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Is there a way to repartition my 20GB HDD to include a 10GB FAT32 partition, and then install Windows 98SE after I've installed Win2K? What would be the best way to go about this?
Thanks
Wow, to give the complete answer simply by naming a program, it is a tribute to that company!
That was my plan, however whan I need to know is:
How can I set it up so that I can choose what OS to boot to? If boot.ini is on the NTFS volume, and I point to the second partition, will 98 think it's on the C: when it boots? I'm pretty sure it should since NTSF is unreadable to FAT, but I'm not sure if there will be any issues.
Thanks
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I wager you would end up with an unbootable system.
For all versions of Windows OS, installation requires writing a boot sector code stub to the first active partition, your C:\ , and it might well try to overwrite the NTFS boot sector, with unpredictable results.
Windows NT/2000 accomodates dual boot, if the older Windows is installed first, followed by Win 2000. You've heard this, I'm sure. In overwriting the older Windows's boot sector by being installed later, Win 2000 still provides the dual boot mechanism, evidenced by the presence of boot.ini, to facilitate starting the older operating system. When starting the older OS, you are still starting from the Win 2000 boot sector code stub.
I only detailed all the above, to say that Windows 98 has no such mechanism, when 'it' is installed later, to facilitate dual boot of a newer Windows. It just blindly fends for itself, so to speak.
I don't think Windows 98 can sense NTFS on your first active partition, and establish its boot code stub on other than the 1st partition. I don't think it has that design capability built in.
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If you install BootMagic on 98 after it is installed, you can use it just fine to handle the dual boot options. Just read the Partition Magic help files carefully, and use the Wizards to guide you. The 98 partition needs to be the first one on the drive, so PM will take some time to move the 2000 partition to the second half of the hard drive.
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I have already installed Windows 2000 on my new HDD. Is it possible to install Windows 98, 2nd ed. on a separate partation? How?
Thanks
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It is possible and I'm typing this from a PC set up with win98, win2k and freeBSD,(unix).
Use partion majic, create a partion of at least 4gig, install win98 to it, on my system win2k saw the win98 boot and put it in the boot.ini as a boot option. No problems at all, later I installed freeBSD and it saw both win os's, it now shows all three as boot options.
(maybe im just lucky, but it was not hard at all).
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I use System Commander.
It did a very nice job of setting up the
following system:
98 Second Edition
Millennium Edition
2000 Professional
XP Professional
Linux Mandrake 8.1
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I realize that I'm pretty much repeating my original post, but my big issue is installing Win98 after the installation of Win2K. If Partition Magic will do the trick, how should I boot my pc? If I boot to Win2K (the only thing on it right now), divide the drive in two, and try to move the NTFS partition from the original partition to the new one, how will PM be able to move system files that are in use?
I really am a novice when it comes to RAID and HDD configuration other than some simple IDE setups.
Thanks
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It is no good installing W9x after Wntx.
Only if You have PHYSICALLY different drives and get out the win2k drive prior to installing W9x.
point.
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Without using an add-in tuls (boot-manger) the active Primary has to be a file format all installed M$ OS can see at boot-tiome. It can be fat16 for any M$ OS; it can be fat32 if not including NT/95A/DOS/wind2x/3x in the installation.
Post 21665 #5 on this W2K forum outlines the basics of dual-boots. Might be wortt a browse?
You have C: = ntfs so you fail to fulfill basic condition; but there are workarounds.
A few suggestions:
Use PM or System Commander to create a second Primary after the existing W2K Primary; ensure this starts before 8Gig physically into the drive. Make it active; install '98 there.
With this partition still set as active Primary run W2K setup and allow it to repair the present installation - which it will/should find. It will write a set of W2K boot/startup files to the '98 Primary; it will replace the '98 mbr with the W2K version; it will establish the bootsect.dos for '98; it will establish a dual-boot.
This will/should also keep W2K drive letter intact... If by chance W2K drive letter changes then I'm told PM etc. include a util that will update all required registry entries?
Another way:
Second Primary as above (before 8Gig boundary); install '98; install PM or SC's boot-manager util; use that to select which primary to boot and thus which OS.Likewise you could put the '98 Primary ahead of W2K - if using an add-in boot-manget util.
Either way read the manual first for the product you decide to use; each has its own foibles.
You could also convert W2K ntfs back to fat32 (via PM/SC etc?). This would then allow '98 to go in - either to its own Primary (conditions as above); or to a logical-drive; or - worst case - alongside W2K.
The 8Gig boundary is the '98 boot-code boundary. A '98 Primary starting after 8Gig will not allow '98 to boot OK (if it even manages to install there).
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Thanks for your post! I think I can get this done, but maybe I'll save myself some time and simply start over, installing 98 first then 2K.
Thanks again.
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