I'm trying to install NT4 as a secondard operating system. The version I have copies the files to the HD first, asks you to create 3 boot disks, and then installs from there following reboot. I first created an NTFS partition using PartitionMagic but then the installer couldn't find it. It didn't take me long to realise that as the initial installer is DOS-based, it couldn't see the NTFS partition. I scrapped the NTFS partition and replaced it with a FAT16 one, planning to install it to that and then see if PartitionMagic can convert it to NTFS later. The installer goes fine, but when it tries to boot NT from the hard disk, it can't find a boot record. I get the "invalid system disk" error. Yes I've done all the obvious things like checking I'm installing to a primary partition and making it active, but I can't get it to work. Any ideas?

Take a look at your boot.ini file to see if it is mapping to the correct system folder.

Just FYI, once you get your comp up and running, if you don't have Partition Magic but you want to convert to NTFS - From the command line enter the command convert c: /fs:ntfs . This command is one way only, and you cannot convert an NTFS partition to FAT. If the FAT partition is the system partition then the conversion will take place on the next reboot.

Use these instructions I wrote using PM. 1.Multiple (Dual ) Boot Systems, Adding NT as an example If you have WinXX on your machine and want to add NT or another OS use Partition Magic to resize the partition and then move this to the back of the drive(to the right as your looking at the monitor).Start the installation of NT and make a small partition of 200MB,when you push "enter" it should default this to FAT and will be C:.Then make another partition of 2048MB and make this NTFS which will be D: which is where NT will install.The FAT partition will be " primary " and the NTFS will be a "logical" drive.After installing NT, install the Boot Magic software that is on the CD with Partition Magic and make the rescue disk in case of problems down the road.The rescue disk lets you select which system to boot in case you lose the loader.When you boot your machine the Boot Magic screen will appear and you can select which OS you want to use.Boot Magic is loaded on the FAT partition in C:.Install Partition Magic to resize the NTFS partition.If you have multiple hard drives with different operating systems Boot Magic will find them.This allows you to use the respective file system for a particular operating system and not have to make everything FAT or be limited to 2048MB. 2.Copying Partitions Partition Magic's copy program will make an exact duplicate of a partition as long as you have free space that is equal to or larger than the partition being copied.You do not have file conflicts when this is being done.If you copy to another hard drive it can be used in case the original drive fails because it is EXACTLY like the original.Just unplug the failed drive. Buying another hard drive is more cost effective ( just my opinion) than buying ZIP drives and disks or R/W CD's and is much faster. There are some other features that come with Partition Magic.For $35 ( Buy.Com) this software is well worth the money.I also use this software on my personal machine which has 4 hard drives.It has Win98 (FAT32) and NT ( NTFS) with a back up drive for each. By the way,I don't work for Power Quest.