Hiding non booted OS's

I was under the impression if i had 3 OS's installed and used the OS selector to choose which OS I booted to that the other two would be hidded from me.

But I see all three in the windows explorer.

What am i doing wrong?

 

Re: Hidding non booted OS's

Which 3 os do you have?

I am surprised you have them if you did not properly hide them from each other when they were installed.

If you boot the Recovery CD and run DD or OSS you can set the flags on partitions primary active hidden. There are problems if you try to make changes after booting into windows, use the Recovery CD.

 

Re: Hidding non booted OS's

Also, since the OS's are not currently hidden from each other, if you now hide them, you'll probably have drive letter problems (unless they are all currently C: drives when booted).

If you post back with more specifics on your setup (OS's, partitions, etc.) more help can probably be offered.

 

Re: Hidding non booted OS's

That did not work....Let me get detailed. Sry.


I installed w2kPro on a clean b Hard drive.
To it I added all thes basic programs that I wanted to Run on all my OS's.

I took mt new 250gB drive and using DD from teh GB drive I created GB partitions for the new OS's.

Then using TT10 I made a TIB of the drive (4gb) and restores it to each of the 3 new partitions.

Then I edited the boot.ini on the first partiton to see the other two.
I then renoved the 4GB and after verifying that I could boot to all three via windows I installed teh OS Selector.

Thru the os selector I can boot to all three but the first partition is always C:\ regardless of wich partition is active. I can hide any and all partions in OS except the C:\

Did I need to edit the boot.ini on each partition matbee?

 

Re: Hidding non booted OS's

I'm still not quite clear on your setup.

You have 3 partitions with Win2K installed on each one (restored using a TI backup). Is this now the first "main" booting hard drive?

You have installed OSS and can boot into each of the 3 Win2K installs as needed? Correct?

When booted into any of the Win2K installs, the Windows drive is always the C: drive? Isn't this how you would normally want it?

Or are you getting Windows drive C: when booted to partition #1, Windows drive D: when booted to partition #2, Windows drive E: when booted to partition #3 (or something along those lines)?

If you want to hide other OS partitions from Win2K and are using OSS, you have to go into the OSS menu options for that OS and in the Advanced section of the OS properties, check the box to Force hiding partitions.

 

[yes] You have 3 partitions with Win2K installed on each one (restored using a TI backup). Is this now the first "main" booting hard drive?


[yes] You have installed OSS and can boot into each of the 3 Win2K installs as needed? Correct?

[no] When booted into any of the Win2K installs, the Windows drive is always the C: drive? Isn't this how you would normally want it?

[yes] Or are you getting Windows drive C: when booted to partition #1, Windows drive D: when booted to partition #2, Windows drive E: when booted to partition #3 (or something along those lines)?

[Tried but did not give me the option]
If you want to hide other OS partitions from Win2K and are using OSS, you have to go into the OSS menu options for that OS and in the Advanced section of the OS properties, check the box to Force hiding partitions.

 

Hi selkov,
Not sure you tried this...
Did you make a Recovery CD and try to set hide flags from OSS on the CD before windows boots?

 

Yes I did.
In fact last night I wiped the drive.
Thru the Recovery Disk I then reformated it into 4 partions.
Then I "Restored" 3 copies of my OS from the TIB file on the diak I made Earlier.

I then installed the OSS.

Before booting to any os:
From the OSS,
In partition 1 I can hide partions 2 and 3.
In partion 2 I can hide partitions 1 and 3
But in partition 3 I can not hide pations 1 OR 2?

Any Ideas?

 

Can you post a screenshot of the OSS menu entry properties settings for the "Partitions" section for the 3rd Win2K entry that won't let you hide the partitions?

Can you also attach the "bootwiz.oss" file?
I might be able to see something wrong. This file is located in the "BOOTWIZ" folder on the drive on which you installed OSS. You may have to enable viewing of "hidden" and "system" files in Windows Explorer to find it.

Did you install OSS from the CD?

Were all the partitions "Visible" (non marked hidden) when you installed OSS?

What is the 4th partition? (for data storage?)
Is is a Primary or Logical partition?

 

I have no way of capturing the screen unless I am in an OS.
I also am not a tthe computer till tonight.
All the options are identicle, except It will not let me choose"Hidden".

 

I thought you could boot into one of your Windows. If OSS is installed in Windows you can access the same OSS menu, settings, etc. that you can when you boot into OSS. (I assume this works for Win2K. I've only used it with XP and Vista.)

