Other Multiboot OS's

So im starting to build a HTPC for the main purpose of using XBMC

I'll mainly be using some sort of linux XBMC like openelec so that the computer will boot straight into xbmc when switched on.

Is there a way to also install a windows OS and maybe have a OS selection screen by pressing a button during/after post?

I know that i can install multiple OS's but don't want to have to select a OS upon every boot, only when i prompt for a selection screen.

Hope you know what i mean, not very good at explaining

 

I think I know what you're getting at and the answer as far as I know is no. You can only run one at a time .The only way to jump between OS's the way you explained would be to run one as a virtual machine then you could just jump straight in to it.

 

I have no experience with openelec specifically, but AFAIK this is certainly possible.
GRUB for example will give you X seconds (you can configure this yourself) to pick one of the installed OSs before just launching the primary option (which you can also configure). Don't know if the Windows boot manager allows you to set a non-Windows OS as primary, but GRUB definitely does.

Remember though: Windows will always have to be installed first, before any other OSs. (at least in my experience this avoids a lot of headache)

 

i think you misunderstood me, i dont want to run both at the same time. i want to have xbmc as the primary OS and have the option to select another OS at boot. but i want XBMC to boot automatically unless bypassed so to speak.

Now this is along the lines of what im looking for. never heard of grub before, I'll take a look into it once im more sober thanks

 

are you on about dual OS's dual boot etc, if you istall both up there is and option in windows to set which OS loads. Widows boot loader will always take over. If not it can easily be sorted with a boot loader like easy BDC.it give you the option to configure what ever you want booting first. Or have I just totally got it wrong with what you're trying to achieve..

 

It should be fairly easy to do, just make sure it defaults to the one you want, then it will always boot into that OS unless you choose the other during the boot process.

 

^This^
Easy BCD can be a little tricky to get setup but it's very user configurable.

 

Almost all Linux distributions install "GRUB" (Grand Unified Boot Loader) as standard.
This does EXACTLY what you're asking for. A default OS with the option to switch to another OS at boot time.

 

Easy BCD uses NeoGrub that is based on Grub4Dos, so maybe the best of both worlds.

 

+1 for easybcd

 

Partition your disk first. Then install windows on one partition. Then install the Linux based os on the other partition. This will give you the grub boot screen every time your system boots. You can choose an operating system from there. You can edit the time out period and the default selection by editing a file in Linux.

Things to note. Alway install windows first. Always select the custom install option on both operating systems so you can choose which partition to use. Create a gparted live cd and boot into that to set up your partitions before installing anything.

I have installed Windows and Linux on two different disk. If I want to select the non default I hit f12 on the keyboard and just select the disk with operating system I want on it. Actually I have three operating systems done that way.