Bootproblem with OSS

Hi!
Just as some others I've read about here in the forum I've got huge problems with OSS. My configuration is one big harddisk with two primary partitions and one windows XPpro on each. When I start the computer I would like to be able to choose which partition to start from. But when I installed OSS the only thing it can find on each partition is "Unknown operating system" and when I try to Boot one of those it says:
"Acronis OS Selector was unable to load Unknown Operating System operating system: the file system type of the operating system is not supported."
It doesn't help to run the "OS Detection Wizard". It just finds even more "Unknown operating system".
To get the computer to boot I had to disable OSS.
What should I do to make it work properly?
/ Trimer

 

Take a look at this thread: Windows XP detected as "Unknown"

Basically, you have to manually add the entry into the BOOTWIZ.OSS file.

If you want to attach the BOOTWIZ.OSS file, I'll take a look at it. It's in the hidden BOOTWIZ folder on the drive on which you installed OSS. (If not already done, you'll need to enabled viewing of hidden files and folders and unhide protected operating system files.) Make a copy and rename it to BOOTWIZ.TXT so you can attach it.

 

Ok, here you go. I've attached the bootwiz file.
I don't know if it's of any interest, but I chose to install OSS on a separate partition. Was it necessary? Or could I just have installed it on any of my partitions?

 

Installing OSS on a non-OS partition is a good idea. It keeps the OSS files from being changed if you do a partition restore on the OS partitions.

I've attached the modified file. Note that the XP partitions are not hidden from each other. I'm assuming this is how it was originally setup. If they are supposed to be hidden, let me know and I can edit the file again or you can edit the entries from the OSS menu and hide them.

Also, I'm assuming that each XP was booting from its own partition and the boot.ini file in each partition points to that partition.

 

How do you edit a bootwiz file? When I open it with wordpad or notepad I get only symbols. I can't change the font to anything readable.

 

Are you using the English version of XP or Vista? The BOOTWIZ.OSS file is a standard text/xml file (at least it is on my computer).

Does a regular text file show correctly in Notepad or Wordpad?

 

English version. I right click the file and sent it to wordpad. I've used both pads for other text editing. Is there a different way to open bootwiz?

 

I think it works now and, yes, XP is suppossed to boot from it's own partition.
Those two partitions was just a test to see if it worked. Now that I know it does I've copied the D: partition a couple of times, and now I have a total of 8 partitions. With one XP on each. Unfortunately only the first 3 partitions is a primary partition. When I copied the fourth and up I could only choose to make it a logical partition, but from what I've understood it shouldn't bee a problem?

I've attached the new Bootwiz.oss file and I would be glad if you're able to enter all the 8 XPs manually. You can also configure them so they are hidden to each other. By the way, are there any big advantage having them hidden to each other, other than making it easier for the user to understand what's going on?
Thanks a lot for the help!
/ Trimer

 

I'm going to have to think on this for a bit and it's too late tonight.

Did you just copy the partitions with DD or did you use another method?

 

Yes, I just copied the partition with DD. It seemed to be the most efficient way to do it.
/ Trimer

 

Good. That's what I did.

I have to leave for an appointment shortly so it probably won't be until later tonight before I get to the file.

Booting XP from the Logical partitions shouldn't be a problem. If you want to read up on it, this is a good thread: OS Selector - Booting XP, Vista, Linux from Logical Partitions (Post #10 details the manual entry.)

Hiding the OS partitions from each other keeps the system cleaner and more protected. It can also help avoid any cross-contamination problems.

 

Here's the modified BOOTWIZ.OSS file. I would suggest you check the correct partition is the boot partition and all the other XP partitions are hidden for each OS entry. To do this, replace the existing BOOTWIZ.OSS file with this one and then reboot. At the OSS menu, check the Properties of each entry. The Logical entries will not list an Active partition, only the Boot partition (this is correct). You should be able to boot into XP Primary #1 at this time. Don't try and boot into any of the others until you do the steps below.

Check and make sure the boot.ini file in each partition references the correct partition(#) value. It looks like the three Primary partitions will be (1), (2) and (4). I'm guessing the Logicals will be either (3), (6), (7), (, (9) or (5), (6), (7), (, (9). (This is because of the Extending Partition Container being in the third table slot. I didn't run a test on whether it is detected as 3 or 5.) If you need to edit the boot.ini files for the Primary XP partitions, do it from OSS by editing the file from the entry's Properties (if available) and not from the partition. Otherwise OSS will overwrite it when you try to boot.

Next, you'll need to edit the Hidden sectors value for the boot sector of each of the Logical XP partitions. Instructions using DD can be found here. If you don't do this, attempting to boot the partition will result in a blinking text cursor and Windows won't start.