If you can't do a screen capture, can you at least answer the other questions?

What is the 4th partition used for?
And is it primary or logical?
I ask this because it might be useful in correcting the problem, depending on what the problem is, of course.

Also, when you are at your computer, if you can attach the "bootwiz.oss" file, it may be able to be "tweaked" to work correctly. It just depends on what's in it.

 

The 4th partiton is just for data and it is logical.


I am not opposed to reformatting and doing it again.
Am I doing it correctly?
Any idea as to why this is happening?
Is there a different way to do it?

 

If you do it again, I would do it one OS at a time. That sometimes works better than getting OSS to detect multiple OS's all at once.

There are several ways to do this.

Where is your Win2K image saved?
Is it on the Data partition (the 4th partition on the drive) or on another drive (USB external, etc.)?

Depending on where it is would change the procedure since clearing the drive and MBR would lose that partition too.

 

It is on a seperate drive.

 

Good. That makes it easier. Just make sure not to accidentally delete that drive...

If you have anything you want to save from the data partition, copy it somewhere else as this procedure will delete that partition too.
Boot into DD and clear the partitions from the Windows drive.
Start a Wipe on the unallocated space, let it run for 20 seconds or so and then abort (this clears the bootsector and the start of the drive).
Clear the MBR (you can use the instructions here). This will completely remove OSS.
Create the partition for the first Win2K.
Restore Win2K to the new partition, make sure it boots okay, etc.
Install DD in Win2K and then install OSS from Windows.

Make sure OSS detects your Win2K installation and boots into it okay.
If it does, I would create another disk image at this point (OSS install with one Win2K) so you can restore it and try again if necessary.

Boot into OSS and start DD (OSS Menu, Tools->Disk Director).
Create the partition for the 2nd Win2K.
Set the properties for the 1st Win2K menu entry to Hide the 2nd partition (and check the "Force hiding" option in the Advanced section).
Restore the TI image to the new partition.

Reboot and OSS should detect the 2nd Win2K.
Go into the properties for it and select to Hide the 1st Win2K partition (also check the "Force hiding" option in the Advanced section).

Boot back and forth between the two and make sure they work correctly. Change your Windows backgrounds, etc. and verify they are booting into the different parititons. Once you have two working, you may want to make another image (still keep the first one) of the entire drive so you can restore it if necessary.

Then you proceed with the third Win2K, just as the second. Hiding the new partition for Win2K #1 and Win2K #2, hiding the Win2K #1 and Win2K #2 partitions for the new Win2K #3 menu entry (check the "Force hiding" option).

----

If you want to create all four partitions ahead of time (the three primary partitions and the logical for your data), you can. Just make sure to Hide the necessary ones in the OS's menu entry Properties.

----

You can try this if you want, but your current situation may be fixable by simply editing the bootwiz.oss file.

 

"Make sure OSS detects your Win2K installation and boots into it okay.
If it does, I would create another disk image at this point (OSS install with one Win2K) so you can restore it and try again if necessary"

I am not sure whatu mean by "(OSS install with one Win2K)".

Also I did kinda that already. Except for the part about wiping the drive & clearing the MBR.

When I installed the second os to the 2 partion OSS did NOT detect it.

But I will try that when I get home tonight.

And incase I forgot to ssay this...thanks.

 

I just meant to create a backup image of the working system with only ONE Win2K installation and OSS installed. In other words, make a backup image of the drive after you get Win2K and OSS working correctly. Then you can proceed to add the 2nd and 3rd Win2K installations.

If TI doesn't automatically change the boot.ini files (Win2K uses those, doesn't it??), then boot into DD and check after you do the TI restore and make sure the "partition(#)" sections are correct.

When you have 3 installed, one will be partition(1), one will be partition(2) and the last will be partition(3). They may not be in order though, they have to reference the order of the partitions listed in the partition table.

 

selkov,

You make it difficult as you keep creating new threads for the same topic. I think this is the fifth. Have you read the definitive reference I posted two months ago?

http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/index.htm

 

yes i read it. it is very informitive but also very confusing. if i were trying to research for a degree that would definetly be a needed research paper. but it does not address my problem nor the solution on how to fix it.

 

selkov,

With the exception of the Extended Partition section, you need to understand the rest. What sections are troubling you? Maybe we can help. I had 15 installations of WinXP on the one HD so the advice must be valid.

