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Hard switch

 Create a hardware switch recognized by software
 
(+1, -1) 		  [vote for,
against]

I just want so badly that in the morning I could start up my computer (first thing) then go to the bathroom while it boots up. But no - I have to wait for it to start up, start the boot process, and only then I get to choose the OS to start in (got Win and Linux installed). Same with reboots. Why isn't there a hardware switch on the front panel I can switch to, say, "0" or "1" and go brush my teeth without having to wait for the beep?

The most obvious situation is described above, but I could find zillions of uses for a switch board even after the computer started: on-line/off-line, at computer/busy/not at home (three-state state switch), working on task #1/task #2/task #3 (multi-state) etc.

—gutza, Feb 16 2002

For Sale Here, and Elsewhere. http://www.newegg.c...n=02-102-001&depa=1
Nicklock hardware IDE switch [Laughs Last, Oct 04 2004]

toranthx's link http://www.techtv.c...330,3425846,00.html
please use the link system [yamahito, Oct 04 2004]

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       It would be easy enough to make a switch that could toggle the master/slave settings on a pair of IDE drives. Put each operating system on its own drive. Make sure the boot partition on each drive is set to active.   

       Neither OS has to know about the other one and, as long as the file systems are compatable, you still have access to the data on both drives.
—phoenix, Feb 16 2002
   

       Unfortunately, if you use your floppy drive for information interchange, booting off floppy is a great way to get boot-sector viruses (they're still around, alas).
—supercat, Feb 17 2002
   

       I have yet to hear of one that will affect *nix, and it can be easily foiled by flipping the little widget to 'write protect'...
—StarChaser, Feb 17 2002
   

       Step 1. Buy a GF-T8 with 8 programmable toggle switches and a USB interface.   

       Step 2. Write a patch to LILO or GRUB that reads from the USB port.
—netmanakre, Jul 16 2003
   

       Many of us have redundant turbo switches - you could try installing the systems on two seperate disks, then set them to automatic. Plug the turbo switch onto the master pins on whichever disk the bios decides would normally be the slave.   

       Or, just buy another system ;op
—yamahito, Oct 05 2003
   

       Even better, just build a toggle switch for your system that will switch jumper settings on two ide drives between cs and m/s and flip it to boot back and forth... TechTV had a great article about just such a device. It can be found here:   

       http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/howto/story/0,24330,3425846,00.html
—toranthx, Oct 07 2003
   


 

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