Is it possible to install Win98 on a hard drive with Win2K (NTFS) already installed? The drive does not have a separate partition.

It's very possible but you will need a 3'd party bootmanager to allow you access to both operating systems if you install 98 after 2000.

Hi. You will not be able to install windows 98 on NTFS, Windows 98 runs on Fat. You will have to make another partition. Try a program like Partition Magic or something similar. Have a nice day.

Can be done - but you would use PM or SC to create a fat32 Primary partition (for '98) - ahead of the W2K ntfs Primary. This partition would typically be 2Gig-5Gig - usually more than adequate for '98. There's a little more to it than that obviously... If you have to buy PM or SC (System Commander) then perhaps consider a second hard-drive, as the cost of one is pretty close to that of PM/SC - if not cheaper etc.? This would become the new Master with current drive as Slave. '98 would go into new drive; a repair/fix routine for W2K would be run to establish the conditions for/complete the dual-boot. Post back with which option you prefer to follow - and more detailed info can be offered...

Thanks for the input. That all makes sense. Not sure that I like the PM route (sounds risky) but I will investigate this further let you know what I end up doing. I think I will simply add another hard drive for Win98 and select which one to boot from in my BIOS. Think I will have any problem if I mirror two hard drives with a RAID card and control the drive with W98 on the motherboard? Thanks for the help.

That won't work. You cannot control which OS to boot to in your BIOS. You either need a bootmanager (like the one built into 2000/XP or a 3'd party if you install 98 second) or you end up with your case open and physically plugging/unplugging drives in order to swap between OS's.

First make a hard-copy of boot.ini as is - i.e. print it out; useful as reference later. Also you could copy the boot.ini to a fat32 formatted floppy - again as a possible reference source.. Install new drive as Master to current W2K (ntfs) now set a Slave. Install '98 to new Master. Then start a new install of W2K (CD boot or the floppies - not from within '98) to new Master as: c:\temp\winnt-t. Abort/cancel at first reboot; remove all disks and reboot - and now you have a boot-menu, with the aborted W32K installation set as default OS to boot. Boot to '98; access boot.ini on '98 Master drive. Edit line for the aborted W2K in this (the '98 drive's) boot.ini so as to duplicate the entry for W2K on the original W2K drive - but change the entry for rdisk(0) to read rdisk(1). i.e. the ARC path statement should initially be identical - then change the rdisk entry as indicated. The hard-copy (U did make one???) may be useful here. Likewise you could simply copy the entry from the floppy disk copy/version you made initially? Reboot, again to a boot-menu - now listing '98 (as before) and this time a reference to W2K on the Slaved drive (rdisk(1). Boot to W2K on original drive - now set as Slave to '98 Master. You have a dual-boot - and no need of PM/SC, bios switching etc. Clean up the scene by locating/deleting the c:\temp\winnt-t folder; also any folders\files that start with the $ symbol. These latter items are temp items created/used during W2K setup; normally deleted upon completion - you have to do it manually this time. Empty recycle-bin and defrag '98 drive to complete the tidy up. Make a fresh ERD for W2K; keep safe/current. '98 will not see the W2K Slave (it's ntfs), but obviously W2K can see/access '98 Master. '98 (Master) drive may well be assigned another drive letter by W2K, which will recognise it as another "local" drive. '98 will boot as C: ; also W2K will continue to boot as C: and all its path statements will remain correct as now... At any time you can reset W2K drive as Master (with/without '98 drive as Slave) and boot as now to W2K - via its own boot-loader; but there will be no dual-boot with '98. However W2K can still access '98 drive contents (if still installed as Slave). T'would be useful (wise?) to create both Primary (for OS/apps/utils) and Extended (for data/shared files - as fat32) on the '98 Master. Then if '98 goes down at any time you still have data there secure. '98 can be re-installed at any time (if need-be); and the Primary on '98 can reformatted if need-be - but with the obvious caveats/awarenesses of repercussions etc. and the effects on the dual-boot with W2K - depending on what is done with the '98 Primary... You could have various levels of W2K repair to effect... The '98 Master will have a set of boot/start-up files for W2K now resident there alongside '98 itself. When you started W2K as C:\temp\winnt'-t (and then cancelled it), you were effectively installing the W2K boot-files to '98 c: root, creating the bootsect.dos for '98 to boot via W2K boot-loader, resetting the '98/dos mbr on '98 Master to the W2K version. All this was necessay to enable the dual-boot to function. If you have browse of: http://www.computing.net/windows2000/wwwboard/forum/21665.html - response #5, it details the how/why of a dual/multi-boot from scratch; single-dual drives etc.; also with one or other OS already installed... Translates simply to '98/XP, and easily to W2K/XP, and even to '98/W2K/XP... It isn't the only way (there are various approaches that work) but it's one I favour for many/most situations.