When you boot into each OS, change the desktop background and check that the correct partition is the (Boot) partition in Disk Management (hopefully, you've labeled your partitions with meaningful names). You can also put a text file in My Documents that will identify the partition. For example: XP Primary 1.txt for the first Primary XP partition; XP Logical 1.txt for the first Logical partition. This will help you to verify you're actually booting (and rebooting) into the correct OS while you're getting things setup.

Hope it helps.

 

Hi!
I must admit I don't really understand the meaning of the text quoted above. But all the other steps I've followed, and at first it seemed to work out nice when I tested to boot from the first two partitions. But, when I tested the third to the eight partition the computer didn't boot properly. The first part was as usual, but right before the login-window should have come up, instead there was a text saying "autochk program not found, skipping AUTOCHECK" and then there was a bluescreen, and the computer rebooted. What could possibly cause this? Could something gone wrong when I copied the partitions? I copied the second partition multiple times. In other words the first and second partitions existed before the others. All the other partitions were made at the same time from the second partition.

Another smaller issue is that booting from the first and second partition seems to share the same user account in windows. I've changed the background in one account and the partition label is different from the other, so I'm sure there is the windows from the correct partition. But if I change the account name to log into windows with when I booted from one partition it also affects the account name when I boot from the other partition. Strange, isn't it?
/ Trimer

 

Can you post the current BOOTWIZ.OSS file? OSS may have changed something in it.

 

I'm sorry, but I thought maybe something had gone wrong when I copied all the partitions. So I deleted all but the first two, and then copied them again. Of course they got other ID-numbers in the bootwiz.oss file. But I think I'm beginning to get the way one is suppossed to manually enter the operative systems on the different partitions. I've tried to mimic the way you did it to the last bootwiz.oss file, but I can't guarantee I've got it all right. Anyway, the symptoms are just the same now as they were before I deleted the partitions. So here are the current bootwiz.oss file.
By the way, now I've created one last partition in the unallocated space left when creating all the others. This partition is just for storage of files.
I'm really sorry for all the hassle I'm causing, and I'm truly grateful for all the help!
/ Trimer

 

I made a few changes to the file. The Logical XP entries don't need some of the information used by the Primary entries. Otherwise, I didn't notice anything wrong.

However, due to the problems you're having, you may want to start over and do them one at a time. Setup the first Primary XP, get it in OSS and booting. Setup the second Primary XP, get it in OSS and booting. Setup the third Primary XP, get in OSS and booting.

Then create the first Logical XP and get it booting through OSS. Don't forget to change the Hidden sectors value.

As you add them, make sure to hide the new partition from any existing XP.

I'm also not sure about the boot.ini settings. The first Logical partition may be seen as partition(3) and not partition(5) as you had it. This is because it's actually in the third table slot. If this is the case, the next Logical would be partition(5) and so on.

When you've copied the partitions did you do it from the DD CD or from in Windows?

 

Ok, I will try to create them once at a time.
When I copied them I did it from Windows, and I'm afraid I will have to do it again, since it's an small laptop without CD or DVD, and I haven't got any external unit.
/ Trimer

 

If the computer will boot from a Flashdrive, you could create one with DD and use that.

Also, usually, if you install OSS from Windows, DD will be available from OSS (in the Tools menu). You can then boot to OSS, start DD and do the copy without needing to boot to a CD for Flashdrive.

 

Hi!
I believe I've made som small steps forward during the weekend. I've managed to get 4 booting partitions this far, but it's trixy and more than half of the times the problem I mentioned earlier in the thread comes up. So far I haven't found out exactly what makes it work, and what doesn't.

But the other problem I mentioned before is annoying me too, and I wonder if you have some idea about what might cause it? The problem is I can have all different settings on all the partitions, including the background covering the screen, and so on. But when it comes to user accounts for logging into windows it seems like most of these partitions (2 primary and the logical) share the same user accounts? The first originally primary partition is strangely not affected by this. But if I add a user account during a boot into one of the partitions it's still there when I boot into one of the other two partitions. The same thing happens if I change the name or password for a user account. Strange isn't it? I thought all partitions would be completely free standing from each other, but obviously they aren't. Do you have any idea of what could be causing this problem and if it's possible to fix?
/ Trimer

 

Do you have exact (or as close as you can remember) steps you are doing that cause the User Account problems? Maybe if I can duplicate it I can figure out what's causing it.

Are you sure the boot.ini files are correct and that Disk Management shows the correct partition as the (Boot) and (System) partition?

Is the partition that doesn't seem to be affected (the first Primary), the one that was copied?

The partitions should be free standing. You should be able to setup the partition by just using DD and hiding them, for example. OSS doesn't even have to be involved. OSS is just a boot manager, it doesn't control Windows. The problem may be the way it's being setup or something about how Windows works with User Accounts. I've always just had one.