Problems dual booting XP Pro SP2 and Win 2k3 Server

seamus

Right dunno if anyone can help here. Google has only returned the same solution I came up with.

Here's my setup:

IDE 0, HDD 0, Partition 0: 20GB, NTFS, XP Pro System Partition (C:\)
IDE 0, HDD 0, Partition 1: 60GB, NTFS
IDE 0, HDD 1, Partition 0: 40GB, NTFS

I ran the installer for Server 2003, and it formatted the 40GB Partition and copied the files across. Rebooted, removed CD and Tried to boot Win 2k3 server from the boot menu.

A message comes up:
"The following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows Root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Please reinstall the file".

I can boot fine into XP, so I did that, and copied the NTLDR and NTDetect.com files from the 2k3 CD to the root of C:\
Reboot, same thing.

The boot.ini file looks fine, as far as I can see:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Enterprise" /fastdetect

The only thing I can think is that the second Partition on the first HDD is confusing the installer (While copying files, it briefly flashed up something about preparing the \, when it should be the E:\), but other than that, I'm stumped.

Anyone?

seamus

Turns out windows was right and I was wrong, I forgot my own setup. My Second HDD is on IDE 0 as slave.

So the boot.ini looks right. Yet it still won't work. Anyone?

If I run the recovery console for Win2k3, it detects Paritition 1 on the primary slave as and partition 2 on the primary master as E:\
XP recognises them the opposite (correct) way around.

Switching the drive letters around would be more hassle than it's worth

seamus

*Bumpy*

Anyone?

Capt'n Midnight

stupid question - each version is in C:\Windows , though on different drives ?

have you tried to make boot disks ?
boot.ini / ntldr / ntdetect.com on a floppy formatted in nt/2k/xp/2k3

try setting swap files to 0 for both OS's

seamus

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

stupid question - each version is in C:\Windows , though on different drives ?

Yep, although, WinXP is in C:\Windows and Win2k3 is in E:\Windows though from its POV it thinks it's in \Windows

have you tried to make boot disks ?
boot.ini / ntldr / ntdetect.com on a floppy formatted in nt/2k/xp/2k3

No, but good idea, I'll try that.

Try setting swap files to 0 for both OS's

The installer for Win2k3 hasn't started yet, so the OS isn't installed. It runs through the "copying files to hard disk" phase, reboots, then won't run windows installer from the HDD.

If I copied the contents of the i386 folder from the Win2k3 CD into the E:\, is there any way I can start installer from command line (e:\i386\winnt.exe or whatever)? The installer can't be run while WinXP is running.