Dimension 9100 - adding SSD drive and want it bootable

Question

I have an old Dimension 9100 (bought in 2005) that's running Windows XP Pro. I want to add an SSD drive to the system and install Linux Mint on it. Ultimately, I want it to be a dual boot system but I want the Linux Mint the primary OS and installed on the SSD and Windows XP Pro as the other bootable OS remaining on the existing hard drive.

How does the PC determine the boot drive? Is it which hdd connector on the mother board that determines the default boot or is it something about the configuration of the drives? The drives are SATA.

shesagordie · Accepted Answer

Thanks.

I read this manual too but the only discussion of boot order had to do with the BIOS and dealing with floppy, USB and hard drive order, not which hard drive. The system board drawing shows the 4 SATA connectors but it makes no reference to boot drive.

Your answer is what makes the most sense to me but manual doesn't confirm it.

bhartung

As far as I know, Dell does not include that information in their manuals, guess it's because that all Dell computers are shipped with the primary hard drive factory installed.

Bev.

rdunnill · Accepted Answer

I know when I've done a test install of Linux on a very old Dell which overwrote the hard drive, there was an option for dual-booting.

Does that mean that there's a file on the default boot drive that handles the "boot Windows from this drive or boot Mint from the SSD drive" question? If so, If the old hard drive fails or is ever removed, the system would not be able to boot Mint any more?

It should still boot. I'd suggest swapping SATA ports so that the SSD is the boot drive, and maintaining a backup image. (You can use the Linux command 'dd' for that purpose.)

shesagordie · Answer

I have an old Dimension 9100 (bought in 2005) that's running Windows XP Pro. I want to add an SSD drive to the system and install Linux Mint on it. Ultimately, I want it to be a dual boot system but I want the Linux Mint the primary OS and installed on the SSD and Windows XP Pro as the other bootable OS remaining on the existing hard drive.

How does the PC determine the boot drive? Is it which hdd connector on the mother board that determines the default boot or is it something about the configuration of the drives? The drives are SATA.

bhartung

The primary 'Boot' SATA hard drive, is always connected to the motherboard's SATA0 connector.

ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_dimension_desktops/dimension-9100_service%20manual_en-us.pdf

Bev.

rdunnill · Answer

Linux has a bootloader that should solve your problem.

bhartung · Answer

Thanks.

I read this manual too but the only discussion of boot order had to do with the BIOS and dealing with floppy, USB and hard drive order, not which hard drive. The system board drawing shows the 4 SATA connectors but it makes no reference to boot drive.

Your answer is what makes the most sense to me but manual doesn't confirm it.

bhartung · Answer

I know when I've done a test install of Linux on a very old Dell which overwrote the hard drive, there was an option for dual-booting.

Does that mean that there's a file on the default boot drive that handles the "boot Windows from this drive or boot Mint from the SSD drive" question? If so, If the old hard drive fails or is ever removed, the system would not be able to boot Mint any more?

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Dimension 9100 - adding SSD drive and want it bootable

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