Hello, I got a new computer with xp pro. I added my old hard drive to the system. This drive already has win98 on it. It shows up in "my computer" as "e" drive and its files can be browsed from xp. However, at boot up I do not get the option to multi-boot to xp or win98. Is there any way to make this adjustment so that this option is available?

Assuming that XP uses the FAT32 file system, just boot from your Win98 CD and reinstall 98 on the second drive (E: as it was), once completed do the following. 0. Boot from your WinXP CD 1. select R for Repair 2. Select R for Emergency Repair Process 3. Select M for Manual Repair, and un-select all choices except "Inspect boot sector". This should copy your Win98 boot sector to a file named bootsect.dos, and then install the correct WinXP boot sector. Or you can try the other Win98 repair install method. Goodluck. StopBadware

Sabertooth: Can you explain this bit below (please); it's a new one to me... 3. Select M for Manual Repair, and un-select all choices except "Inspect boot sector". This should copy your Win98 boot sector to a file named bootsect.dos, and then install the correct WinXP boot sector. ***************** The inspect bootsector part of the XP repair routine refers usually to the XP bootsector - that might exist (or not) as opposed to that for another (dos-based) OS...? It doesn't allow/provide a way for XP to create one for a dos-based OS...? Also, from all my researches etc., unlike NT/W2K repair sequence/routine, the XP repair sequence/routine cannot create a bootsect.dos. Why M$ disallowed that ability for XP??? The only way XP can create a bootsect.dos is during the setup routine. **************** However in the initial post dfor50... indicates that he has set the '98 drive as Slave; and presumably '98 was installed when its drive was Master and is on that drive as c:\windows... Thus setting the drive a Slave will cause untold irritations/problems - if he managed to get it boot via the XP boot-loader (having created the necesary bootsect.dos etc...); the path statements all refer to c: and now '98 is e: (as viewed via XP)... In effect even if you managed to get a bootsect.dos established (with '98 drive Slaved) '98 won't work properly if at all, as its drive letter will be other than c: if/when it boots up... You could go the aruduous path of changing innumerable registry etc. entries, or use a util to do the job for you; I think PM has one included - but I'd be "very" cautious with PM when XP is around... The usual solution to this situation is either to use an add-in boot-manager util (BootITng is a favourite here...); this will allow choice of drive at boot and thus OS (with XP as Master). Or set the '98 drive as Master to the XP drive; then create a bootsect.dos (manually - or via the XP setup routine) and then '98 drive becomes the controlling drive - i.e. the active Primary etc... - for both OS. If the latter - '98 as mster to XP as Slave, XP will still boot as now (c:\winnt or c:\windows - whichever); and '98 will still boot as c:\windows. XP stores its drive letter assignments in the registry; this is consulted during boot-up and thus XP preserves its current drive letter/path statements. '98 will retain its original path statements when in Master position. Drawback of having the '98 drive as Master: if it is a significantly slower drive than the current/newer XP drive, then XP performance may suffer a little. Access rate to the XP drive may be slowed somewhat, probably to that of the '98 drive... You may/may not notice the difference...; and if you do notice a slight slowing of XP overall you may decide to live with - or not...? That dfor50 already has the '98 (c: ) drive now showing as e: when he acesses it via XP... is no big deal; however it does serve to indicate the nature of the problem re' '98 drive letter assignment...; and as regards getting it boot/run in that (Slaved) position without some serious effort/tweaking...??? If he were to set the '98 drive as Master to XP drive, then XP will still assign a letter other than c: when it access the '98 drive. And if '98 manages to see/access the XP drive (it will have to be fat32) then it will also assign a letter other than c: to it... Again this will/should present no serious problems; afterall one is just accessing data...

Thank you for your help. The xp drive is NTFS and the win98 is, naturally, fat32. The Win 98 drive is a slave now but used to be a master when in the old computer, as Sabertooth deducted. I will try the suggestion of a boot utility and let you know how it goes. Once again, thanks for your input, guys

Yes, either you use a boot-util, or set '98 as Master and install an XP boot-loader there (on the '98 drive set as Master). The boot-util (installed to XP as Master) may well be the easier option overall - and I said earlier, the popular one (here at least) BootITng is the one I suggest you go for... This boot-util approach also preserves the status of the '98 drive...; might be a useful reserve in an emergency as it could always be re-installed and thus give access to on-line help etc...

Haven't had a chance yet but will get back soon. Thanks for the further input tvlr I will give Bootltng a go!

Well, I gave it a try. I got a trial copy of System Commander and it gave a choice of operating systems to boot. But win 98 would not work. It just went to a black screen. I was thinking about what trvlr said about win 98 originally being set to "C" drive on a master drive and now a slave but still "C" drive. I think I accidentally misled people from the start. I originally tried to connect the drives on the same IDE with w98 as a slave but that did not work as the bios kept asking what to boot from. So then I connected each drive to a seperate IDE as a master on each. A dvd rom or cd rom drive was a slave to each of the operating system drives. That is the current set up. Should I make win 98 a slave or would cable select make a difference?