Review of my dual-boot issue and a fix...

[Nicholas]

Hey guys, I've been working on the problems I had with my dual-boot installation, i.e., where I was using a switch to change from one OS to another... well, I got it working. There was a short in my new computer case - the one I had Mint and Windows XP installed in with the switch. I rebuilt an old Antec case and punched blow holes into it for good airflow and then installed the drives with Mint and XP, using the same MB and hardware. This setup has been working fine ever since, and can now report that I'm satisfied with the way the switch works. It's an easy way to switch over to whichever OS you want to run without using the grub loader and its inherent problems. (I also repaired the short in the other case and installed Windows 7.) You guys should take another look at the link I sent and consider that dual-boot solution - it does work okay .
Best regards,
Nicholas

[Husse]

You forgot to add the link

[Fred]

Nicholas,

I still suggest you proceed with caution. My warnings in your original thread are no less valid now than they were a couple months ago.

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... ts#p142812

Fred

[Husse]

I would call that solution the first word in Fred's signature - insanity....
I've built a few computers (too many to remember how many) but to do that..... no

[Nicholas]

The link is at the beginning of this string... but here it is again: Http://www.thesataswitch.com. In reality it's only a power switch - you change the connection to the power at the drive from one to another by changing the position of the switch. The power is cut off at the source, so there is no crossover involved. Neither drive is aware of the other - when the switch is on one of the drives, the other is not seen in the BIOS - nor in the OS. Since I installed each OS on the same motherboard, and the drives are SATA - whichever one is selected it will be recognized as the master drive - since all SATA drives are masters. Check out the site - there is information about it and a diagram [schematic] you can study - and build your own - or buy one if you wish; and there are several models available. It's just an alternate method of achieving a dual-boot or a triple-boot -or even a RAID configuration . The installation takes about 10 minutes - there is only one small hole to drill. I was somewhat dubious myself, especially after Fred contributed his information, but after examining and using the switch, am no longer nervous about it. The last time I tried it, I had a non-related short which I was able to correct by moving all the hardware to another case, thereby finding the raw wire. It has been working fine, no excessive heat, artifacts or error messages this time. And the system time is always accurate - on both drives.
Thanks for the input - it's appreciated... I'm only trying to help, this allows one to have the luxury of two computers - i.e., two operating systems in one case; and you can always add more drives, just remove one, install another OS and change to any of them whenever you wish, without having to make any changes to the Grub Loader or BIOS.
Best regards,
Nicholas

[Husse]

Hmm - what I saw was cutting of the cables to a Molex connector to make the cables longer
I call that insanity considering that there are special cables you can buy to fix that
If you connect the wrong way there's a good chance that not only the hard disk but also the motherboard is fried, and when the motherboard fries there's a good risk that everything else fries
I have seen such a switch sold but it was not invasive at all - very simple to use and install (but I can't find it any more)
No drilling, no cutting of cables.....

[Nicholas]

Husse,
On the link to the switch - if you would like to see the finished product that is for sale, go to the bottom of the page (1st page) and click on "I can build one for you," and all the models will be displayed on the 2nd page - they look a lot better (and clear) here. At the bottom of this 2nd page, there is the word "schematic," click on that and the full schematic will be displayed on the last page and you can check the paths and connection points of the switch. So far, I've had no problems with it. Thanks for taking a look at it and for your opinion.
Best regards,
Nicholas