Windows XP and MS-DOS dual boot issues Troubleshooting setup conflicts between Windows XP and MS-DOS environments
Windows XP and MS-DOS dual boot issues Troubleshooting setup conflicts between Windows XP and MS-DOS environments
I possess a "was working" XP image using DOS. There was a boot menu available through XP. The disk is split across two partitions, with Windows NTDR in the MS-DOS partition. Currently, I cannot boot anything. XP crashes and DOS reports it can't find a file. I resolved the issue by using certain tools; now XP boots normally and the boot menu appears. However, DOS still doesn't function properly. I recently booted from MS-DOS Floppy to recreate the DOS files, after which it started directly from DOS rather than XP. I have programs on both XP and MS-DOS and don’t want to lose anything. Assistance needed?
What's the age of this hard drive? If it's been more than seven years, I recommend creating a backup and testing the remaining functionality. Your information could become damaged if the drive stops working. HDDs typically begin to fail by losing data over time.
Alright, so you've managed to get both DOS and XP running, but you're still having trouble setting up a stable dual boot.
According to an old forum post from around 2002, newer operating systems should manage the boot process. Regarding manual partition selection during boot, it depends on your motherboard—some allow direct control via the BIOS or boot menu options.