If you're dual booting or triple booting OS X with Windows and/or Linux, let us know in this thread how you did it! Once the Intel Macs come out, a lot of people will be wanting to know how to dual boot OS X. For more Dual Boot guides, check out our wiki.

Share your experience here.

Here's how I made a tri-boot (I will add Free BSD 6 later, it's released now)
http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=3853
It's exactly the same like before (Linux, Unix & M$ as multiboot) now I just have to begin with OSX86, that's the only difference.

I have multiple boot, i only did install OSX86 following these instructions osx86 guide, and the darwing bootloader does the rest. I'm booting from 5 differents OS (different versions of some).

Here's a rough outline:

Dual-or Multi-booting divides neatly into 3 stages:

1) setting up the partitions.
2) installing the os(es).
3) setting up a bootloader.

(There is often a fourth stage, called fiddling, which comes at the end to get it all working right )

1) To set up the partitions you need a partitioning tool. This might be diskpart on windows, fdisk on linux, partitonmagic, disk tools on osx86 or any number of similar tools.
For osx you need a hfs+ partition (type af) to install on.. minimum 6gb seems to be the rule of thumb

2) Installing the os'es goes as usual, sometimes windows or linux is already on the disk, which can make things easier.

3) For a bootloader you can use the windows bootloader by copying chain0 to c: & editing boot.ini, or you can use the darwin bootloader, pressing f8 at startup to chose os, you can use a linux (e.g. lilo or grub) bootloader & add your osx86 install to the config file, or finally, a 3rd party bootloader of your choice.

As you can see, the different permutations of partition setups, tools, os'es & bootloaders are numerous, but they all fall into the same structure; partition, install, boot.

Example 1:
a user has windows on a whole disk & wants to dual-boot osx86:

1) First, use partitionmagic to shrink the ntfs partition to leave at least 6gb free space. Then boot knoppix & use fdisk to create a new primary partition type af in the free space.
2) Run the osx86 install dvd, patched according to your system requirements, and install on the partition which should now be available to you.
3) On rebooting, if windows boots, simply copy chain0 to c: & edit boot.ini to give you the option of booting osx86. If osx86 boots, hit f8 to see that your windows install is available.

Example 2:
a user has linux on a whole disk & wants to dual-boot osx86:
1) First, use qtparted, gparted or similar to shrink your linux partition to create at least 6gb of free space, then create a new primary partition type af in the free space.
2) Same as above
3) Add your osx86 install to your bootloader.

Useful tools:
Boot cd/dvd for all your relevant os'es, also it may be useful to have a linux live cd &/or a rescue boot cd like hiren's or ultimate. Partitioning tools, and bootloaders, if you use something not included in the OS

Perhaps people could post which tools have worked for them in the different stages? or which to avoid? I'm sure some people have tips & techniques in general or for specific setup which might be useful?
(& as usual, I have probably posted something mistaken or inaccurate.)

I installed OS X on a separate hard drive. I used the bootloader built into Windows.

Copied the chain0 file from

/usr/standalone/i386/chain0

to

C:\chain0

Then added

C:\chain0="Mac OS X"

To my Windows bootloader. It works flawlessly. When I turn the computer on, I get a menu for

Windows
Mac OS X

I can choose either, and once I select and press enter, it automatically boots into the desired OS. No other settings required.

That is awesome. I just don't understand how the chain0 links to the other drive. Was there anything else you had to do?

Which bootloader did you use, boot.ini?

I did it backwards. Partitioned my 160GB into 2 and installed OS X first then WinXP SP2. Does the instructions mentioned above work with my setup? Sorry for the newb question but it's my first time to extensively use Windows for so long.

For me adding chain0 doesn't work since 10.4.3 but if you install in this order when your PC starts showing the brand just press F8 several times (to be sure) and the OSX boot loader offers you the choice for the partition OS to load but ... warning ! : with the DVD install use the DiskUtility for fix the OSX partition to be the STARTUP DISK!!

I used the built-in Windows XP Bootloader (Control Panels -> System -> Startup [I think]) and just entered the above.

