The change is in the BIOS not the drives AFAIK. Michael Fernando <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: On 5/21/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I am now glad I asked this question. Ideally, I would like to retain > the ability to boot the OS on the "good" drive should one of the drives > fail. Does what you describe allow for this? > You are changing the way the computer boots, so expect _something_ to touch the existing drive. If you want the current drive's boot options left alone untouched, how about these options ... 1) Install a virtual environment such as Parallels or vmware server and that will give you a virtual machine where you can install another OS (even another copy of windows). From my experience, though, running a Linux distro as your base OS and running vmware server on Linux then installing Windows in a virtual machine gives better performance. 2) If you only want to try out Linux, you can completely remove the Windows drive and replace that with your spare drive. Install Linux and test/break that installation as you wish and your Windows disk is safe sitting on the shelf. Perhaps the best thing to do is try #2. Understand how the disk partitioning works during the first installation. Kick the tires; try to break things. Try to install VMware server for Linux (#1 above). Keep good notes. Then blow that installation away. Start over; partition the disk into two (or more); install Windows (you still have the Windows installation media, right?) in the second partition; then install Linux in the first partition. It will install Grub with the boot menu with Linux and Windows options. If you like this, keep this installation. As a bonus, you now have a brand new Windows installation without accumulated crud, and you can add the original drive as a slave and copy all your data back. ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/computerguys-l@listserv.aol.com/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/computerguys-l@listserv.aol.com/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/computerguys-l@listserv.aol.com/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/computerguys-l@listserv.aol.com/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
