Install a second hard drive with windows operating system

When two hard drives are as you described, each to boot separately needs to be set as the primary drive on a cable. You can only have one primary (master) drive on at one time. The other has to be a secondary drive (slave). So physically you're better off just hooking one drive up at time as the primary with the other disconnected. I don't think BIOS can deal with two potentially active primary drives. (How's it supposed to choose between them?)

Normally the way things are configured are with one drive using Windows in the first partition and Ubuntu in the second, third, etc. with a boot loader menu allowing for a choice between them. (The dual boot loader is not from BIOS.)

I don't know of any way to keep the two primary disks connected with a boot loader allowing for a choice between them. Perhaps someone else has a solution to this problem.

I knew the answer with legacy Grub, but not with Grub2.
I presume you had to set Windows disk as primary disk for installing it (I'm not an expert of XP...what version of Windows OS are you using?) else windows will erase the MBR of Ubuntu disk and you will have to reinstall Grub call on MBR.
After you can switch disks:
   - primary with Ubuntu
   - secondary with Windows
and do a
   sudo grub-upgrade
If you are lucky, grub will detect Windows OS and switch both disk when you boot on windows.
If I have time, I could check this evening, but I need to know which Windows you are using (I presume Ubuntu is 10.04).

Hello Delance:
I must admit that I am not very acquainted with the Ubuntu Operating System but am learning . I don't know much about Grub-Grub 2-sudo grub, and the like. That is why I would like to be able to have BOTH operating systems on the same computer so as to be able to run the programs I am familiar with on Windows XP-Pro and then be able to explore Ubuntu at my leisure. Currently I have only one hard drive equipped with Ubuntu 9.04 This is not a must have situation as I am just checking the possibilities of the two programs on two different hard drives on the same computer. If it seems very unlikely that this will be possible then I can just forget it! Your input is very much appreciated! Thank You! Richard

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----- Original Message -----
From: "delance" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 3:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Question #120021]: Install a second hard drive with windowsoperating system

> Your question #120021 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/120021
>
> delance proposed the following answer:
> I knew the answer with legacy Grub, but not with Grub2.
> I presume you had to set Windows disk as primary disk for installing it (I'm not an expert of XP...what version of Windows OS are you using?) else windows will erase the MBR of Ubuntu disk and you will have to reinstall Grub call on MBR.
> After you can switch disks:
> - primary with Ubuntu
> - secondary with Windows
> and do a
> sudo grub-upgrade
> If you are lucky, grub will detect Windows OS and switch both disk when you boot on windows.
> If I have time, I could check this evening, but I need to know which Windows you are using (I presume Ubuntu is 10.04).
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/120021/+confirm?answer_id=1
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/120021
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

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First step is to install Windows-XP.

You can try to install with disk viewed as second disk, but XP installer will probably erase Grub bootloader, and we will have to reinstall it later.

Else you can switch both disk (via the BIOS with SATA disk or physically), and install Windows XP with disk viewed as first disk.
After you switch both disk and ask to Grub to detect Windows XP installation.

Third solution, which is one I used, is to installed VirtualBox on Ubuntu, and install Windows XP in a virtual machine. You need at least 750MB of RAM and it doesn't work for games. But for other software, it allows you to use SIMULTANEOUSLY both OS.

First choose dual boot or virtual machine.
After you choose one, I will help you.

Hello:
I am sorry to say that I have ran into a problem with attempting this procedure. Apparently I have a motherboard malfunction with the machine I am wanting to work on. Therefore I will have to wait until that issue is resolved before I can work any further on this. I will reopen this request at a later time then so thank you for the assistance you have given so far. Very Much Appreciated! Richard

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----- Original Message -----
From: "delance" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: [Question #120021]: Install a second hard drive withwindowsoperating system

> Your question #120021 on grub2 in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+question/120021
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> delance proposed the following answer:
> First step is to install Windows-XP.
>
> You can try to install with disk viewed as second disk, but XP installer
> will probably erase Grub bootloader, and we will have to reinstall it
> later.
>
> Else you can switch both disk (via the BIOS with SATA disk or physically), and install Windows XP with disk viewed as first disk.
> After you switch both disk and ask to Grub to detect Windows XP installation.
>
> Third solution, which is one I used, is to installed VirtualBox on
> Ubuntu, and install Windows XP in a virtual machine. You need at least
> 750MB of RAM and it doesn't work for games. But for other software, it
> allows you to use SIMULTANEOUSLY both OS.
>
> First choose dual boot or virtual machine.
> After you choose one, I will help you.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+question/120021/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+question/120021
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3056 - Release Date: 08/06/10 02:37:00

Please close this question. I have a machine motherboard malfunction that prohibits any further work. Thanks to all who contributed! Dick