I realize this is somewhat off-forum, but I'm trying to dual-boot XP and Mandrake 9.2 in NTLDR. My boot.ini file looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\bootsect.lnx="Mandrake Linux"

When I select the Linkux partition, it waits for a second then reboots the machine. What am I doing wrong? Bootsect.lnx exists in C:\, Windows is on hdb1, Mandrake is on hda6.

Falcon,

To my knowledge you have to use the Linux bootloader to dual boot. Either with Lilo, or Grub. You won't be able to boot into Linux unless you do so. Just select whichever one you want as the default boot partition and you should be fine.

Hi Falcon,

Well, 6 in 1/2, dozen in the other. Personally, I think just using Lilo or Grub and using the Linux boot loader is easier than screwing around with what this guy is suggesting. First, ask yourself, why would you want to use a Windows boot loader anyway??? Unless you're planning on using Windows as your primary OS. But even so, you can just select Windows as your primary loader and it will load Windows then. I just don't understand the logic in doing what this guy is suggesting if the inverse has been tried over and over and been proven to work.

I have never tried it using the Windows boot loader but I'm not so sure it would work too well. The reason is that ntfs cannot read ext3 or Reiser so how will the boot loader even know that Linux is there.

Besides Lilo and grub will get the job done with very little intervention from the user. As the other posters have said just pick your default os and lilo will do the rest. Whats the big deal.

well, to quote slashdot, if you RTFA, you would see that the second step is to copy the first 512 bytes out of the harddrive. They forgot a step. lilo -b /mnt/hda6

Falcon,

I guess this requires me to be direct with you. JUST USE THE LINUX BOOT LOADER!! You don't or shouldn't have to worry about doing the inverse. Geesh, why don't you just make your life easier instead of harder??

I concur completely. Why make things the most difficult you can???? This problem of dual booting was solved many many years/distributions ago. I remember dual booting RedHat5.0! for gods sake. JUST USE LILO!

I fail to see why anyone would go through the pains (ok, not pains but waste of time really) of doing what that guy on the other forum suggests, when you can do it so easily with lilo or grub. lilo and grub have an additional benefit of a password, and also look much better. so why in the world one would want to use winloader is beyond me.

Falconfigther, can you please tell me why you want to do this, just to sate my curiosity.