dual boot system - how ?

[T0rNaDo]

ok need help on this one..

ive never done this before..

my son wants me to make his pc a dual boot pc..

XP and 98se..

it currently on xp

i know u need 2 hdds, one for each o/s

but how do u get it when u turn the pc on
to let u select wot o/s to boot too.....


thxs....

 

[saeco]

Did that long time ago .. so not sure if i still remember it clearly. You can install it onto a single drive if you have already partition your drive.
You have to install win98 1st as you do not want win98 to overwrite some files onto your XP but since you have 2 separate HDD, mayb it is ok. Once you installed win98, just boot it and install winXP. The system should configure the MBR and will let you choose which OS to boot whenever the comp start.
I did uninstalled win98 after sometime but the menu for choosing the OS kept appearing everytime you boot ... quite annoying. I did found a solution .. eventually.
Hope this help .

 

[Singh400]

If you have 2 hard drives. It should be fairly easy. Install Windows 98SE first onto Drive 1.

Then install XP on Drive 2.

Windows OS, will automatically change the bootloader for you. I've dual booted XP & Server 2003 on the same hard drive, just made 2 partitions.

 

[MrJelly]

Take a look at this........

http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/dualboot.html

Remeber that the C driev will need to be FAT and not NTFS as Win98 cannot read NTFS.

If I remember correctly when I dual booted NT4 and Win95 I actaull installed Win95 first on to the FAT parttition and then did NT4.

When XP gets installed, the BOOT.INI file (on the root of the system drive) will present you with an OS choice - then hey presto it should boot into that OS.

If you want to backup up the drive\data I recommend this........

http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/down.htm

All you will need is to down load the exe file. You can back the C drive up whilst the system is up to another drive and then in the event that you need to restore the system you can (use it loads at work and not had a failure yet). Also good to backup your data with too as the tool will let you mount the backup files as a drive to explore and copy files out.

I would recommend backing up the PC first.

Hope this helps

 

[T0rNaDo]

cheers all for the info...

he currently boots into XP from a IDE 120gb hdd as C

and has a 250 sata partitioned into 2 as D and E


now would it be possible to

use the IDE 120gb to boot to 98se....
i know il need to format it and put it back to fat32

and then use partition 1 on the sata for the XP o/s

and partition 2 can be used for his music and files etc..


will it allow to boot to 98se on the ide hdd
or to XP on a sata drive.....

 

[Uridium]

Probably be easiest to use the 120Gb with 2x partitions as a dual boot drive

Partition it as 2x Fat32 partitions (one being less than 32Gb as that's all Win98 will install on)

The use the bigger 250Gb disc as storage (formatted as Fat32 so both OS'es can see it.

Simple rule for dual booting on a single HDU is to always install the older OS first. otherwise if you install XP first when you go to install the older OS it will see a file system it doesn't recognise and refuse to install.

 

[mjn]

If you use the 120gb drive for the OS, say a 50 / 70 split, and format the 50gb (win98SE), partition as FAT32, i don't understand why you'll need to format the 70gb partition (XP) as FAT32 aswell, as some people are suggesting? I'd format the 70gb as NTFS as Win98 does not need to access any files on this partiton.

 

[Uridium]

If you use the 120gb drive for the OS, say a 50 / 70 split, and format the 50gb (win98SE), partition as FAT32, i don't understand why you'll need to format the 70gb partition (XP) as FAT32 aswell, as some people are suggesting? I'd format the 70gb as NTFS as Win98 does not need to access any files on this partiton.

Always handy to be able to access all partitions from all OS'es, fair enough if your SURE you won't want to access the XP partition from 98 then format it as NTFS. personally I wouldn't though.

Then again I wouldn't be installing Win98 either

Out of interest why do you need a Win98 partition?

 

[satinder]

I had some problems when i tried dual booting for the first time (i was dual booting xp and 2000 though), and the main points have been pointed out.
As an overview i recommend that you use new or formatted drives (a clean install) then install the '98 first on a small fat32 partition (as small as possible unless you need 32gb for '98!!!). Then install xp on the remaining space on the drive/2nd drive using ntfs.

I can see that you might have some problems with using SATA drives though as i dont think they were around in 1998 so they might not be recognised by '98. Though i might just be talking rubbish . The second being is that if your son needs to access the files on the xp partition from '98 then the xp partition will need to be formatted as fat32 also.

And the most important point is to back up all the data from your current computer setup onto completely separate drives first, dont forget that especially if you reformat your drives .


Sat

 

[T0rNaDo]

thxs for all this info.

you lot are great !

Then again I wouldn't be installing Win98 either

Out of interest why do you need a Win98 partition?

he has a few games that he misses playing.

they are old and dont work on 2000/xp

so the 98se he would only use for these few games....

other then that, all the other games and normal running would be on xp

If you use the 120gb drive for the OS, say a 50 / 70 split, and format the 50gb (win98SE), partition as FAT32, i don't understand why you'll need to format the 70gb partition (XP) as FAT32 aswell, as some people are suggesting? I'd format the 70gb as NTFS as Win98 does not need to access any files on this partiton.

i would of thought. a fat32 partition for 98se and ntfs for the xp partition.

but if i use the 120gb hdd and partition into 2. 1 for 98se and other for xp.

when booted into 98se is it going to see the 2nd hdd as its sata ?

i thought. 120 gb hdd as fat32 for 98se and space for things he needs to install.

and 250gb sata as ntfs and partitioned into 2....

I can see that you might have some problems with using SATA drives though as i dont think they were around in 1998 so they might not be recognised by '98. Though i might just be talking rubbish . The second being is that if your son needs to access the files on the xp partition from '98 then the xp partition will need to be formatted as fat32 also.

