Hartelius
August 4th, 2004, 03:05 AM
I'm new to Acronis programs so you have to excuse me if my question seems a bit basic.
In earlier versions of OS Selector there was a OS Detection Wizard "for manual addition of operating systems that Acronis OS Selector could not detect automatically". (At least this is what the documentation says, I haven't actually used any earlier versions).
The OS Detection Wizard may or may not have been replaced by the following information in the documentation "DiskDirector.pdf", I honestly can't tell.
{QUOTE-> 8.2.3 Creating and editing a new boot context
After you prepare a partition, you can start the installation by means of Acronis OS Selector:
Select New ? Boot from floppy in the OS section of the Acronis OS Selector main menu
Having created a new floppy boot context, you will see its icon in the central part of Operating Systems main window and will have to set its properties. If the bootable part of the already-installed Windows copy is located on an NTFS partition, set the partition to install the additional OS copy as active (Operations ? Properties ? Partitions for this operating system)If the bootable part of the already installed Windows copy is located on a FAT16/FAT32 partition, it is recommended that you hide this partition by setting it as Hidden (Operations ? Properties ? Partitions for this OS.)
Having set the boot context properties, reboot, insert the bootable diskette of a new Windows copy and select the above item in the Acronis OS Selector boot menu
If you only have a bootable CD and no diskettes, all the properties you have set for Boot from floppy will work for this CD as well. You will have to reboot, insert the CD and select the respective item in the boot menu. But first you will have to adjust BIOS settings so the PC boots from a CD first.
During Windows installation, the bootable part will automatically select the primary partition you have previously set as active.
When you boot either version of Windows using Acronis OS Selector later, each OS in the list will recognize the partition where its bootable part is located as active.
<-QUOTE} ...and a bit further down...
{QUOTE-> 8.2.5 Installing additional Windows copies
In some cases, you might need to install two copies of the same Windows OS (e.g. two or more Windows XP copies, each having its own properties and application sets).
Installing and using several operating systems on a single PC
The first way to do it is described above in section and implies a complete OS installation.
The second way is simpler, operating system duplication using the Operating system copy feature described in detail in section 7.12 of this guide. The program will fully duplicate contents of Windows, Program Files and Documents and Settings folders, including all software installed. you will be able to remove un-needed applications from your system. <-QUOTE} I'm not sure that I understand the text above and even if I did I don't think it's the way I would like to perform this task.
I think there are several problems with the manual's suggested way.
It seems to deal only with Windows OS installations.
It seems to assume that the installation of an OS will be a continuous and problem free process which it, at least in my experience, seldom is.
It does not take into account an already installed OS.
It does not, as a consequence of 3, take into account a cloned OS.
I'll give you a short description of how I go about things and what I want the OS selector to do.
When I install a OS I prefer to do it in a "minimized environment", i.e. I disconnect all other hard disks and place the remaining one as the master on the primary channel. This might not be necessary, but at least I think few OS will refuse to be installed with that configuration.
Then I install the OS, which often takes more than one attempt.:)
When I'm happy with the installation I reconnect the other hard disks to see if there are any conflicts or problems with the new setup.
(Of course having a "poor man's boot manager" in my BIOS that lets me choose what hard disk to boot from is helpful, but I believe this is pretty much standard in a modern BIOS.)
This is where I would like Acronis OS Selector to come into action. Having already installed a functioning OS I would simply like to get it into the OS Selector main menu, create a new boot context. and the OS Selector should be able to discover the new OS. If it does it on it's own or with me pointing out which partition it's on, doesn't really matter.
If the above scenario works it would be relatively easy to clone an operating system/partition with Acronis True Image and boot it from OS Selector.
Now. maybe all my wishes are already granted, Maybe this functionally is already there, but I can't see it. But then again why did the OS Detection Wizard disappear in the OS selector 9.0 ?
All comments, suggestions, advises and pointers are welcome.
In earlier versions of OS Selector there was a OS Detection Wizard "for manual addition of operating systems that Acronis OS Selector could not detect automatically". (At least this is what the documentation says, I haven't actually used any earlier versions).
The OS Detection Wizard may or may not have been replaced by the following information in the documentation "DiskDirector.pdf", I honestly can't tell.
{QUOTE-> 8.2.3 Creating and editing a new boot context
After you prepare a partition, you can start the installation by means of Acronis OS Selector:
Select New ? Boot from floppy in the OS section of the Acronis OS Selector main menu
Having created a new floppy boot context, you will see its icon in the central part of Operating Systems main window and will have to set its properties. If the bootable part of the already-installed Windows copy is located on an NTFS partition, set the partition to install the additional OS copy as active (Operations ? Properties ? Partitions for this operating system)If the bootable part of the already installed Windows copy is located on a FAT16/FAT32 partition, it is recommended that you hide this partition by setting it as Hidden (Operations ? Properties ? Partitions for this OS.)
Having set the boot context properties, reboot, insert the bootable diskette of a new Windows copy and select the above item in the Acronis OS Selector boot menu
If you only have a bootable CD and no diskettes, all the properties you have set for Boot from floppy will work for this CD as well. You will have to reboot, insert the CD and select the respective item in the boot menu. But first you will have to adjust BIOS settings so the PC boots from a CD first.
During Windows installation, the bootable part will automatically select the primary partition you have previously set as active.
When you boot either version of Windows using Acronis OS Selector later, each OS in the list will recognize the partition where its bootable part is located as active.
<-QUOTE} ...and a bit further down...
{QUOTE-> 8.2.5 Installing additional Windows copies
In some cases, you might need to install two copies of the same Windows OS (e.g. two or more Windows XP copies, each having its own properties and application sets).
Installing and using several operating systems on a single PC
The first way to do it is described above in section and implies a complete OS installation.
The second way is simpler, operating system duplication using the Operating system copy feature described in detail in section 7.12 of this guide. The program will fully duplicate contents of Windows, Program Files and Documents and Settings folders, including all software installed. you will be able to remove un-needed applications from your system. <-QUOTE} I'm not sure that I understand the text above and even if I did I don't think it's the way I would like to perform this task.
I think there are several problems with the manual's suggested way.
It seems to deal only with Windows OS installations.
It seems to assume that the installation of an OS will be a continuous and problem free process which it, at least in my experience, seldom is.
It does not take into account an already installed OS.
It does not, as a consequence of 3, take into account a cloned OS.
I'll give you a short description of how I go about things and what I want the OS selector to do.
When I install a OS I prefer to do it in a "minimized environment", i.e. I disconnect all other hard disks and place the remaining one as the master on the primary channel. This might not be necessary, but at least I think few OS will refuse to be installed with that configuration.
Then I install the OS, which often takes more than one attempt.:)
When I'm happy with the installation I reconnect the other hard disks to see if there are any conflicts or problems with the new setup.
(Of course having a "poor man's boot manager" in my BIOS that lets me choose what hard disk to boot from is helpful, but I believe this is pretty much standard in a modern BIOS.)
This is where I would like Acronis OS Selector to come into action. Having already installed a functioning OS I would simply like to get it into the OS Selector main menu, create a new boot context. and the OS Selector should be able to discover the new OS. If it does it on it's own or with me pointing out which partition it's on, doesn't really matter.
If the above scenario works it would be relatively easy to clone an operating system/partition with Acronis True Image and boot it from OS Selector.
Now. maybe all my wishes are already granted, Maybe this functionally is already there, but I can't see it. But then again why did the OS Detection Wizard disappear in the OS selector 9.0 ?
All comments, suggestions, advises and pointers are welcome.