Advice needed on HD for Dual boot system

Discussion in 'Storage Devices' started by elmesy, Jan 19, 2006.

  1. elmesy

    elmesy Geek Trainee

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    Hi there,

    I'm looking to create a dual boot system so I can have solaris on one HD and Windows on the other. At the moment I have Windows XP installed on a SATA hard drive. So I am looking at the easiest option thats available to me to create a Dual boot system.

    I'm not really great a this kind of thing but wanted to have a go if possible, so I have a sata connector free so can I attach another Hardrive to this connector? And how complex is it to setup? or Do i attach a hard drive to IDE2?

    Any help would be much appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Matt.
     
    elmesy, Jan 19, 2006
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  2. sabashuali

    sabashuali Ani Ma'amin

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    The easiest will probably be dual-booting from the same device as you do not need to buy an extra drive. However you lose space on the drive.

    You will need to partition your HD into at least two primary partitions. One will be for windows and the other for the other.

    I could be wrong but I think Windows want to be on the first partition if you are using the Windows boot laoder. I have to say that I have heard of Solaris but that is as far as my knowledge go... :confused:

    The other way is to use different drives. I think that is the nore sensible way. If one drive getts :swear: , you always have the other one. It also helps house-keeping.

    You can use another SATA or use a Master on the primary IDE channel
    You are better off to have your CD/DVD-ROM on the secondary IDE channel.

    If you are using two different drives you will need to specify through BIOS which device (HD) your system will boot from. That obviously depends on where your boot loader sits. A potential set-up can be:

    1. Boot laoder (Solaris lets say) sits on IDE drive which has Solaris.
    IDE will be the device which the system boots from
    2. Windows sits on the SATA drive. The option to start Windows will come
    from the boot laoder.

    or the other way around. All really depends on how you feel about the different boot laoders.

    Hope this helps. If something is still not clear, please post again.

    Good luck
     
    sabashuali, Jan 19, 2006
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  3. elmesy

    elmesy Geek Trainee

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    Thanks for the input so far.

    So Setting the 2nd HD up as IDE would be easiest then? as I currently have nothing in IDE2 and that would become the master for that connector. But if I was to go down the sata route I would need to fiddle with my raid controller settings?

    Thanks,

    Matt.
     
    elmesy, Jan 19, 2006
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  4. sabashuali

    sabashuali Ani Ma'amin

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    No, what I meant was using another HD for a dual boot system is the best way forward IMO.
    It can be an IDE drive, a SATA drive or an external one. as lon as it is a seperate drive.

    It's my understanding that primary IDE chanel should be used for IDE hard drives and the secondary for CD/DVD drives. So if you are planning on using an IDE drive plug your CD drive in the secondary slot and your HD in the primary.

    Not unless you wish to. Otherwise they will live as two seperate drives.
    RAID needs to be set-up. do not set it up and it should be fine.... I think.... :confused:
     
    sabashuali, Jan 19, 2006
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