System Specs: Compaq Presario 5700N 128MB SDRAM 500MHz Celeron processor 20GB HD in 4 partitions. Hello All, A few days ago, I tried to install Windows NT onto Windows 98 via DOS Prompt. It said to restart with the Windows NT 4.0 Server Setup Boot Disk, and I did, and this is what it said: " NTLDR: I/O error reading disk Please insert another disk _ " I thought about putting DOS 6.22 on, but it doesn't read FAT32. I finally found out NT4 doesn't either. I put Windows xp Home Edition on it, partitioned a F: drive to make a NTFS boot drive. Still didn't work. Then (tried to) run WinNT32. Well.....: " You should not try to install Windows NT 4.0 on Windows XP. "....that didn't work. I renamed it to "InNT32.exe" and voila...insta install. I restarted and then: " NTDETECT V4.0 Checking Hardware... NTDETECT failed " I booted into the WinXP recovery console, and it didn't help. My screen hs been showing this for over three hours. PLEASE help! Thank you, Andrew Wilcox

Your post makes very little sense. Are you trying to install NT or XP to a FAT32? If your trying to instal NT4 to a FAT32, give it up. It won't work. You can get third party program that will let you read FAT32 partitions in NT but it can't be your system drive.

Basic condition for a dual/multi-boot that includes NT... The active Primary partition 'must' = fat16... All installed M$ OS install their respective boot-files there; each OS itself (system files) can go into separate partitions/logical-drives. With C: = fat32 there 'is' a workaround/fudge... It's detailed at: http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=13902 (courtesy of John Savill FAQ's at: http://www.windows2000faq.com - installations section). There are other possiblities too - perhaps post back if need more input? Post #3279 on this NT forum details one way to set up a '98 (fat32) + NT - from scratch. It was posted sometime back - credit the chap who did so...

Well, I was trying to put NT4 on FAT32 as a system drive. Not anymore. I've tried to use the #3279 instructions, but I'm stuck at step 1. I tried to erase with FDISK but it says: " Cannot remove Extended DOS partition while Logical DOS drives exist. " Why? When I go to remove the Logical DOS drives it says: " No logical drives defined " This makes no sense to me at all. I've gotten to step 6 without removing it but the Extended DOS partition is not the total remaining size on the drive. Should I try making the setup floppies again? I don't think I've told you yet, but the I/O error only comes on the 5700Ns. I have another here with the exact same problem (only I'd like to keep 98 on this one, it was a test.). Yet even a different Presario can run it, mine can't. It's on the HCL so whats wrong? Please help. Thank you, Andrew

hmmmm... You are using DOS/'9x bootdisk for the Fdisk routine? Fdisk how to... at: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q255/8/67.asp http://www.compguystechweb.com/troubleshooting/fdisk/fdisk_scr.html Other option: perhaps clean out the drive with delpart.exe util; it removes just about any partition permanently... It was part of NT3.1 Resource Kit; omitted from subsequent versions. Freebie download (fits on a flopppy) at: http://hercules.lss.ksu.edu/download/MSSTUFF Run it from a DOS/'9x boot-disk boot (a:\) prompt. Afterwards run Fdisk to reconfigure drive; also run the Fdisk /mbr command off the boot-disk (to clean out the mbr); then follow 3279 outline? I'm not that up on Compaq kit; but am aware that it often seems to have its own foibles/percularities... Perhaps a bit of a trawl via google.com will bring up an answer? Also what do Compaq say?

Well, here's the scoop. I found the problem out. I had NTFS drives left over. Removed them using Partition Magic 7 floppies and now have a (almost) working copy of Win95 on there. It still comes up the I/O error which is really starting to bug me. Thank you, Andrew

NT will installon a FAT partition.. but no greater than 4096MB size pgk