Thinking about dual booting my machine with XP and Win 2K. Have heard a few horror stories any suggestions? Comments. XP would be on its own HDD.

I have no problem dual booting 2k and xp. If you install 2k first there'll be no issues. If you install xp first you'll need to repair your xp installation after installing 2k.

Yep, no probs here. I have XP installed after 2K as a dedicated Audio OS. Works a treat. Regards. Steve.

There 'should' be no problems. I have one system with '98/NTWS/NTSvr/W2K-Pro/XP-Pro installed - each in its own logical-drive, and a common (fat16) system partition; also assorted data areas (logical-drives). So... put each OS into its own space, and ideally a separate system partition (active Primary) - for both OS boot/start-up files only; also have 'some' common/shared data area(s). Suggested arrangement: Active Primary: c: fat16 - could be around 50-100Meg. = boot/start-up (only) files for both OS. Extended: d: = fat32/ntfs (your choice) 3-5Gig = W2K system files (and apps/utils); e: = fat32/ntfs (your choice) 3-5Gig = XP system files (and apps/utils). Balance of drive (f:) as = fat32/ntfs = data; and this could be further sub-divided into a series of logical-drives (allows easier organisation of data)? Some folks suggest that: you could use a common logical-drive for many apps., installing each app/util via each OS to the same location. Each app/util will install bulk of its files to that common location, but required dlls. etc. for OS running at the time will go to that OS system areas. Personally I'm not a great fan of this approach; occasionally I have found some irritants/issues affecting some utils (e.g. Symantec)... Why fat16 for C: active Primary? fat16 is most efficient format upto 512Meg. Although both OS can see/handle fat16/fat32/ntfs at boot-time, use fat16 for the system partition; each OS partition can be any of the available formats, but bear in mind the 2Gig contraint of fat16 - which is why fat32/ntfs if over 2Gig. Install W2K first then XP. If you install XP first then you have to run XP repair after installing W2K - as W2K will overwrite the XP version of mbr etc. and thus disable acess to XP. XP arived in M$-land after W2K so W2K doesn't know about/recognise its cousin... There are advangates of the above arangement; it can allow additional OS to go in (later) with out too much effort; this provided you have drive space already available (a 'spare' logical-drive) or are able to establish it... You 'can' have an OS in the Primary, with the other in an Extended partition/logical-drive location. It works and is often a way to go if one OS already installed (be it W2K or XP in this case). You can (totally) preconfigure (and preformat) the drive via '98 boot-disk, or just configure/format active Primary and allow 2K to create its own space during set-up; afterwhich use Disk Admin in first OS installed (W2K???) to configure balance of drive. And there are obvious variations on this too? Personally I'd preconfigure drive fully; or at the least preconfigure system partition (boot-files only) and both boot-partitions (where the system files go), and complete the balance of drive (data areas) via Disk Admin. Fdisk tutorial: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q255867 Ensure system is OK for W2K - perhaps run the chkupgrd.exe util (it's on the W2K CD) to verify? I think there is a similar item for XP (somewhere...). Ensure RAM is adequate standard/spec.; both OS (especially W2K) are picky about RAM quality. Have at least 128Meg RAM - more is nice. (The system I alluded to earlier is a P2/233 + 128Meg; it runs OK!)

Pays to read your initial info carefully; i.e. each OS on its own physical-drive? If W2K already on Master, then XP to Slave is no problem. XP boot/start-up files will be in Master Primary, and if W2K already there - no problem (see comments re' this aspect in my initial post just above). XP will replace/overwrite W2K mbr etc with XP versions; copmplete the dual-boot. Suggest you configure Slave to have both Primary/Extended partitions; install XP to Primary; Extended for data (definitely 'not' an 'Extended' only). Putting everything into one (Primary) partition is not an ideal route to go (all one's eggs in one basket secnario...). With XP in a Primary (be it the only partition or part of Primary/Extended combo) will allow XP to be a bootable drive (with a little adjustment - via the repair routine) in event of W2K Master totally failing... Either configure Slave via W2K Disk Admin, or via a '98 boot-disk; then install XP. If starting afresh (and want each OS on its own physical-drive), then configure Master to have a smallish fat16 active Primary; an Extended partition/logical-drive for W2K system files, and perhaps logical-drives for data (basically the model I posted initially). Slave configured (XP installed etc.) as just above. There are arguments for both OS on same physical-drive (arrangement I posted initially) and use Slave for data/backups etc. only. Regardless of which arrangement you go for... run XP install via a CD boot (or the now avalaible floppies) rather than from within W2K; similarly if installing W2K afresh, CD boot/floppies route - whichever. I guess it depends on where you are starting from, and how much time/effort you want to spend as to what you end up with?