DUAL BOOT Backtrack & Windows XP Pro from separate HDD's

[nam5301]

BIOS DEVICE BOOT ORDER
Image link: http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5...sbootorder.jpg

DEVICE STARTUP SCREEN
Image Link: http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3...rtupscreen.jpg

WINDOWS IN GRUB MENU
Image link: http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/2586/bootorder2.jpg

GRUB MENU.LST
Image Link: http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/6056/grub.jpg

GRUB MENU
Image Link: http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/1...ubbootmenu.jpg

WINDOWS STARTUP (THIS SCREEN FREEZES HERE, DOES NOT LOAD WIN XP)
Image Link: http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/628/winxpstartup.jpg

Okay, so I am really having a hard time with configuring DUAL BOOT for Backtrack and Windows XP. Each are installed on its own physical hard drive (Both IDE). Windows XP is installed on MAXTOR 6L020J1-(PM). While Backtrack is installed in WDC AC310000D- (SS) <--western digital HDD. I set the first boot as WDC AC310000D-(SS) which is where Backtrack is installed in order to gain access to GRUB Boot Menu. Because I want to be able to choose which operating system I want to boot from the Menu's list. But I can't get it to work. The current configuration are shown on those image links above. I have the MAXTOR HDD set has (hd1,0) which is correct (i think) because it displays the "Starting Up" screen before it loads the Windows XP startup logo. But the problem is that the "starting up" screen just hangs there and does not load anything after that. Not sure what the problem is.
If anyone who is good at GRUB, please lead me to the way to the land of solutions, where the water is clear and the sky is blue, and where Linux, Apple, Windows hold hands.

[hhmatt]

Boot to BT and post your results of fdisk -l here.
It's probably just that you have the wrong hd setup for your xp hard drive. Have you tried (hd2,0) or (hd1,1)?

[nam5301]

Yes I have, tried different variations, hd1,0, hd1,1, hd2,0, hd2,1, hd2,2, hd3,0, hd3,1, etc..well you get my point. All the rest just say invalid partition or device not found when trying to get it booted, the only thing that boots to the "starting up" screen is hd1,0. I am not at that computer right now but I will fdisk and show what it looks like on the screen tomorrow.

[rizler]

I'm not sure if its the case here but i have read before that xp is notorious for not wanting to boot from a secondary drive

title Windows
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
chainloader +1

for grub file and edit the hard drive based on the drive your fstab shows your hard drive and partition number is for xp

[nam5301]

Boot to BT and post your results of fdisk -l here.
It's probably just that you have the wrong hd setup for your xp hard drive. Have you tried (hd2,0) or (hd1,1)?

==============================


http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/8655/snapshot1w.jpg

The 20.5GB disk is where windows XP is installed, and the 10GB disk is where Backtrack is installed.

I will test out what rizler suggested and see what happens.

[nam5301]

I'm not sure if its the case here but i have read before that xp is notorious for not wanting to boot from a secondary drive

title Windows
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
chainloader +1

for grub file and edit the hard drive based on the drive your fstab shows your hard drive and partition number is for xp

=========================================

I tried the above u suggested, and it says "no such partition" when booting to windows xp.

here's my grub right now.

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 15

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=0x317 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=vga=0x317

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

splashimage=56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.30.9
uuid 56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30.9 root=UUID=56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30.9
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.30.9 (recovery mode)
uuid 56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30.9 root=UUID=56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30.9

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid 56b39d92-6e5a-494b-b96d-105314a90fea
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title Windows XP PRO
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,1)
chainloader +1

title Windows XP Pro (SP3)
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

[rizler]

=========================================
I tried the above u suggested, and it says "no such partition" when booting to windows xp.

here's my grub right now.

well i think you missed my part to modify for your hard disk
From you image then should be (hd0,0) is your windows
therefore you do not need the map commands
in linux if you didnt know most things as far as i recall start at 0 not 1

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1


basically those map commands are saying take the 1st primary and make it secondary and secondary to primary then the (hd0,0) says hard drive 0 and partition 0

you can tell which hard disk it is by the hd[a-h] states its a ide drive and the letter corresponds to the hard disk 0 - ... and then the number after that is the partition.

hopefully that works out for you and if that doesn't work just modify for the second hard disk which i don't believe is your windows install as its so tiny and the 3 definitely looks like the linux install as you setup various partitions for swap etc if you install

[hhmatt]

My guess would be that your XP MBR is broken.
Unplug the linux drive and try to boot it. If it doesn't work you may want to fixboot and fixmbr while the linux drive is unplugged. Usually it kicks out an error but this time it may not have because grub is the bootloader.

[nam5301]

[QUOTE=rizler;188893]

=========================================

I tried the above u suggested, and it says "no such partition" when booting to windows xp.

here's my grub right now.

well i think you missed my part to modify for your hard disk
From you image then should be (hd0,0) is your windows
therefore you do not need the map commands
in linux if you didnt know most things as far as i recall start at 0 not 1

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1


basically those map commands are saying take the 1st primary and make it secondary and secondary to primary then the (hd0,0) says hard drive 0 and partition 0

you can tell which hard disk it is by the hd[a-h] states its a ide drive and the letter corresponds to the hard disk 0 - ... and then the number after that is the partition.

hopefully that works out for you and if that doesn't work just modify for the second hard disk which i don't believe is your windows install as its so tiny and the 3 definitely looks like the linux install as you setup various partitions for swap etc if you install

=============================================

When the hard drive with Backtrack boots, it says booting from (hd0,0) ext3 at the top of the screen.
Hopefully this will work, i'm crossing my fingers.

[nam5301]

"invalid or unsupported executable format" error
I get this error , I don't know what to do in order to get this to work............... :-(