Dual Boot Setup Question...

hi everyone,

so i think that in a few months i'm going to be ready to build my end all computer system, but i have come up with another super idea and wanted to get some thoughts on how a setup like this would work...

originally i was just going to keep my current computer as an "everything" machine for music, internet, games, etc.. and build a new system based on windows xp 64 strictly for audio, and then get a KVM switch to share the monitor/keyboard/mouse.

BUT, i came up with an idea that i think might work way better for me and i need some advice...

what if i have 2 300gb harddrives in my system, completely seperate (no raid or anything), one of which has an install of xp 64 completely set up for audio, not even an internet connection set up and nothing else installed, keep it nice and fresh for just strictly audio. the other drive with another xp installation and everything else i could want. i wont give either of the drives access to each other, and have it so i can boot to whichever one i want when i boot up the pc.

will this work out well? and most importantly, if i get spyware and viruses and all that crap on my fun internet drive, can they make there way to my audio drive (keeping in mind that the audio drive won't even be visible or accessable while i'm booted to the fun drive and viceversa)

also will i be able to install the same copy of xp 64 on both drives or will i have to buy 2 copies of xp 64 (not a problem if this is going to work)...

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

dude they should just hire you over at cakewalk. you're the most helpful person ever...

anyway i'm about to check out that link, but just a quick followup question.

since it worked so well with the removable drive option (which definitley sounds like a good option), if i DID just do 2 drives stationary in the pc, would it still work as great you think (i dont see why not).

ORIGINAL: polarbear

dude they should just hire you over at cakewalk. you're the most helpful person ever...

anyway i'm about to check out that link, but just a quick followup question.

since it worked so well with the removable drive option (which definitley sounds like a good option), if i DID just do 2 drives stationary in the pc, would it still work as great you think (i dont see why not).

Yes, it will work just fine but both drives will be available in XP so if you get a virus that infects files while booted to one it will get the other one too. The removeable drive things gives you complete isolation.

I also use Ghost to backup my drive in case that happens and burn that on to DVD-R just in case of a meltdown. I tend to Ghost my boot partition before and after I add or change any installed software or drivers in case the change messes up my system I can get back to good quickly.

If you just leave about 20 gig at the end of your drive and make it a FAT32 format partition you will be able to boot to a floppy or CD and Ghost your boot partition to .gho files on the FAT32 partition. Then you just boot back to Windows and burn the .gho files to DVD-R and you have a backup.

You may also consider getting three drives. One just for projects and samples mounted inside the case and two with removeable caddies for your two XP boot drives. That way if you have to Ghost your boot partition back you don't lose any projects. Be sure to use the "per project folders" setting to save projects if you use Sonar so all the audio is stored with the project and not on your C: drive.

As for the caddies the selection is much better now then it was when I got mine. I think I had the RH-32. They should be rated as to how fast a drive you can put in them I think it's a matter of being able to stand all that heat and sink it away.

ORIGINAL: polarbear

yea i was plannin on having an external to store copies of all my sonar projects.

do you know exactly which Lian Li product i'd be looking for. i was a little confused while looking over that site. also i was thinking about getting a drive that runs at 10,000rpm ... i was told that the performance difference is noticeable, so i'd want one of the removalable adapaters that supports drives up to that speed.

and isn't there some way to disable the other drive in winxp while you're booted with the other one? i would think that there would be a way.

Might be a way to keep the other drive from mounting in XP, I havn't tried it.

I wouldn't go 10k on the drive unless you plan on doing something very disk intensive. I'm thinking the 10k is going to be noisy compared to a 7200. The Seagate and Samsung 7200s are nearly silent now and plenty fast enough for audio. Even on my 24 track projects the disk meter doesn't even reach 50%. I'll be out of CPU long before I run out of disk speed LOL ! The 10k might be fun to try if you do any video work, it might make the render go a little faster but for me it's not worth the noise, heat, and money.

ORIGINAL: polarbear

interesting. i'm going to read into it a little more, but maybe i will just skip out on the 10,000 and go for a regular 7200...

so also, which model do you recommend on the lian li drive bays. and do i buy 2 (one for each drive) is that how it works?

I think it was the RH-32 but I don't remember for sure check them out they may have better ones now. In some cases you can buy just the caddie (insert) by it's self to have a second one but it may not be much more to just buy two sets.

interesting idea.

my whole thing was trying to get away from the idea of having 2 computers though because of the space. my original plan for the later this year was 2 computers, but it would just be too cluttered in here (even if i did use a KVM switch). as it is i have a 100 power cords running around (slight exaggeration).

thanks for the idea though.

I still run 2 computers since I upgraded(well more like 8 but 2 for music). I keep the second one hooked up by a KVM, then if I have a problem with my main machine and I just need to record, all I have to do is push a button on the KVM and switch over 1 usb and 1 firewire cable and everythign is hooked to the backup machine. It also comes in handy as a CD duper.
About running dual boot with two drives, another way folks do that is to use a drive switch. Its a little gadget that mounts in a empty 3½" drive bay. You connect 2 drives to it and it connects to one ide slot. only one of the drives is ever connected at a time so no chance of cross contamination I never used one but they are popular with the gamer set. I am running a dual boot of WinXP64 and Win2000 on one of my machines. It was a pain. I did 4 partitions on one disk (XP64, 2000, Linux and the fourth just for leftovers) I had to edit a few sys thingys to get it to work, it would boot one fine then not the other, then vice versa.

ORIGINAL: ohhey
You could use network attached storage for that. But if the house burns it's still gone. I burn DVDs (with verify on) and keep them in my desk at work just in case.

Yeah thats a nagging issue for me. I have literally my lifes work in a plastic tub with some silica gel in my closet. Its filled with about 10 different media formats, VHS, Umatic, cassette, ¼" ½" and 1" reels. Adat, Dat, and piles of CDr's and DVDr's. I really cant justify the expense of a safe deposit and its not big enough to pay for a storage space. I am actually looking into getting a fireproof file cabinet. Right now the fire plan is open the closet grab the box and jump out of the window. But that only works if I am home when disaster strikes! Hmm....