I am trying to install win98SE with Xp pro setup initialy.. (ps. I know I done this backwards and should have installed 98 then xp so it dual boots automatically but..hey I was too curious to sea xp n action first) 40 gig HD with 2 20gig partitions c: is fat34 f: is NTFS with XPpro installed on it I want to now install 98SE on the c: fat32 partition...but it goes through the motions then when the first reeboot of the system Xp will load up again.. I tried messing with the BOOT.INI which was on the c: (& the WINBOOT.INI left by the failed 98SE install) I can get the dualboot screen up but cannot get it to boot for 98SE what do I need to modify so it will boot and continue looking at the C: and CD win installation proccess as there is no reference to 98SE in the BOOT.INI ... Many thanks Stevie

You can make a reference to the the Win98 install by editing boot.ini: add the line: [boot loader] C:\="Microsoft Windows 98" under the Operating Systems section. If that still fails, I imagine the only way to do it would be to reinstall XP over the top of itself and hope it regognises the Win98 booty thingy. Hope it works!

Heres what mine looks like. perhaps you could rearrange it to work. Either that or go to downloads.com and search for "boot manager" [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\windows [operating systems] default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect C:\="Microsoft Windows" jimi_l

You can fix this manually but its tricky. If youd done this the right way round, by loading windows 98 first, windows 98 would be sitting there in its parttion, and the partition would contain a DOS BOOT SECTOR. When you install XP, the files ntdetect.com, ntldr, and boot.ini get copied/created in the windows 98 partition. The dos bootsector is copied to the file bootsect.dos, and the 98 partition bootsector is then updated to point at NTLDR. When you boot code in bootsector prompts NTLDR to read boot.ini to display menu, if you choose 98, it accesses bootsect.dos to load dos and run 98, if you choose XP, it runs ntdetect.com to check out hardware and then runs XP kernel from the partition specified in boot.ini. So your problem is that some files are in the wrong place/dont exist, and that you are missing the bootsect.dos file. To fix, we have to make XP think the install was done in the correct order, (I've done this and it works !) copy the files ntldr and ntdetect.com and boot.ini to the windows 98 partition root directory. DELETE them from the XP partition. Inorder to copy them and delete them you'll need to change their attributes, attrib -r -s -h filename Now to create the bootsect.dos file. Put the hard disk back to booting dos, run command sys c: This puts the dos bootsector back, (remember XP needs this to create the bootsect.dos file during install) Now shutdown the system and boot the XP CD, go past the point where it offers the option to run recovery console until you get the option to hit esc to install a new XP or R to fix an existing installation, choose R. XP will reinstall the OS software, but wont affect any settings or programs you've installed. It will create the bootsect.dos file for you and update the boot.ini. Good luck Paul

Many thanks all, I now have Win Me and Xp dual booting like it should.. I am well impressed by all your knowledge here.. keep up the good work folks.. cheers & beers Stevie