primary

> partition" while the second and third volumes show up as "extended

> partition

> logical drives". When I right click on either of these two partitions,

> there is no "mark partition as active" option as there is when right

> clicking the first partition. I have tried using XP, EASEUS and Casper to

> partition the external HD into 3 partitions and all resulted in three

> partitions in which only partition one could be used to boot. The

> limitation may possibly be in the Casper cloning concept but I have read

> their use notes and can't find an answer to the problem.

>

> At this point it appears to me that I cannot have two bootable partitions

> on

> a single hard drive unless I go to a true dual boot configuration for W7

> and

> XP. At this point I am considering reverting to my "plan" B approach,

> i.e.

> using two separate external HDs in the Vantec enclosure. I have an extra

> HD

> and changing them in the enclosure is a five minute task.

>

> If you have any other thoughts let me know.





bobster:

As I previously indicated you will use the XP Disk Management utility to

"Mark Partition as Active" depending upon which partition contains the

bootable OS (on your external HDD) that you wish to boot to. Using your

example where (presumably) you've cloned the contents of your XP OS to the

first partition on your external HDD and you've cloned the contents of your

Win7 OS to the second partition on the external HDD (the third partition on

the external HDD does not contain a bootable OS according to the info you

previously provided)...



Assuming the first partition on the external HDD has been designated as

"Active", the system will boot to that OS when your BIOS boot priority order

setting indicates a first HDD boot to the external drive.



If, on the other hand, you desire to boot to the Win7 system it will be

necessary use Disk Management as I explained above. You would right-click on

the partition listing containing the Win7 OS and from the sub-menu select

"Mark Partition as Active". The system will then boot to that OS when your

BIOS boot priority order setting indicates a first HDD boot to the external

disk.



Subsequently (after booting to your Win7 OS) when you want to boot to your

XP OS you will need to go through the same process but this time "marking"

the partition containing the XP OS as "Active".



Please understand that the BIOS boot priority relates to a specific HDD

installed in the system. Where the HDD contains multiple bootable OSs (as

you have on your external HDD) the boot will be to the "Active" partition on

that disk. Thus the need for making ("marking") that partition "Active".



You might want to refer to my previous posts in this thread in which I

further explained the above in a bit more detail with reference to your

specific situation.

Anna
 
On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 13:07:31 -0800, "bobster" wrote:



>Anna,

>

>I've hit a snag. When I partition my external HD into 3 partitions, only

>one (always the first) partition can contain a bootable volume. The second

>and third partitions have unique drive letters assigned but my BIOS

>recognizes only the first volume drive letter in its lists of bootable

>drives. I have found no way of changing the BIOS to overcome this

>limitation.

>

>When I go to XP disk management, the first volume shows up as the "primary

>partition" while the second and third volumes show up as "extended partition

>logical drives". When I right click on either of these two partitions,

>there is no "mark partition as active" option as there is when right

>clicking the first partition. I have tried using XP, EASEUS and Casper to

>partition the external HD into 3 partitions and all resulted in three

>partitions in which only partition one could be used to boot. The

>limitation may possibly be in the Casper cloning concept but I have read

>their use notes and can't find an answer to the problem.



Only primary partitions can be marked active, so if you want the

ability to boot from more than one partition on a single physical disk

drive, you have to make sure that the partitions you create are

primary, not logical within an extended partition.



>

>At this point it appears to me that I cannot have two bootable partitions on

>a single hard drive unless I go to a true dual boot configuration for W7 and

>XP. At this point I am considering reverting to my "plan" B approach, i.e.

>using two separate external HDs in the Vantec enclosure. I have an extra HD

>and changing them in the enclosure is a five minute task.

>

>If you have any other thoughts let me know.

>

>TIA

>"Anna" wrote in message news:uSSphL3pKHA

>HDs.3980@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

>"bobster" wrote in message

>news:%23cmOuV2pKHA.1544@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> Anna,

>>

>> I have been reading up on the possible pitfalls when downloading Windows 7

>> to an operating XP computer. One quotation (see below) kinda scared me

>> as

>> I definitely do not want to affect in any way, or lose my XP capability.

>>

>> "When installing a computer operating system, you will need to reinstall

>> all

>> existing hardware (i.e. printers, network cards, etc.)."

