Summary

Chapter 12: Advanced Operating Systems 21require an older version. There is a dual-boot process for multiple operating systems on acomputer. When the boot.ini file determines that more than one operating system is presentduring the boot process, you are prompted to choose the operating system that you want toload. Figure 12-13 shows a sample boot.ini file.Figure 12-13 boot.ini FileTo create a dual-boot system in Microsoft Windows, you typically must have more than onehard drive or the hard drive must contain more than one partition.For a dual-boot setup, you should install the oldest operating system on the primary partitionor the hard drive marked as the active partition first. You should then install the secondoperating system on the second partition or hard drive. The boot files are automaticallyinstalled in the active partition.During the installation, the boot.ini file is created on the active partition to allow the selectionof the operating system to boot on startup. The boot.ini file can be edited to change theorder of the operating systems. You can also edit the file for the length of time an operatingsystem selection can be made during the boot phase. Typically, the default time to select anoperating system is 30 seconds. This always delays the boot time of the computer by 30seconds, unless the user intervenes to select a particular operating system. In the boot.inifile, the boot time should be changed to 5 or 10 seconds to boot up the computer faster.To edit the boot.ini file, right-click My Computer and choose Properties > Advanced tab. Inthe Startup and Recovery area, select Settings and then click Edit.Describe How to Upgrade Operating SystemsAn operating system must be upgraded periodically to remain compatible with the latesthardware and software. When newer versions of an operating system are released, supportfor older operating systems is eventually withdrawn.