I had copied the chain0 file from my 10.4.1 install, and I've now upgraded my install to 10.4.3. But... I haven't tried recopying the chain0 file. Maybe it's broken now with 10.4.3, I don't know.

Thanks for the reply! I did as suggested (F8) and the screen presented me to boot from my Combo drive or my Hard Disk Drive. Sad to say my OS X install was placed in a partition within my Hard Disk Drive.

I shall endevour to try the Disk Utility or Start Up Disk app.

I'd stop using Windows if only OS X had better drivers for my audio & video.

Switched Start Up Disk via DVD install and now the OS X's bootloader works.

Now to hunt for the torrent for a 10.4.3 installer.

I installed OS X first, using the disk utility to make one big free space partition and one OS X partition. Once installation was finished I installed XP, then I installed Fedora Core 4. I used grub during the Fedora Core installation to create the bootloader. OS X actually picks up the installation of XP and set XP as the default choice in its bootloader, something I need to fix. The only real issue I have is in Windows I didn't do the formatting correct (run the install, create the partiton, exit install, restart computer and start install again) so my default drive in Windows is E:.

Hi,

I have a patitioned disk, OS X and Win XP.

1st problem:
At the moment when booting I get OS X straightaway, and I can see my XP partition on the desktop. I've located my chain0 files but can add it to the XP partition as I have no write access, and when getting info all permission settings are not available.

So how to I copy the chain0 to my XP partition? Do I do it as root?

2nd Problem:
I dont get chance to press F8 at startup OS X jsut boots how can I make the F8 option appear?

Thanks

another question.

if I put ubuntu on a 3rd partition would it pick up OS X and add it to the GRUB bootloader? I know it does with XP.

thanks stryder. it worked for me. now i dun have switch between two hdd in BIOS.

Can OS X WRITE to NTFS?
my dual-booting works great, but i have read-only access to my XP NTFS partition.. it would be great if i could write to it from OS X.
Is this possible?

If you read the manual of mount_ntfs it says:



I tried to mount in readwrite without success

i still have big trouble to dual boot them.

i had first winxp on C:. than, made a 10 gb primary partition id=if with diskpart in xp right behind the winxp partition. than, i installed osx86 8f1099 with the dvd + maxxuss dvd/iso patcher. after that, i am only able to boot to osx86. no chance to press f8 whatever while the booting progress.

can not use the oxx86 internal startup disk app, because afterwards, xp won't boot, neither osx86. so i have to reinstall osx86.

i tried to set the winxp partition to active and do fixmbr and fixboot on the winxp install cd. i got the error somehow like: "disk reading error, press ctrl+alt+del to reboot". the winxp cd autorepair doesn't funktion. same error. Reinstall only funktions, after i deleted the osx86 partition and the winxp partition and merged them.

someone can suggest something?

p.s. one harddisk

hmm, i finally got it.

used the boot cd generated by "Acronis Disk Director Suite"

my harddisk:

10gb xp partition
10gb osx86 (af) partition

1. i first had win xp installed
2. install osx86
3. i deleted the old xp installtion here
4. install xp
5. install Acronis Boot Manager or what it is called using the boot cd.
6. in the acronis boot manager menu, you can choose between xp or unkown os=osx86

the step 3 was the confusing one. i didn't actually now, what i have done between step 2 and step 4,
seems i had deleted the xp partition several times and recopied a acronis trueimage xp backup, which
doesn't boot correctly, just until blue login screen + win xp logo, then stucks.

Im having some troubles with my installation. Odd thing is I used to have a fully functional duel-boot before the patched DVD installer came out (using dd). I had updated Quicktime but that completely corrupted my old OS X install, so I decided to run the patched DVD installer and see what I can do. I successfully installed it by erasing the partition and installing over it. Bootup worked fine. But alas, once I removed the DVD from the drive and rebooted, I get the error "HFS+ Partition Failure".

Any idea as to what could have gone wrong? I cannot boot into XP at all, none of the boot loaders load, and the only way to get back into OSX is to insert the DVD again and let it run, which somehow allows the computer to boot into OSX.

I have a feeling the partition table is looking for the DVD when booting, and so if its not in there it fails... But regardless, I want to get back to my Windows XP side.. How can I do this? Any help would be appreciated. Im rather afraid of reinstalling OSX because I dont see how it would help if it didnt create the partition table correctly the first time.

