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4 Posts

9092

March 12th, 2007 20:00

BIOS for boot 2nd HD

Hi, I have an old Optiplex GX1 with BIOS A07. I've recently changed the Primary 0 HD from 6 MB (Win 98) to a new 80 MB (Win XP), both being IDE-type. I've put the old 6 MB drive as Primary 1 and I made the experience to try and boot from each one just by changing the assignment on BIOS to the pair from Auto/None to None/Auto. And it worked! Then, I've installed on the 6 MB drive a Linux distro (SuSe), which booted fine as being Primary 0. But when I've tried to plug the 80 MB drive under Win XP as Primary 0 and the 6 MB drive under Linux as Primary 1, my prior experiment Auto/None or None/Auto din't work any more. I've heard that there are BIOS versions today allowing to choose booting between two HD on the same flat IDE cable; both Primary, but one being 0 and the other 1. Would anyone from this forum be kind and advise me what would be the solution to make flip/flop booting between the two HD through the BIOS? Many thanks

mombodog

2 Intern

 • 

12.7K Posts

March 13th, 2007 03:00

Do both drives show up in "Device List" boot sequence?  Use that.
 
Can you use the Boot screen to select the drive?  It is F12 at boot on newer models, don't know what it is on that one.

G Mail

4 Posts

March 13th, 2007 06:00

Thanks for reply! My current BIOS shows-up just "Hard disk C:" on the Device Boot List. I've heard that there are new BIOS versions that allow two hard disks (IDE) on the same boot list, but I don't have any idea how to get one and if it works for my Optiplex GX1. I thought I can work just from the first page of the version A07, that I have now, and change the Auto/None assignation for the Primary 0/1 devices (the IDE HDs); but that doesn't work.

peterfelgate_ce40d3

1.3K Posts

March 13th, 2007 10:00

If you want the ability to dual boot, I would configure the Linux boot loader and manually choose which disk you want to boot from -saves all the hassle of going into the bios.  Configure e.g grub or lilo (depending on your distro....) appropriately to do this.
 
I am confused by your post, as I've never seen the ability to boot from D: available; I am therefore confused by your post saying you could switch!


Message Edited by peterfelgate on 03-13-2007 07:03 AM

G Mail

4 Posts

March 13th, 2007 11:00

Thanks Peter! To summarize, you suggest that I plug the Linux installed IDE HD as Primary 0, and the BIOS would normally bring-up grub or lilo, which I'll make to choose from loading Linux - from currently mounted hd0 (?) - or Windows - from hd1 (?). If you can confirm I understood well, then maybe you have a link to configure the Linux loader (I have a Suse distro installed). FYI: I've read on several articles that there are new BIOSs recognizing from start two HDs, but they might not be IDEs ... Many thanks

peterfelgate_ce40d3

1.3K Posts

March 15th, 2007 17:00

 
and
 
 
However, I have only limited Linux experience; and have always loaded Linux onto a disk in a machine with Windoze disk already present, so that Linux picks this up for the boot loader configuration.
 
Google is your friend!

G Mail

4 Posts

March 22nd, 2007 08:00

Thanks a lot! I did it and it's close to what you say on the Suse distro (seems to be the only one to do that). I succeeded to load Linux on the second HD with Grub (Linux loader) automatically installed on the MBR of the first HD (seen by the BIOS as the only HD booting device). To close the thread usefully for anyone would read it: just do a normal installation of Windows on the first HD, then proceed with the CD installation of Suse which offers at the installation time all the possible options: create and install Linux on a new or existing partition on the first HD (where Windows is); or create and install Linux on a new or existing partition on the second HD. So the clue here is the use of Suse distribution. The result is that when the computer is booted the Grub installer presents you with the list of all the operating systems you may have on your partitions, and to choose from. Warmly recommend it!

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