Vista Dual Boot

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[edit] How to Create a Simple Dual Boot System (Windows Vista/Mac OS X)

This method is a bit of a trick more then truly booting Mac OS X from the Windows Vista bootloader.

This method will not work for you if you have an Windows XP or older OS installed on the same partition as Vista.

This guide will not be focusing on installing Windows Vista or Mac OS X.

You will need:

1. The chain0 file.

2. The ntldr file, you can get this from the windows 2000 install boot floopy disk 1/4 or an old installation of a Windows NT based operating system. Also, you can find the ntldr file on a windows xp setup cd in the folder I386.

Install Windows Vista as the last of the 2 Operating system (so that Windows is the booting OS), put chain0 and ntldr on the root of c: . .

[edit] Boot.ini

Make a text file and call it boot.ini (make sure it is not boot.ini.txt and that hide file extensions is off) and enter this as it's content.

[boot loader]
timeout=0
c:\chain0="Mac OS X"
[operating systems]
c:\chain0="Mac OS X"

[edit] Vista boot loader

The Vista boot loader should automatically detect ntldr and boot.ini and make an entry with the correct name so all we need to do now is set the time delay we want.

Open the command prompt and enter

bcdedit /timeout #

Where # is the number of seconds you want the potion to display.

Now reboot and make you pick of OS :)

[edit] Note

If you want you can easily make this in to a multiple boot set up by adding other in the same way as long as they are installed on Fat or NTFS file systems, if you install more then one os per partition you will get a sub menu (NT boot loader) to the Vista boot loader.

[edit] If Vista Is Already Installed

If you already have vista installed primarily, and don't want to reformat, copy the chain0, boot.ini, and ntldr into the C: directory. Boot with Vista DVD-ROM, repair, it will prompt you that there's an error with the bootloader. Reboot, fixed. Then install OS X. Repair permissions. Now, OS X is the main bootloader. Place Vista DVD back in drive, boot, repair, and you have a working bootloader with a lovely OS selection screen. Enjoy.

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