And the most important point is to back up all the data from your current computer setup onto completely separate drives first, dont forget that especially if you reformat your drives .

Sat

thats a good point... about 98 and sata ..

and yes i would back up everything need from both drives,
i got plenty of hdd space on the pc's down stairs, so i could transfer it across network, or just take external hdd up there..

 

[Singh400]

he has a few games that he misses playing.

they are old and dont work on 2000/xp

so the 98se he would only use for these few games....

other then that, all the other games and normal running would be on xp

Out of interest what are the games? And don't the run on compatibility mode?

 

[T0rNaDo]

of the top of me head.

one was transport tycoon or something like that.

cant remember names of other ones he said...

and i dont think it does..... do remember a while ago
trying to get one of the games to run on xp and it doesnt have it.
normally or in compatibility mode..

 

[mjn]

i would of thought. a fat32 partition for 98se and ntfs for the xp partition.

but if i use the 120gb hdd and partition into 2. 1 for 98se and other for xp.

when booted into 98se is it going to see the 2nd hdd as its sata ?

i thought. 120 gb hdd as fat32 for 98se and space for things he needs to install.

and 250gb sata as ntfs and partitioned into 2....

I think you're confusing partitions and physical drives. If you split the 120gb and just use for the OS and program installs, with the Win98Se as FAT32, and XP as NTFS. This is 2 partitions on one physical drive. The 250gb SATA drive will need to be formatted as FAT32, as i don't think Win98Se can access NTFS formatted partitions, however there maybe a utility to enable this.

To be able to access your 250gb SATA drive you will need to do one of 2 things, either locate some Win98se drivers for your SATA controller, that are for win98se, OR use a converter and make the SATA drive a regular IDE drive, of some flavour ie, Ultra33/66/100.

 

[Member 55145]

if i were you id do it the way i dual boot my OS'

drive 1 = win MCE
drive 2 = win 2k

install your first disk, install operating system on this disk. (MCE)

install second disk, go into bios and set this as boot disk, then install your second OS (Win 2k)

whenever you want to change OS, go into the bios and change boot drive.

This way nomatter which drive you boot from it will always become drive C: and avoid confilicts

after many years in IT, i find this the best and most reliable way of running TWO OS'
Each one doesnt know the other exists and has no reason to access the others HDD, but with either one booted up you can still see the other OS and drag files across.

Simple and safe

 

[Uridium]

if i were you id do it the way i dual boot my OS'

drive 1 = win MCE
drive 2 = win 2k

install your first disk, install operating system on this disk. (MCE)

install second disk, go into bios and set this as boot disk, then install your second OS (Win 2k)

whenever you want to change OS, go into the bios and change boot drive.

This way nomatter which drive you boot from it will always become drive C: and avoid confilicts

after many years in IT, i find this the best and most reliable way of running TWO OS'
Each one doesnt know the other exists and has no reason to access the others HDD, but with either one booted up you can still see the other OS and drag files across.

Simple and safe

It would do my head in having to go into the BIOS and change the boot order everytime you want to boot from a different OS though.

My PC is currently triple booted with XP Pro/TinyXP/2003 Server. all on one disk, each having a 100Gb Partition. Just choose which OS I want from the menu at boot up.

 

[Member 55145]

its not too hard, but i guess thats because i dont switch OS's very often.

I just find it alot easier to keep it this way as if one OS/Partition gets corrupt, it doesnt take the whole lot down with it, and the big + is it keeps the OS as the C: drive which can cause alot of problems with other programs if the main drive isnt C:.

Its just my personal prefference and hitting F2(pheonix bios) to go into the bios and pressing a couple of arrow keys doesnt take too long, esspecially when your used to doing it

 

[Uridium]

its not too hard, but i guess thats because i dont switch OS's very often.

I just find it alot easier to keep it this way as if one OS/Partition gets corrupt, it doesnt take the whole lot down with it, and the big + is it keeps the OS as the C: drive which can cause alot of problems with other programs if the main drive isnt C:.

Its just my personal prefference and hitting F2(pheonix bios) to go into the bios and pressing a couple of arrow keys doesnt take too long, esspecially when your used to doing it

If you Multiboot using NT based OS's onto multiple partitions on the same disk the operating systems will each see themselves as the C:\ when booted into, and allocate a different drive letter to the partition's containing the other OS's.

Don't ask me how it works but it just does!

 

[mjn]

Or use 3 drives....a hdd for each OS, and a 3rd for data. Put each OS drive in a removable caddy, and simply insert which ever caddy you need, with the OS required.

Its what i do for my PC, have 2 drives, each with XP Pro on, but one install is optomized for gaming, while the other has all my other apps on.

 

[MrJelly]

Take a look at this MS link:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/multiboot.mspx

Page 4 talks about XP and Win9x

 

[T0rNaDo]

thxs all for the info. and links...

il give it a go on his pc once i got some space on my external hdd..

i may look to see if room for 3 hdds in his case.

though i think the 120gb hdd with 98se on it
with the amount of 9X games he wants would be plenty of space.

then i could partition the 250 sata... 1 half for XP and programs.
other half for other bits etc.

 

[djhavor]

If your son only wants to use win98se for playing the odd legacy title, I'd seriously consider doing it via virtualisation software. These are basically programs that allow you to run additional old (or new) operating systems from within your current os.

Try Virtual PC 2004 from Microsoft. It's fairly simple and, best of all, as from a few weeks ago, it's free:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

Worth a thought anyway...

 

[MavAV]

Try Virtual PC 2004 from Microsoft. It's fairly simple and, best of all, as from a few weeks ago, it's free

The only problem with Virtual PC is that it doesn't support USB devices, which may or may not be a problem.