Here is the deal, I have a dual boot system with two hard drives. Win98 boots to C: and WinXP Pro boots to D: It is working just fine but I would like to get rid of that setup. I can select where to boot from my BIOS, so I would like to be able to boot to C: Win98 if I select C: and to boot to D: WinXP if I select D:. I was able to get Win98 to boot OK after transferring the Sys files from a floppy but my WinXP gives me a "missing operating system" error. I copied the ntldr and the ntdetect files from C: but still no luck. Any ideas how to get XP to boot by itself now. I found a document that has the FIXBOOT command to fix boot problems but I haven't tried it yet as I'm at work right now.

Might be useful to clarify your intentions - before folks start offering suggestions? Do you wish to remove '98 drive from the system and run XP as the Master (EIDE-1) drive? If not, what then?

Basically, I want to keep both drives in the computer if possible. I know by default it will boot to Win98 C: if I do that. But with my BIOS I can select the boot menu and choose which drive I want to boot to. If that is not possible, then I would like to use XP as the Master drive and slave the '98 drive so I can access files in the '98 drive (both drives are FAT32). The only problem with that is that the XP installation and programs point to D: and I know I will have problems when I change it to C:, will I not? Thanks

I still don't see where you are going with this. If you installed 98 on C then XP on D you should have a functioning dualboot system which XP would have written the dualboot MBR when it was installed. It is not a BIOS thing. XP writes it's bootfiles into the root directory of your 98 (C) drive. When your bios is set to boot to HDD it boots to C and the dualboot option is displayed giving you time to choose which system you wish to boot. Since you state both are installed in FAT32 file system then either 98 or XP should be able to see and access files on the other system's disk. Obviously you cannot run one system's programs on the other system but you can see and manipulate files and such. If your current system does not work this way then your original instal of XP was not done in the usual way, or else your bootfiles have been messed about with after installation. And no you cannot change your XP D drive to primary master C without wiping out and reinstalling XP. It is not possible to change the drive letter of a System drive. Please post back and describe in detail exactly how your current setup functions since you say it is "working fine" What are you trying to achieve?

Based on what your additinal info... It reads as though you installed each OS indepedent of the other - so that each drive is effectively its own Master drive; which is why you use the bios-switching approach? You say you'd like to retain a dual-boot but in a more conventional way? For a standard (M$ OS) dual/multi-boot (not using an add-in util) the Master drive has to have all installed M$ OS in the active Primary partition - i.e. the partition that starts/controls the whole system. In a dual/multi-boot with NT/W2K/XP, the NT family control the whole sequence; and all '9x/dos OS boot via a bootsect.dos routine created via NT family OS - during NT family installation (and the '9x/dos OS already present). Hope that's clear...? You can keep what you have with '98 as Master to XP slave; but you will have to establish XP boot/start-up files into c: root (on '98 - set as Master to XP Slave), and also create the bootsect.dos for '98 to boot via the XP boot-loader (which will also have to be on the '98 drive). It will preserve '98 path statements (drive letters etc.). Those for XP will also be preserved; XP stores them in the registry - unlike dos/'9x which establish them at boot-time. 1) Set '98 as Master to XP as Slave. Run XP setup (CD boot or the 6 floppies) and install to c:\temp\winnt-t (i.e. install XP on the '98 Master drive). Abort/cancel it at first reboot, remove all disks, and allow reboot. When you reboot you will (should) come up with a standard XP boot-menu screen, listing '98, and the cancelled XP installation - which will be set as default OS to boot. Boot to '98. Locate (via Explorer) the boot.ini on the XP drive (it's fat32 as I understand?) and copy that boot.ini to the c: root on '98 drive (i.e. replace the '98 Master drive version with the original XP version). Now you edit the boot.ini 'slightly'; it will be missing a line (for '98) and has incorrect details for XP... Open the boot.ini; change the value in the XP line that reads rdisk(0) to read rdisk(1). This changes to reference to XP on the first drive to be XP on the second drive. The partition entry remains correct as is. Also add the line "c:=\microsoft windows" This additional line allows the choice to boot '98 via the XP boot-loader - which is now (also) present on the '98 (Master) drive. Save changes and exit; your boot.ini should now resemble: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT [operating systems] \WINXPPRO="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)C:\="Microsoft Windows" (The example above has XP set as the default OS to boot.) Verify you can boot OK to both OS. Presuming so... locate/delete the c:\winnt-t folder from c: root; also any files/folders that start with the $ symbol. These latter are temp items used during NT family set-up; normally removed automatically once installation complete, you have to do it manually this time. By installing XP as above you will have established the XP boot-loader on '98 Master drive; established XP boot-files there; created the required bootsect.dos to allow '98 to boot via XP boot-loader. The "edit job" allowed you to correctly locate the required XP installation (in Slaved drive); also to provide/restore the '98 boot option (which was not in the original boot.ini on the XP drive). At any time you can safely reset the XP drive as a stand-alone (Master) drive and boot to it. Variations: 2) You could simplify the above slightly by copying the original XP boot.ini to a fat32 floppy - before you start the road to the dual-boot. When you have the (aborted/cancelled) XP on the '98 drive, simply copy the boot.ini to the '98 c: root, then procced with the edit routine as outlined earlier. Note re' drive letters: It's probable that '98 will re-assign drive letters afresh for the XP drive; i.e. c: on XP drive will appear as d: to '98. If you have additional partitions on XP drive these two will be re-assigned under '98 - but remain as is under XP. It's a minor irritation if you can live with it; you will still be able to access everything OK. There are utils 'out there' that allow drive letter re-assignments but I'd live without them on this occasion? You could use an add-in boot-util to allow 'slightly' more conventional dual-boot approach (rather than your curent bios-switching approach). The util would go in via '98 (set as Master), and allow choice of either OS. If you go this route - read the manual first, each has its own foibles... There are $$$/£££ versions and freebies around. If you were to set XP as Master to '98 set as Slave, XP drive letter/path statements would remain correct. But for '98 everything would change... Also to get '98 to boot means you have to get '98 boot-files to XP c: root , and create a bootsect.dos (one way or another)... A slight variation on the Doug Knox routine would allow this; but note that Doug's approach presumes '98 is not already present on any drive...? You would in effect need to do a re-install/overwrite of '98 to its location on its Slaved drive - to simulate a fresh install of '98 as outlined in Doug's methood? A re-install of '98 - and all apps/utils - (an overwrite) to its own drive (Slaved) would correct paths etc., but (as already indicated) you have to recover access to XP afterwards and complete the dual-boot arrangements (Doug's routine). On this occasion this latter approach is not one I'd advocate unless a last resort. If you can live with minor irritatons re' drive letters changing between '98 and XP (they will mostly affect '98...) I'd go the '98 Master to XP slaved route; or use an add-in boot-util? Incidentally the info/suggestions above presume(s) that the XP drive = fat32 in its Primary; if it was ntfs then there is a slight variation on the above - but nuff for now... This 'was' a little lengthy... The core issue - esentially a drive with dos/'9x installed and wishing to add it to a W2K/XP system, or two separate drives to be configured as a dual/multi-boot - seems to crop up more and more. I felt it was worth 'detailing somewhat' how I see it being resolved, so as to have a reference for others coming here with your situation. That way the post/info can linked to as and when appropriate? Effectively it incorporates 'a lot' of input from folks here in the recent past... (Michael#1 and Wanderer are two that come to mind - but credits to all concerned). Almost certainly there are other variations/approaches (corrections too?) that might be added by whomever?