How to make Quad-Boot?

[FirstHackTosh]

Hey guys,

would be cool to install four OSes:

1. MacOS X
2. Vista
3. WinXP 64bit
4. WinXP 32bit

Is there somewhere a tutorial?

Thanks in advance
FHT

[Dies]

Tutorial?

Somehow I doubt there's many people out there who want or need to boot a bunch of different Windows versions but...

I don't see the issue ? They're all going to pick each other up. Of course I could be wrong.

Grab EasyBCD (http://neosmart.net/downloads/software/EasyBCD) to make things easier for yourself.

[Aydinz]

lol why would you install 2 version of XP? thats just stupid. if you ask me...

[nfoav8or]

lol why would you install 2 version of XP? thats just stupid. if you ask me...

Hey now, Watch it! This is a personal preference... maybe its for debugging programs. Who knows... but its not your place to judge.


@ FirstHackTosh -

use the Install DVD for OSx86 (your favorite distro) to boot up.
Open Disk Utility and partition your hard drive into 4 partitions with a MBR partition scheme (in Options).
format the 1st partition to HFS+ and the other 3 to FAT and name accordingly.
Reboot your computer into the windows install dvd/cds and install each accordingly to their respective partition (no particular order as it won't matter later, and yes you can reformat each windows partition to ntfs in windows).
Install OS X with the Install DVD and customize (if you have the ability to install ntfs read/write ability in the installer, do so).

(The following is only to be used if chameleon wasn't installed in OS X as the bootloader)
When you boot OS X for the first time, use the Install DVD and let the timer count down. When it is done it will skip to your hard drive and boot it instead. Once booted up, install chameleon to your OS X partition.

This should work as it is how I was able to use windows and mac on one drive before I got rid of windows completely.

Good luck.

[FirstHackTosh]

Naa, you're right. For me, it's only just for fun. After ages I have to catch up. I've only used X in the past ;-)

Another question, is it possible to custromize the Bootmanager with nice icons from X and WinXP/VISTA?

And which version is better XP64 or XP32?

[nfoav8or]

personally, I've only used the 32bit XP and 64bit Vista. hated vista with all of its problems so... yeah. I've never run in to anything that a normal everyday user can't do in 32bit.

as far as customizing the bootmanager icons, I'm not following. when you have everything installed the way you want it, and OS X installed last, the default system will be OS X so when it asks you to "press any key ..." press any key and it will show you in textual format the four different partitions on the drive. you use the up/down arrows on your keyboard to select which you want to boot, then walla, it should boot to that. Unless you are using a specific GRUB bootmanager/bootloader you will not have a graphical interface to interact with at boot.

[FirstHackTosh]

Thanks! :-)

[Aydinz]

Sorry about that! I didnt mean to insult you. I was just wondering what your reasons for using 4 different OS's were.

[FirstHackTosh]

@ FirstHackTosh -

use the Install DVD for OSx86 (your favorite distro) to boot up.
Open Disk Utility and partition your hard drive into 4 partitions with a MBR partition scheme (in Options).
format the 1st partition to HFS+ and the other 3 to FAT and name accordingly.
Reboot your computer into the windows install dvd/cds and install each accordingly to their respective partition (no particular order as it won't matter later, and yes you can reformat each windows partition to ntfs in windows).
Install OS X with the Install DVD and customize (if you have the ability to install ntfs read/write ability in the installer, do so).

(The following is only to be used if chameleon wasn't installed in OS X as the bootloader)
When you boot OS X for the first time, use the Install DVD and let the timer count down. When it is done it will skip to your hard drive and boot it instead. Once booted up, install chameleon to your OS X partition.

This should work as it is how I was able to use windows and mac on one drive before I got rid of windows completely.

Good luck.

Hello :-)
I went on holiday. Now I'm back from Austria.

Everything is fine. I used the Disk Utility to partition the HD.

Rebooted in Vista and it came to a "green screen of death". No error message, installation stopped ... ? Don't know why, any tipps?

Then I started in XP, installation is running.

One more question:
and yes you can reformat each windows partition to ntfs in windows

Can I reformat on the XP installation start screen or have I to install XP first?

Thanks
FHT

[FirstHackTosh]

XP installation doesn't work. After rebooting in XP, it comes to a "media error". I think, because XP doesn't find the right partition. Any suggestions?

Tried second time Vista install, it seems to work :-)

Do I need EasyBCD to install XP?

[FirstHackTosh]

Now Vista needs a driver for my LG GH22 writer ... it's very annoying ... is there no generic driver available?

[FirstHackTosh]

Now I have tried to install OSX. Installation, no problem.
Start volume doesn't see OSX on the HDD.

After reboot:

boot0: MBR
boot0: done
media error

I've used LawlessPPC. Standard install.

[nfoav8or]

Good to see ya back from holiday...

"and yes you can reformat each windows partition to ntfs in windows" meant you can reformat during the XP installation.

as for the booting problem, leave the installation DVD in, but don't allow the installation to start. it sounds like a bootloader installation issue and if you boot up using the DVD, you can install chameleon yourself once booted. This should fix your OS X booting. As for your windows installs not working. first create the partitions by using the XP or Vista installer.

[FirstHackTosh]

Okay, yesterday I successfully installed XP and X. But can't choose OSes. It always starts XP.
If I opened start volume, X doesn't appear on HD ...

Edit: I only installed X on the HDD with GUID-Partition and everything works fine, except for the CPU. Only one core and the CPU type is unknown.

How to install chameleon separately? I can't select it separately on the LawlessPPC install DVD

Tomorrow I will try the following:

1. HDD partitiion with disk utility (MBR)
2. Start XP install
3. Formatting partition 2 & 3 with NTFS
4. Install XP on partition 2
5. Install X on the first partition

After the first point I should install chameleon, right?

[nfoav8or]

install chameleon after you've installed OS X... and you have the order right. installing OS X last should set it as the default.

if it doesn't... reboot into the Install DVD and open Terminal:
diskutil list
diskutil unmount diskX (the X is the disk number you've installed the OS's to)
fdisk -e /dev/rdiskX (again, same thing for X)
update
f Y ( Y is the partition number where OS X is installed to and is listed in the diskutil list command above)
w
q

if the disk is not able to be accessed solely by itself, it will give an error after the w (for write) and will tell you the disk needs to be rebooted for the changes to take effect. If this happens, open Disk Utility (while still in the install DVD) and unmount all the partitions on the disk you installed all the OS's to by selecting them and unmount using the button above.

after all this works, use your DVD to boot (but let the bootloader countdown run out so it will boot from your HD)... after this, install chameleon.

[FirstHackTosh]

Ah, sorry. It was my fault. It seems I have forgotten to activate the partition ... *sigh*
X installation went fine. Now I install XP.

Ahhh, after restart, the boot menu showed me only XP ... have I to reactivate the X partition or again the bootloader?

P.S. I will try what you posted

[FirstHackTosh]

:D
Finally, I got it ;)
Now, I only haave to activate the three other cores from my Phenom :)

But first I have go to bed (1:30 am)

Thank you very much!
FHT