Oh and putting in a Windows XP bootable disk allows me to boot to the disk, but it loads very very very very very slowly. It takes about 5-10 minutes to get to the first screen (after loading all the components) and all operations take forever. This made me worry that something is wrong with either my CD drive or my HDD.

What makes it worse is that I cannot even try working with Boot.ini in Windows because OSX cannot write to NTFS drives. My old bootloader info is still there, therefore chain0 is STILL there and should technically run...

Please help

The above is the only way I can boot OSX from my XP boot menu using chain0 in the boot.ini. I have both XP and OS X in my boot.ini. I can select OSX from the menu and *jump* on F8 and it will then give me the OSX boot loader and let me pick from my XP install and my OSX install.

If I select OSX from the XP boot menu and don't press F8, it just takes me back to the XP boot menu. Funny thing is, I didn't have to press F8 until today - I could just select OSX from the XP boot menu and it started OSX...

-kat

chain0 doesn't work for me.
I have three partitions. The first and last is formatted to ntfs and the middle is for OS X 10.4.3 8f1099 (maxxuss-patched).
1. OSX installed and run fine on disk0s2
2. I copied chain0 to C:\ and edited boot.ini as described earlier.
3. Next time I rebooted I see "MacOSx86" in XP boot menu. After selecting it screen clears nothing happen for about 2 seconds then XP boot menu returns. It means chain0 cannot recognize or find HFS+ partition. No error message but silently fail and return to XP boot.

I tried fixing it by doing Startup Disk stuff: same result.

i prefer Acronis boot Manager.
boot my xp x64 and osx86 10.4.3 8f1099.

it's included in Acronis Disk Director Suite.

Did you read the post above yours ?

I'm also having trouble getting a 10.4.3 1099 dual boot system running. I did the following:

Partitioned a Windows NTFS volume, and a HFS+ (Type AF) volume. Then I ran the Mac OS X DVD Install, which after rebooting with the DVD In the drive booted up the hard-disk version of OSX fine. After the second reboot, nothing would load at all. So I reinstalled XP on its drive, which allowed the system to boot to XP. I then tried the chain0 trick, but that resulted in going back to the BOOT.INI bootup menu. I tried dd'ing the first 512 bytes of the OSX partition and running that from BOOT.INI - this resulted in the dreaded "HFS+ Partition Error" problem. Presently that partition is set to type AF, and the XP partition is bootable. They're both primary volumes.

Here's the fun thing - If I boot from the DVD, and make the installed OSX partition the Startup Disk, the partition boots fine, however then I can't boot to XP unless I fdisk the XP partition back to the bootable partition.

Any advice on where to go from here?

Thanks,
-Hippy

the simple way that worked for me: (not know if it's the easiest though)
XP already installed, made free space after c: for OSX, after the install of 10.4.3 1111, went to Pref - Startup and select OSX, edited /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist
and added these lines
way to do it:
1. open teminal and type:
sudo -s
nano /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist
2.add
<key>Quiet Boot</key>
<string>No</string>
<key>Timeout</key>
<string>10</string>

quit and restart
normaly you shoul have 10s to press F8 and then you got your Darwin bootloader

Even with no timeout set, I can hit F8 to get to the Darwin boot prompt.

I read that chain0 locates the HFS+ partition and proceeds to boot from it. I'm going to have XP on one disk, Linux on another and OSx86 on a third.. will chain0 search for HFS across multiple disks?

Sure I have chain0 file in my WinXP disk (that it is a RAID/SATA setup) and the Mac OS X Disk in the PATA channel, and it loads perfectly.

