Dual-Boot problems with XP Zorin9,

Hello,
I call myself 'OldNewUser' cause that's kind of what I am.
I used Linux on the job testing hardware back in the late 80s. I really like where its gone with the new Distro's
like Zorin. I'd REALLY like to just wipe XP off my machine, and have multiple linux Distros to choose from,
but until I get this problem solved just cant afford to take a chance on having a totally unusable machine.
I like to fix stuff myself but I've looked at all the Ubuntu forums & I'm stumped & need your help.
So HERE'S My PROBLEM:

I have a Dell Optiplex gx280.
Operating System Before installing Zorin:

Windows XP Professional 32-bit SP3
CPU Intel Pentium 4 641 Cedar Mill 65nm Technology
RAM 1.00GB Single-Channel DDR2 @ 266MHz

BIOS is set to boot USB first.

I used a 'liveUSB' disk & InstalledZorin9 along side XP.
The first 4 or 5 times dual boot worked fine. Got the options below and was able to select one.

0. Zorin
1. Zorin recovery mode
2. Memory test
3. Memory test
4. windows XP

Now I randomly get one of these three results (listed in order of occurence).

1. Nothing. Not even DELL F2/F12 boot screen. Even power button doesn't work, must unplug, plug back in.
After this happens I must use a live USB to boot, and from the USB choose 'Reboot'.
Upon rebooting it works normally going thru the Dell boot screen, etc,
and I can -sometimes- choose what OS I want to boot.
Other times- skips DELL boot screen-- into problems 2 & 3, which are--
2. No options displayed. Boots straight into Zorin. SEE NOTE:**
3. Options display, but frozen, no keyboard or mouse. Then boots into Zorin. SEE NOTE:**

NOTE: I uninstalled & re-installed Zorin, & added LUbuntu on a separate partition.
Same problems only now adds LUbunto to above menu.

** with probs 2 & 3- Usually does not let me pick, just boots whichever Distro was used last.
Occasionally keyboard responds and lets me choose.

Here is a screenshot of my HD partitions:


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 30918655 15459296+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 105879550 156248692 25184571+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 37064704 39161855 1048576 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 39163904 105875455 33355776 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 105879552 156248692 25184570+ 83 Linux

I ran "boot-repair-disk" from USB and here is the paste: http://paste.ubuntu.com/12086348/

Here is machine info from inxi -F:
jack@jack-OptiPlex-GX280:~$ inxi -F
System: Host: jack-OptiPlex-GX280 Kernel: 3.13.0-30-generic i686 (32 bit) Desktop: Gnome Distro: Zorin 9 trusty
Machine: System: Dell product: OptiPlex GX280
Mobo: Dell model: 0X7967 Bios: Dell version: A03 date: 09/17/2004
CPU: Single core Intel Pentium 4 CPU (-UP-) cache: 2048 KB flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3) clocked at 3192.380 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel 82915G/GV/910GL Integrated Graphics Controller
X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1024x768@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 915G x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version: 1.4 Mesa 10.1.3
Audio: Card: Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller driver: snd_intel8x0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.13.0-30-generic
Network: Card: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5751 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express driver: tg3
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:11:43:0c:95:f7
Drives: HDD Total Size: 80.0GB (6.8% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD800JD size: 80.0GB
Partition: ID: / size: 32G used: 5.1G (18%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 1.07GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID: No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors: None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info: Processes: 160 Uptime: 38 min Memory: 432.6/992.4MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 1.9.17

Thanks in advance,
OldNewUser

Hi ONU,

I think it might be the way you have your partitions laid out, you barely have any more space on the HDD to run XP, you have unallocated space (3GB's) which you could also use, please take a look at my partition guide and see if that helps you:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2601

Post back if you have further problems but I recommend you re-do your Linux partitions and start from the beginning using the "Something Else" method to install Zorin OS once you have set your partitions:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4848

Just to add to what Wolfman has posted, for XP to run smoothly you should have a partition size of about 40 Gb for Windows to run smoothly. Is there a particular reason why you want to keep XP? What applications are you using on XP that don't have in Zorin/GNU/Linux?

You mentioned that your machine will only tend to boot with your memory stick which suggests that your bootloader could be there? And that might be why you are getting random boots to the last OS used.