 

Brian,
Over the 4Th I retraced my steps:

1] I deleted all partitons on the drive.
2] Using dd10 I wiped the unformatted drive
3] In cmos I performed a low level format of the drive.
4] Using dd10 I zeroed the 1 partiton manually.
5] With TI 10 I restored a copy of win2kpro to partition 1.
6] With TI 10 I restored a copy of win2kpro to partition 2.
7] With TI 10 I restored a copy of win2kpro to partition 3.
8] Booting to another drive I Added the other two W2kp to the boot.ini on partiton 1 :

[boot loader]
;timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
timeout=0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

9] Booting to Acronis Rescue Media 10 I installed OSS.
This is where the issues start:
Force hiding partitons is checked off.
Partition 1 will allow me to hide partitions 2 and 3.
Partiton 2 will only allow me to hide partittion 3.
Partiton 3 will not allow hiding any partitons.

No matter what partiton I boot to I go to the same one.

So that is what I am up against.
Anny suggestions?


Also an observation...I have 3 Os installed but 9 Boot.ini's....WHY?

 

selkov,

OK. A challenge. How large is your HD? How large are the Win 2000 partitions? How much used space is in a Win 2000 partition? Where do you store the backup image of the Win 2000 OS? On an external HD?

Do you have a floppy drive?

Do you have a bootable USB flash drive?

How do you access boot.ini for editing?

Do you have pqboot32.exe (a file from Partition Magic)? Do you have a Partition Magic boot CD? Do you have a Boot Magic CD or floppy? I realize you have DDS.

 

In addition to answering Brian's questions, I would recommend that you do not add the other Win2K boot.ini entries to the boot.ini file in the first partition. I think you're confusing OSS. OSS has a hard enough time separating OS's.

After you clear the drive, create the partitions, restore the TI Win2K image to the partitions and then edit the boot.ini file in EACH Win2K partition to have ONLY the entry for that partition. (You may not even have to edit it. TI may automatically update the boot.ini file to point to the correct partition (at least it does with XP). You might take a look at this thread to get an idea of what I'm talking about: Problems with 'Signature' (ADD Drive Properties)

Then install OSS and see if works.

 

Putting all the entries into one boot.ini file is how Windows multi-boots. I haven't really run any tests on exactly how OSS "decodes" that information (and I don't have Win2K).

I have done lots of tests and have running systems with multiple XP setups and each XP partition has their own boot.ini file with ONLY their entry. Normally, when you create an image of an installed os, it has only one entry in the boot.ini file. Then when you restore it, TI may change the entry automatically or you may have to do it manually.

What you are doing looks more like a Windows multi-boot setup because all the Win2K's are booting from the first partition (which is probably not the first partition after TI restores). When done this way, the OS's are not isolated and depend on the first partition for booting.

Also, assuming each restored Win2K partition (#2 and #3) also already contain their own boot.ini file, how is OSS detecting them and separating them from the duplicate entries in the first partition's boot.ini file?

I was just suggesting keeping ONE entry per partition, making sure they point to the correct partition (per the partition table, not the physical partition order) and seeing if it works correctly.

---

Also, as I have stated several times previously, your problem may be able to be fixed by editing the bootwiz.oss file. You have not responded to this or attached the file, so no one has been able to view it. Sometimes OSS puts the wrong information in the file and then it's "locked" and you can't fix it in the OSS interface. Editing the file manually often fixes those types of problems.

 

selkov,

I assume you are 238drac as well. Confusing. We can get this working for you if you are willing to follow instructions and not add your own refinements. Sorry, I had to say that.

As your OS have seen each other they can't be hidden properly from DDS so you should start again. Delete all partitions from your 200 GB HD. Using DDS, create 3 primary partitions, each 10 GB in size. Make the rest of the HD an extended partitions containing a single logical volume.

I understand you have a Win 2000 image ready to go. Does it contain an installation of OSS? I hope not.

Using TI, restore your image to the first partition only. We'll do the rest later. Boot to Windows and look at the boot.ini. Could you post the text of that boot.ini to this thread?

Also, download a Win98 boot floppy if you don't already have one.

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Get the Win98 OEM. It's a self extracting file and will write direct to a floppy.

Now download EditBINI from here

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html

Copy editbini.exe to the Win98 floppy.

Don't go any further and I await your reply.