My guide to multibooting OSX and XP

Step 1) Formatted Laptop
Step 2) Put OSX Cd in drive
Step 3) As soon as the disc boots up, go into the disk manager and create two partitions (OSX and XP)
Step 4) Formatted the first partiton for the Mac OS
Step 5) formatted the second parition for XP
Step 6) Install OS X onto first parition
Step 7) Install XP onto second parition
Step 8) Boot off of the OSX install disk
Step 9) As soon as the disc boots up and you're in the installer, go into the tools and change the startup disc back to the Mac parition
Step 10) Reboot
Step 11) When you get to the Mac screen that says "Press F8 for options", press F8. You should see both OS's there.
Step 12) Choose the OS you want to boot
Step 13) Enjoy


Please note, in step 11, if you don't press anything the computer will automatically boot into OSX after several seconds (you'll see a timer count down)

My endeavor is pathetic at best. But it's well founded, I don't trust XP. I figured it would be best to make it it's own topic as to not have this thread deviate. http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=6792

The best way, fastest and simplyest.
http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=6890

best regards

i get an error after trying to boot and install. its says that com.apple.Boot.plist is not found...

I seem to have the same issue as these folks...maybe...

I have a fully working OSx86 with the Darwin boot loader that of course loads OSx86 by default...because that is in the first partition and XP is in the second.

I have tried changing the boot disk in OSx preferences...but it simply shows "invalid boot disk" upon the boot...and then I also lose the Darwin loader...I have to fdisk reset primary partion to boot etc.

Anywho...I would simply like the default boot to be XP...and if I hit a button THEN I could select OSx...

Other than using Acronis...is their a way to tell Darwin to do it?

hi... anyone have try this one..???

http://www.osloader.com/screens.htm

can this work dual boot with osx86 and xp??

I've got exactly the same problem. I've copied the chain0 file to my c-drive. Adjusted the boot.ini and it just returns to the XP bootscreen.

Virii, do these steps really work? My understanding was that a successful install of XP requires that it be run from the default boot partition (the first partition?).

I always installed OSX86 first like you do on a DTK, that works (but OSX86 and M$ have a primary partition):
http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=3853

I allready have 2 ntfs partitions c:/ win xp home d:/ just data..

Is it possible to install OS X on the third partitions as i read everywhere that it must have 2 partitions ?

Dual boot with GRUB

http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=6007#

Here's my configuration:

80 Gb IDE - Win XP. NTFS
300 GB NTFS - some files
300 GB NTFS - some more files

Works perfectly. No macos, as u see...
Next:
80 Gb SATA, macos 10.4.3 with wesley patch... Well, it works...
Next "chain0" and etc... Dual Boot.... YES, it works.

And finally...
Under macos format two 300 HD to HFS... Reboot to windows, use macdrive... Yeah, it works... Reboot again... Choose macos in boot loader... And that's it... No luck... Some file can't be found... Sure, it can't cause if i press the F8 key, it shows me, that it gonna to start up from my 300 HD, which is not system... ;-) After simply unplug 80 gb with XP and reboot without boot loader... I'm in - in MacOS again...


ANy suggestions to make that chain0 work again? ;-)

I loaded OS on a IBM T40 and heres how I did mine:

1 Booted to OSX and created 2 partitions (40GB HD)
1 DOS and 1 MAC
2 Booted to Windows XP and installed (NTFS) on DOS partition
3 Booted to OSX and installed on 2nd partition
4 Boot screen displays:
hd0(1) Windows NTFS
hd0(2) Mac OSX

Works perfect!!!

First I had dual boot with the chain0 file.

Recently I upgraded to 10.4.3 and now that doesn't work anymore.

I know there are all sorts of solutions, but I think the chain0 was the most simple and elegant. Is it possible there will ben a new version of chain0 which will work with 10.4.3?

Okay, after solving how to actually edit the BOOT.INI file, I will teach you step-by-step!

- Go into your OSX drive (you might need MacDrive to see the OSX contents)
- Go to /usr/standalone/i386/ and copy the "chain0" file
- Paste it (chain0) into your Windows root drive (C:\), so it should be like this "C:\chain0"
- Click Start > Run > type in sysdm.cpl
- Click the Advanced tab, then under Startup and Recovery, click Settings
- Under System Startup click Edit (the file should open in notepad for editing)
- Under "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="YOUR WINDOWS OS HERE" /fastdetect", insert the following: C:\chain0="Mac OS X"
- In notepad, go to File > Save
- Restart and you will see success! It will give you a choice of Windows or Mac OS X


Hope you enjoy!

