strange XP boot setup

Hi,

I'm wanting to dual boot XP and Linux. XP Disk Management shows the following:

Disk 0, C:, System Partition
Disk 1, D:, Boot Partition

Windows directory resides on D: drive. I've deleted all files except the system files from C: as I want to use this for Linux.

How can I get the system files from C: to D: and keep my existing install of XP? Then I can reformat Disk 0 and dual boot XP and Linux from it.

I'm sure it's easy and I'm being a numbnuts but I need to be certain as I really don't want to reinstall XP.

Thanks

Ant

 

AntDav

Welcome.

While I haven't a clue why you arranged your OS the way you describe, I can say from my experience that all you need do is have a partition on any HDD on which to install linux, and do so. Linux will automatically arrange to dual boot, depending on the version you choose. You needn't rearrange anything in your windows OS.

If you don't presently have an available partition for linux, would suggest you obtain and use Partition magic.

 

Thanks Sparrow,

It's a long story, so long that I've kind of forgotten myself! Looks like partition magic is the way to go - leave the windows system partition with minimal space and use the rest for Linux?

Sounds like a plan, cheers!

Ant

 

In the Microsoft world, the SYSTEM partition contains the BOOT files (NTLDR, Boot.ini & Ntdetect.com) and the BOOT partition contains the SYSTEM files (the Windows Folder). In most cases, this is the same partition, but in this case they are not.

Before messing around with installing Linux in a dual-boot set-up do some research. This is not difficult, but neither is it straightforward. The only exception to this is if you can also boot to DOS. This can be done in either case without moving the Boot files.

DRD

 

I use Mandrake, which seems to be the most popular brand (around here, at least) and all you need do is let it install automatically once you've made the partition fot it (it will divide that into a swap partition and a boot part.) and as I said, it will make a dual boot system automatically. It uses grub and I would expect any other modern version to do the same.

 

AntDav

By all means leave the system partition where it is (you can't move it and still be able to boot, since dos and therefore windows can only boot from C: ), and I'd give it at least 4GB (mine has 8 but that's where win98 lives. Linux needs very little space (I gave mine 6GB and it's overkill).

 

TonyT

To each his own, I guess. I prefer a more advanced system, and I've edited the configuration too, but only because I prefer windows to be the default, and of course linux doesn't.