ok i got a new laptop and i want to put XP, Ubuntu, and Backtrack 3 on seperate partitions along with a 4th partition for my programs and data. I have my HD partitioed like so:

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/untitled.jpg

the plan is to have WinXP on C:, Ububtu iin the D:, My programs and documents in the F:, and Backtrack3 in the F:

how do i set up the GRUB menu.lst to boot backtrack 3??? Can someone push me in the right direction?

First which boot loader are going to use ?
That distro generally speaking you install as the last distro.
In case you did not know you should start with installing Windows XP
Assuming where going to use Ubuntu's boot loader than :
1) Windows Xp it standard write the boot loader to MBR
2) Install Backtrack install boot loader at his own boot partition , so not in MBR
3) Install Ubuntu GRUB in MBR
Ubuntu should recognize Windows and put it as a option in the menu.lst
I am not sure if she also recognize backtrack , if not you should edit
the munu.lst and put it manually in the menu.list .
You could do this as su or sudo with the command vi /boot/grub/menu.lst
Or install boot loader editor via synaptic than you get grub editor as a
option applications > system tools
Hope this will help you.

As you can see with my screenshot i have already installed XP and have installed Ubuntu and im using the Windows MBR to load either XP NTLDR, Ubuntu Kernel or GRUB to start backtrack, ive just never been able to configure the GRUB menu.lst to load BT3 successfully so i was looking for in depth help.

Why did not you tell us what you have down so far to get it working ?
And as we are here on a linux forum we mostly us GRUB or LILO to load all the OS .

ok i had the same problem;
for backtrack, you have to add: dont write the lines after "//"

title Backtrack 3 //Or the name you like to use
root (hdX,X) // Adjust this accordingly if needed
kernel /boot/vmlinuz rw root=/dev/sdXX
initrd /boot/splash.initrd
boot