>>

>> My question:

>>

>> If, when I get Win 7 installed and "all existing hardware (i.e. printers,

>> network cards, etc.) have been reinstalled (changed to suit Win7, I

>> assume),

>> and I decide to boot up to one of my HDs that have the XP system on it,

>> will

>> I still have a completely unmodified operational XP system or will the

>> hardware interface changes made to accommodate Win 7 screw up my XP

>> operation?

>>

>> Sorry if I sound like an old worry wart (I'm 80) but I'm somewhat paranoid

>> about screwing up or losing my superbly operating XP based system.

>>

>> TIA for you answer

>

>

>bobster:

>No, there's no problem here that will affect your XP system since your XP OS

>will be installed on one HDD and the Win7 OS on another HDD. So when you

>boot to your XP OS (as previously discussed) the system will detect only

>those drivers, configurations, etc. that have been installed in connection

>with your XP OS. And when you boot to your Win7 OS (with the HDD containing

>the XP OS now a secondary HDD in the system) there will similarly be no

>adverse impact on your XP OS re Win7 drivers, configurations, etc. under

>those circumstances.

>Anna

>

>
 


> On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 13:07:31 -0800, "bobster" wrote:

>>Anna,

>>

>>I've hit a snag. When I partition my external HD into 3 partitions, only

>>one (always the first) partition can contain a bootable volume. The

>>second

>>and third partitions have unique drive letters assigned but my BIOS

>>recognizes only the first volume drive letter in its lists of bootable

>>drives. I have found no way of changing the BIOS to overcome this

>>limitation.

>>

>>When I go to XP disk management, the first volume shows up as the "primary

>>partition" while the second and third volumes show up as "extended

>>partition

>>logical drives". When I right click on either of these two partitions,

>>there is no "mark partition as active" option as there is when right

>>clicking the first partition. I have tried using XP, EASEUS and Casper to

>>partition the external HD into 3 partitions and all resulted in three

>>partitions in which only partition one could be used to boot. The

>>limitation may possibly be in the Casper cloning concept but I have read

>>their use notes and can't find an answer to the problem.







bobster:

As I previously indicated you will use the XP Disk Management utility to

"Mark Partition as Active" depending upon which partition contains the

bootable OS (on your external HDD) that you wish to boot to. Using your

example where (presumably) you've cloned the contents of your XP OS to the

first partition on your external HDD and you've cloned the contents of your

Win7 OS to the second partition on the external HDD (the third partition on

the external HDD does not contain a bootable OS according to the info you

previously provided)...



Assuming the first partition on the external HDD has been designated as

"Active", the system will boot to that OS when your BIOS boot priority order

setting indicates a first HDD boot to the external drive.



If, on the other hand, you desire to boot to the Win7 system it will be

necessary use Disk Management as I explained above. You would right-click on

the partition listing containing the Win7 OS and from the sub-menu select

"Mark Partition as Active". The system will then boot to that OS when your

BIOS boot priority order setting indicates a first HDD boot to the external

disk.



Subsequently (after booting to your Win7 OS) when you want to boot to your

XP OS you will need to go through the same process but this time "marking"

the partition containing the XP OS as "Active".



Please understand that the BIOS boot priority relates to a specific HDD

installed in the system. Where the HDD contains multiple bootable OSs (as

you have on your external HDD) the boot will be to the "Active" partition on

that disk. Thus the need for making ("marking") that partition "Active".



You might want to refer to my previous posts in this thread in which I

further explained the above in a bit more detail with reference to your

specific situation.

Anna





"Andy" wrote in message

news:s60vm5p6869i0sukn1ijfech7lqp8gbi4p@4ax.com...

> Only primary partitions can be marked active, so if you want the

> ability to boot from more than one partition on a single physical disk

> drive, you have to make sure that the partitions you create are

> primary, not logical within an extended partition.





bobster:

Andy is absolutely correct. I skimmed over your last post too quickly and

didn't pick up on the fact that you had created a logical drive within an

extended partition for the second partition on your external HDD. I had

assumed all along that you had created two primary partitions on your

external HDD to contain the cloned contents of the two OSs. Since you plan

to use the third partition to contain some add'l data (non-bootable) it's

immaterial in this situation whether that partition will be created as an

extended partition to contain a logical drive.



In any event...



As long as you're planning to create only three partitions on your external

HDD There is really no need for you to create one or more extended

partitions. Simply create each partition as a primary partition and be done

with it.

Anna
 
Anna,



Success!.



