Dual Boot issue.. need help (hating Windows)

[BLiZZaRD]

Hey everyone I am back! And I brought a problem!

Okay so I have a computer... I got it with no OS (although ubuntu was preinstalled - bleech). I got a new HDD and installed Fedora 7. Everything is dandy (yay me). Completely Windows free and everything is smooth...

Except that it is my work computer and I am being forced to add Windows. No problem, I dual boot at home I can do it at work too...

So I buy another HDD and put it in. Change BIOS to make SATA 5 on, computer finds the disk, yay.

Insert the Win XP install disk and it goes through it's booting ritual... get to "Starting Windows" (finally.. now I can set paramaters and install this stuff) then I get the f7 BSOD!

Try again.. same thing. So I remove the HDD and insert it into another computer with exact same everything - same model, type internals, etc, except this one was set up for Windows not *nix - install XP just fine. Now I have my hard drive with XP on it. I have my HDD with Fedora on it. I alter the Grub file to add the Windows drive and I reboot.

Grub comes up, there is both drives listed. I click on Fedora.. boots works, everything is just dandy! Reboot, Grub once again... Choose Windows... boots, to Windows Splash screen (you know it says Windows XP and the little blue progress bar) then... the computer reboots. No BSOD, no nothing just reboots.

I take out the Linux HDD and same thing (minus Grub)

I have placed the Windows HDD in the other computer again and alone, done fixboot, fixmbr, bootcfg /add bootcongif /default

(at this point I don't care about Grub any more I can tell it which HDD to boot with hotkeys) but I can't get it to start up and except it.

My next step is to Flash BIOS and Update Mass Storage devices, but I wanted to see if there was a better, more sure fire fix first.

Any ideas?

And yes it is nice to be back :)

BLiZZ

[tech_support]

Welcome back! :D

Try holding [F8] when booting into Windows and try all the options (Safe Mode, Last Known Good Config etc.)

[Twey]

What do you need Windows for? It might be that you can run it in a VM under Fedora (I like qemu).

[lainlives]

Welcome back, you left about 2 days after i got here, but anyways, did you try reinstallation? That should fix any boot problems, i get the boot problems all the time and i fix them by reinstalling my os.

[BLiZZaRD]

Okay.. my weak spot...explaining myself.. LOL let's try this:

I have Fedora installed, works great all by itself I added a second HD with Windows XP Home. I had to install XP on the HD through another computer because my computer wouldn't recognize the Windows CD (technically it WOULD and did run it, but it got stuck on "Starting Windows - preinstall, and BSOD'ed on me). I installed XP on the HD through the use of another computer. Pulled it out put it in mine and went to load Windows (verified it worked on the other computer) and it got to windows splash screen then rebooted the computer, an evil loop.

I have a Windows XP Pro upgrade disk (need pro at work for the networking stuff) I tried all the safe modes and last know good config, etc. as well as fixboot, fixmbr etc and same thing.

I tried doing the XP Pro upgrade as well and got the same BSOD as I did when I did XP Home. I stopped there.

I don't know why the computer keeps BSODing on me, there is nothing wrong with the computer it is only about 4 months old. 64bit AMD etc etc (although I am running 32 bit Fedora - for Flash :) )

I am sure I can do a VM, but I only have an upgrade disk, so I need win installed and verified first. Yes I can do that ;) but I would rather not... it is my work computer.

I don't know why I need it, other than boss says I do (prolly so she can log in and see what's going on. I won't use Windows much if at all still, but I need it on there <~~ Another reason why VM won't do it.. she would still have to go through Fedora to get to Windows...

Other ideas?

[Twey]

I am sure I can do a VM, but I only have an upgrade disk, so I need win installed and verified first.Hm? How do you install Windows onto the computer normally then? However you do it, it should work the same in a VM.
I don't know why I need it, other than boss says I do (prolly so she can log in and see what's going on. I won't use Windows much if at all still, but I need it on there <~~ Another reason why VM won't do it.. she would still have to go through Fedora to get to Windows...But if you're working on Fedora anyway, she'd still have to get into Fedora to see what's happening.

[BLiZZaRD]

Hm? How do you install Windows onto the computer normally then? However you do it, it should work the same in a VM.
Upgrade Windows disks only upgrade an existing Windows, like I can upgrade Win 98 to Win XP or XP home to XP Pro. Since I don't have Windows already installed on the computer I can't use the upgrade disk.

I have XP Home on the HDD and an XP Pro upgrade disk. :)



But if you're working on Fedora anyway, she'd still have to get into Fedora to see what's happening.

Which is what I tried to tell her... But she is the boss... not me (yet)

[Twey]

Upgrade Windows disks only upgrade an existing Windows, like I can upgrade Win 98 to Win XP or XP home to XP Pro. Since I don't have Windows already installed on the computer I can't use the upgrade disk.Then how did you install it here:
Try again.. same thing. So I remove the HDD and insert it into another computer with exact same everything - same model, type internals, etc, except this one was set up for Windows not *nix - install XP just fine. Now I have my hard drive with XP on it. I have my HDD with Fedora on it. I alter the Grub file to add the Windows drive and I reboot.?

[BLiZZaRD]

What I was saying... I am sorry to confuse you. Yes I have XP Home (and the disk) and I have the XP Pro upgrade.

I don't want to take the HDD out of the computer to install the upgrade, because I will be in the same spot. (my computer gives BSOD when I run the Windows disks - and if I install on another computer it won't boot through the Splash screen).

I may Flash the BIOS tomorrow and run some hardware upgrades. But I shouldn't have to to run Windows XP install disks.

[Twey]

Yes I have XP Home (and the disk) and I have the XP Pro upgrade.I'm not sure, then, why you can't use the VM.

[BLiZZaRD]

Technically I can. I might have to (can I put the VM on the other HDD instead of partitioning my Fedora Drive?)

The problem is I have my office set up so that each employee has 2 computers, their primary one and a secondary one. If their primary goes down (or the printer, etc connected to it) they can move to their secondary computer to use/print/etc.

My computers secondary user is my boss. She can't use Fedora (or won't) and wants Windows installed. Having to log into Fedora, load VM and then log into Windows would be a lot harder for her than for me to figure out how to get the other drive to boot (as it should and I have done it a million times before).