Re: RFE: Grub should provide option to swap partition order

[Ulf Zibis]

Hi Felix,

I allow to remember, that I'm not subscribed to this list. By chance I saw your answer in the archive.
So please cc me while answering, e.g. by "Reply all".

Thanks for your information, see my comments/questions below ...

> On 2013-01-29 22:56 (GMT+0100) Ulf Zibis composed:

> Now I've found a possibility to have 2 WinXP installations, both
> originally installed on "C:", alternatively running on one disk. As I
> still was unable to boot a Windows by Grub from a logical partition (only
> NTLDR can do that, but in my case resolves incompatible drive letter), I
> copied my old Windows XP partition from sda1 to sda2. A fresh new Windows
> XP installation was installed to sda1. It works for to boot the Windows
> installation on sda1, but it dosn't work for the one on sda2 (~ 10 seconds
> after WinXP boot screen I got a blue-screen).

> Afterward, did you also appropriately modify boot.ini on sda1 to account
> for copying the old one to sda2? If not, maybe you should share the one
> you have on sda1 now. If so, what's probably wrong is the old one on sda2
> needs its registry modified for incorrect partition references. Moving a
> Windows installation is very definitely not an easy task.

The trick is, I only moved it physically, from start cyl. 0+ to start cyl. 16418, but not logically, by swapping the entries in the partition table. The OLD Windows is still on sda1 after the move + swap partition table entries, so I'm freed from tweaking the registry.

So in the beginning, Grub menu should look like:
  Ubuntu
  Extended Options for Ubuntu
  Memory test
  Microsoft Windows XP Professional NEW (on /dev/sda1)
  Microsoft Windows XP Professional OLD (on /dev/sda2)
But after once booting into "Windows XP old", according my RFE, after reboot, the menu should look like:
  Ubuntu
  Extended Options for Ubuntu
  Memory test
  Microsoft Windows XP Professional NEW (on /dev/sda2)  <-- see the swapped no.
  Microsoft Windows XP Professional OLD (on /dev/sda1)

BOOT.INI on both, sda1 & sda2, is unchanged:
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

Regards,

Ulf