dual boot WXP + FreeBSD

[Darryl Okahata]

"Jesse D. Guardiani" <jesse at wingnet.net> wrote:

> It'd be really nice to be able to update that recovery partition too...
> Those service packs took a LONG time to download. I'd love to save the
> new XP configuration in that recovery partition. Too bad IBM didn't think
> that far ahead.

     "They did" -- it's called IBM Rapid Restore PC, and it's free.  I
don't have the URL handy right now, but just do a google search for "IBM
Rapid Restore PC", and you shouldn't have any problems finding it.  If
you still can't find it, send email, and I'll dig up the URL.

     This software allows you to resize your WinXP partition, create an
additional partition (default is 20% of the disk space) on the hard
disk, and do complete backups of your existing WinXP installation to
that partition.  You can fit as many backups as there is space.  Issues
to note, however:

* If I recall correctly, installing it will "hide" the original existing
  recovery partition.  It will still be there, but be inaccessible (it's
  on the order of ~1.5GB in size).

  [ If you install the software, and later uninstall it, it is possible,
    *somehow*, to again access the original recovery partition (stupid
    me did just that).  Unfortunately, I've forgotten how.  ]

* Just like the current recovery partition, this software relies upon
  installing a multi-sector "boot track" at the beginning of the disk.
  Replacing the boot sector (or doing anything to the sectors at the
  beginning of the disk) will render the software unusable.

* You're basically doing backups to the same disk.  If the disk dies,
  you're screwed.

* I have no idea if this software works in the presence of a FreeBSD
  partition.  My wild guess is that it does, but I have not tried it (I
  did all this before installing FreeBSD on my laptop).

-- 
	Darryl Okahata
	darrylo at soco.agilent.com

DISCLAIMER: this message is the author's personal opinion and does not
constitute the support, opinion, or policy of Agilent Technologies, or
of the little green men that have been following him all day.