Discaimer >>> I have not tried this yet.


Here is the old style of dual booting for people to consider that are having problems getting anything else to work, the only problem is I don't know how you could get to work on sata but maybe some people that know all about them could,


You take a DPDT toggle switch (the small flat lever one from GC Elect pn#35-057 looks nice costs about 8 bucks but others are much cheaper)

and get a bag full of colored wires (E-Z-Hook pn#9110-12-5R and you won't need solder or an iron they have little pin socket connectors on them already) edit: Well bummer maybe you do need a solder iron looks like the pins on the switch are too big, but the other end should fit the jumper pins easily.


take one of the bay covers and drill a hole in the center to mount the switch, cover it with masking tape first so it doesn get all scratched up.


then you use an ohm meter or a DPDT diagram to find out which contacts are connecting when the switch is in the two different positions and connect the switch to two different hard drives in a way that replaces the jumpers on the hard drive, but connects one or the other when you flip the switch.

then use the switch to select a drive before you turn the computer on.

I know that is kinda old fashioned and rustic but probably works, they used to sell an item that did this but instead of a toggle switch you used a round key and it had it had a middle position where no hard drive was connected as a security feature.

Somewhere on the web is instructions with pictures sorry I forgot to bookmark it and it was a long time ago that I saw so don't remember the name of the site.

hi all,

I've just tried last week to install mac osx 10.4.3 8f111 on my win98/xp dual boot.
My system is a p4 northwood(sse2) on an abit 845se,nvida 4200Ti, creative audigy.
at the beginning i tried to install mac os x on a primary partition after the win98 primary partition but I had winxp on an extended partition, it loaded but the boot was really problematic, then I converted the xp partition in primary and I put the af partion after winxp always as primary and then I could get the darwin boot loader running well. It also gave the boot choise to win98/winxp boot menu.
Then I tried to set up the win98 primary partition on active and I've copied the chain0 from the mac partition and changed the boot.ini adding c:\chain0="mac os x" as explained above the topic.
At the beginning if i chose macosx after less the one second I got the win boot menu again.
Then I have read on the above topic that someone could load the darwin boot loader if after the win boot menu after having chosen the macosx hit the f8 key.
i can confirm that in this way mac os it will load!
the only problem is the audio that is well known not working with audigy...may be someone in the future will be able to release some drivers!

thank you very much to all of you guy without you I couldn't get it working.
by the way what about the 10.4.4 is already possible to install on x86 pc?
bye marco

No, and 10.4.5 is comming soon.

Hi Guys..

This is my first post.. hello all..

Ive been having a few problems with setting up dual boot on my laptop.. lets start with current setup

Ive got an ibm t40 with 10GB C: (primary) and 10GB D: (Logical).

D: was 20GB so i shrank that to 10GB with pm and shrank the extended that it was in to leave me 10GB free space at the end..

I then booted dsl to create the af partition..

i then ran the installer.. (im having problems with IO errors here but this may be my dvd drive, as it take anything from 30 - 45 mins to get to install screens) and repaired my newly created partition (is this normal?)

Once i had repaired and mounted the partition i went to install it.. but it told me OS X would not be able to start from this location.. and so i hit a brickwall..

Im assuming that its something to do with the af primary partition being located after an extended partition.. im in the process of trying to prove this by moving the extended partiton to the end of the disk.. and creating a new af one straight after C:.. but im doing a backup if D: first..

So while im waiting i thought i would share my experiances with you all and see if anybody knows of any other reason why it wont let me install that i dont know of yet.. and why does it take so bloody long to get to the install screen.. (ive been through that process twice now and with it taking that long i want to get it right this time )


Thanks Townfool

EDIT: looks like i was right http://www.win2osx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2688

I'm now running Mac Os X86 at this moment. But where do you guys find the file Chain0? I can't find it anywhere :s

Why do you people want to dual boot anyway? All I do is hit F8 when my computer finishes it's POST, (to get to my "select boot device" option. (Yes I know that not everybodys mobo has this feature so don't flame me!))and then pick the drive I want to boot from eg. my Windows drive, or my OSx86 drive. No messy dual boot promblems at all! Just my two cents......