I now have 2 internal HDs, one with my XP system and the other with Windows

7. I have clones of each of these hard drives on 2 separate bootable

partitions on my Vantec mounted external HD.



The problem that fouled me up was that I was creating the partitions as

"logical" drives rather than "primary" drives. Per Andy's post, logical

drives are apparently not bootable. and the "mark partition as active"

option in XP Disk Management is grayed out. When creating partitions from

Casper or XP Disk Management, I must have missed the opportunity to select

between the "primary" or "logical" option. I used EASEUS Partition Master

5.0.1 for the final partitioning and the option for "primary" was obvious.

Setting or changing the active boot drive partition via XP Disk Management

is a cinch.



Thanks again, Anna for all the help you have given me on this problem. And

thanks to you too, Andy for identifying the primary vs. logic problem that

had me stymied. I have gained quite a bit of knowledge from this

experience.



And, BTW I can't believe how awkward Windows 7 seems compared to my highly

customized XP setup. Perhaps time and experience with 7 will change my mind.



==============================================================



"Anna" wrote in message

news:OYR$lAHqKHA.1556@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...



> On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 13:07:31 -0800, "bobster" wrote:

>>Anna,

>>

>>I've hit a snag. When I partition my external HD into 3 partitions, only

>>one (always the first) partition can contain a bootable volume. The

>>second

>>and third partitions have unique drive letters assigned but my BIOS

>>recognizes only the first volume drive letter in its lists of bootable

>>drives. I have found no way of changing the BIOS to overcome this

>>limitation.

>>

>>When I go to XP disk management, the first volume shows up as the "primary

>>partition" while the second and third volumes show up as "extended

>>partition

>>logical drives". When I right click on either of these two partitions,

>>there is no "mark partition as active" option as there is when right

>>clicking the first partition. I have tried using XP, EASEUS and Casper to

>>partition the external HD into 3 partitions and all resulted in three

>>partitions in which only partition one could be used to boot. The

>>limitation may possibly be in the Casper cloning concept but I have read

>>their use notes and can't find an answer to the problem.







bobster:

As I previously indicated you will use the XP Disk Management utility to

"Mark Partition as Active" depending upon which partition contains the

bootable OS (on your external HDD) that you wish to boot to. Using your

example where (presumably) you've cloned the contents of your XP OS to the

first partition on your external HDD and you've cloned the contents of your

Win7 OS to the second partition on the external HDD (the third partition on

the external HDD does not contain a bootable OS according to the info you

previously provided)...



Assuming the first partition on the external HDD has been designated as

"Active", the system will boot to that OS when your BIOS boot priority order

setting indicates a first HDD boot to the external drive.



If, on the other hand, you desire to boot to the Win7 system it will be

necessary use Disk Management as I explained above. You would right-click on

the partition listing containing the Win7 OS and from the sub-menu select

"Mark Partition as Active". The system will then boot to that OS when your

BIOS boot priority order setting indicates a first HDD boot to the external

disk.



Subsequently (after booting to your Win7 OS) when you want to boot to your

XP OS you will need to go through the same process but this time "marking"

the partition containing the XP OS as "Active".



Please understand that the BIOS boot priority relates to a specific HDD

installed in the system. Where the HDD contains multiple bootable OSs (as

you have on your external HDD) the boot will be to the "Active" partition on

that disk. Thus the need for making ("marking") that partition "Active".



You might want to refer to my previous posts in this thread in which I

further explained the above in a bit more detail with reference to your

specific situation.

Anna





"Andy" wrote in message

news:s60vm5p6869i0sukn1ijfech7lqp8gbi4p@4ax.com...

> Only primary partitions can be marked active, so if you want the

> ability to boot from more than one partition on a single physical disk

> drive, you have to make sure that the partitions you create are

> primary, not logical within an extended partition.





bobster:

Andy is absolutely correct. I skimmed over your last post too quickly and

didn't pick up on the fact that you had created a logical drive within an

extended partition for the second partition on your external HDD. I had

assumed all along that you had created two primary partitions on your

external HDD to contain the cloned contents of the two OSs. Since you plan

to use the third partition to contain some add'l data (non-bootable) it's

immaterial in this situation whether that partition will be created as an

extended partition to contain a logical drive.



In any event...



As long as you're planning to create only three partitions on your external

HDD There is really no need for you to create one or more extended

partitions. Simply create each partition as a primary partition and be done

with it.

Anna
 
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