[snonymous]

I have two hard drives in my desktop computer, one with Ubuntu on it, one with Windows XP on it. I would like to be able to dual-boot between the hard drives, so at my bios I can choose to run either one. I would also like to be able to read/write the Windows hard drive when I am using Ubuntu, and Vise Versa. Does anyone know how to do this?

[DarenR]

to make it easier on yourself you should put the OS' on one drive and have the other for just storing files

[snonymous]

DarenR, on 30 May 2012 - 11:58 AM, said:

to make it easier on yourself you should put the OS' on one drive and have the other for just storing files

I need the dual-boot function! Otherwise, I would just ditch Windows.

[DarenR]

right with one hd you can dual boot off of it

[snonymous]

DarenR, on 30 May 2012 - 12:10 PM, said:

right with one hd you can dual boot off of it

Ok. I get it. So I should put the ubuntu OS on the drive with Windows. But then how do I access the media on the drive that would be left?

[modi123_1]

There's also virtual machines (like virtualbox or vmware's stuff)...

Though yeah.. I have an old XP on one drive and windows 7 on another. Basically you install windows 7.. then linux.. then boot back into windows 7 and mess with the boot loader.

http://www.linuxbsdo...-hard-drives/2/

Quote

After installation, the computer will boot into Windows 7, unless you change the boot device from the BIOS boot menu. The final step is to add an entry in Windows’ boot menu for Ubuntu 11.10. You achieve that by messing with the Windows Boot Configuration Data (BCD). There are several programs for doing it, but the best I have found is EasyBCD.

[DarenR]

the tra drive you partition both drives to have 2 partitions--- 1 for your OS' and the other for file storage for windows and unbutu then you access them just like any other hd

[snonymous]

DarenR, on 30 May 2012 - 12:21 PM, said:

the tra drive you partition both drives to have 2 partitions--- 1 for your OS' and the other for file storage for windows and unbutu then you access them just like any other hd

So I have Linux and Windows on both HDDs?

modi123_1, on 30 May 2012 - 12:21 PM, said:

There's also virtual machines (like virtualbox or vmware's stuff)...

Though yeah.. I have an old XP on one drive and windows 7 on another. Basically you install windows 7.. then linux.. then boot back into windows 7 and mess with the boot loader.

http://www.linuxbsdo...-hard-drives/2/

Quote

After installation, the computer will boot into Windows 7, unless you change the boot device from the BIOS boot menu. The final step is to add an entry in Windows’ boot menu for Ubuntu 11.10. You achieve that by messing with the Windows Boot Configuration Data (BCD). There are several programs for doing it, but the best I have found is EasyBCD.

If I am to understand your link correctly from my brief lookover, I would be booting Windows, and windows would ask me if I wanted to boot Ubuntu or not. Is that correct?

[modi123_1]

Yeah.. the BCD would be asking

[snonymous]

modi123_1, on 30 May 2012 - 12:30 PM, said:

Yeah.. the BCD would be asking

Thank you so much for responding so quickly! I will try this and post whether it works or not, especially since it is written for Win7 and not WinXP. Don't close the topic yet!

[modi123_1]

Then you should be looking into GRUB or something along those lines.

http://gerardmcgarry...-xp-environment

https://help.ubuntu....WindowsDualBoot

[snonymous]

modi123_1, on 30 May 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

Then you should be looking into GRUB or something along those lines.

http://gerardmcgarry...-xp-environment

https://help.ubuntu....WindowsDualBoot

Ok. Will grub let me read/write between hdd as well?

Also, windows says it detects the other HDD, but I cannot access it from windows. Why?

This post has been edited by snonymous: 30 May 2012 - 01:11 PM

[modi123_1]

I don't know where this hang up on reading between the drives has come up, but the answer is "no.. grub will not free, nor impede, you from reading between drives because that is already an inherent given as is".

Just because an OS is installed on drive A and another on drive B it doesn't make a giant wall come up and no one ever will have access to that data. Everything functions through the motherboard, right? That means if you had six hard drives your current OS you are reading would be able to see all six drives.. that concept is no different when dealing with different operating systems installed.

If you don't believe me download the latest ubuntu, throw it on a dvd, and boot ubuntu in your ram.. your drives shoul all popup.

[snonymous]

modi123_1, on 30 May 2012 - 01:09 PM, said:

Just because an OS is installed on drive A and another on drive B it doesn't make a giant wall come up and no one ever will have access to that data.

Then why the heck is my Windows OS not letting me see the other HDD when I go to "My Computer"?

This post has been edited by snonymous: 30 May 2012 - 01:20 PM

[modi123_1]

Any number of reasons..