Multiple OS Boot

[doofus125]

I have my computer setup to dual boot Windows XP Pro and Windows 2000 Pro using the OS choices menu that comes with XP/2000 and wanted to know how to also install Windows 98se so that it will boot from that menu? I do not want to add any drive management software so I need to know how to do it with what already comes with windows xp/2000 if it's possible......does anyone dual boot XP+98 or 2000+98 or XP/2000 + any other 9x OS this way?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[pinPoint]

to dual boot those 3 OSes you need to install from lowest to highest. so you would install win98 then 2k then xp and all will be listed in the boot menu. I havent done it before but it has worked for me using linux, xp and 2k. but you always start with the "dumbest" OS first then go up. hope that helps

 

[PennylessZ28]

There is a boot file that you can edit yourself.

In XP Pro click on "My Computer" then click on the Advanced Tab and click Startup And Recovery "Settings"

You'll see System Startup and which one is set as defualt.

You'll also see an edi button, click edit and edit it to match were the OS you want to boot, the partition it's on, etc.

It's fairly simple and the same in 2K and XP

 

[doofus125]

What I have now is XP and 2k dual booting, but I had XP on first so I just used Norton Ghost to clone XP and then I repartitioned and reloaded XP onto the 1st partition and ran the 2k setup and installed 2k on the 2nd partition and after it was installed I put the XP image over the XP that I had just put back on and when I went into XP I edited the boot menu and added 2k to it......I've tried doing similar things with 98, but so far no luck and I don't want to have to reload XP again.....

hmmm, I wonder if I could repartition the drive into 3 drives, install 98 onto the 3rd partition and run the install for 2k and XP and after they are installed and just throw the Norton Ghost images of the existing 2k and XP over them and then manually edit the menu.......I guess worth a try, it would be alot more work to reload 2k and XP totally.......any thoughts on this?

 

[4thwatcher]

hmmm, I wonder if I could repartition the drive into 3 drives, install 98 onto the 3rd partition and run the install for 2k and XP and after they are installed and just throw the Norton Ghost images of the existing 2k and XP over them and then manually edit the menu.......I guess worth a try, it would be alot more work to reload 2k and XP totally.......any thoughts on this?

you can use Partition Magic to repartation your hdd adn install additional OS. it has all the necessary tools you require really

 

[doofus125]

you can use Partition Magic to repartation your hdd adn install additional OS. it has all the necessary tools you require really

I'm looking to do this without any drive management software, I have used drive management software in the past and have had nothing but problems with it, especially when the drive has errors, that's why I'm trying to do this with Norton Ghost and the XP/2000 boot menu.....I'm leaving in the morning and won't be back till next thursday so I don't have a chance to try my last idea, but when I do I'll post and let everyone know if it works and how I did it.....Thanks

 

[Foofish]

To add Win98 as the last OS, you'll need to use either a partition manager+boot manager or start putzing with the partition table using fdisk. If you really want to do it, you'll have to hide the current primary partition (Your WinXP or Win2K...whichever is the primary). Create another primary partition, install 98 on it. Then flip flop the two primary partitions (old WinXP/2K and new Win98). I can get into more detail if you really want to pursue this, though I think using Partition Magic + Boot Magic will make your life a tad easier. Of course, the easiest way is to install 98, then 2k, then XP.

 

[doofus125]

the easiest way is to install 98, then 2k, then XP.

But does that work when I want the dell utility partition on the 1st partition, XP on the 2nd partition, 2k on the 3rd, and 98se on the 4th partition? I have been away for a week and will get to mess around with this more next week......thanks

 

[Foofish]

Well...a few things...Let me know if I lose you due to the confusing references...

First, do you want that order of partition so that XP has C drive, 2K has D drive, etc? Or is there a reason for that order?

The reason is because it sounds like you are trying to do the following layout:

P1 - Dell
P2 - Extended
----- P2L1 - Logical 1 for XP
----- P2L2 - Logical 2 for 2K
P3 - Win98

You'll need to crave the drive as above using fdisk first. Then you need to first set P3 active (using fdisk or other tools). Install Win98. Then keeping P3 active, install 2K onto the logical partition P2L1. Then install XP onto P2L2.

Life will be much easier if the order of the partition isn't as you specified...

 

[doofus125]

Well...a few things...Let me know if I lose you due to the confusing references...

First, do you want that order of partition so that XP has C drive, 2K has D drive, etc? Or is there a reason for that order?

The reason is because it sounds like you are trying to do the following layout:

P1 - Dell
P2 - Extended
----- P2L1 - Logical 1 for XP
----- P2L2 - Logical 2 for 2K
P3 - Win98

You'll need to crave the drive as above using fdisk first. Then you need to first set P3 active (using fdisk or other tools). Install Win98. Then keeping P3 active, install 2K onto the logical partition P2L1. Then install XP onto P2L2.

Life will be much easier if the order of the partition isn't as you specified...

Well, out of the 4 partitions, only 1 is a primary......partition 1 is a non-dos, 2 is NTFS (drive C, XP), 3 is NTFS extended (drive D, 2k), and 4 is the primary dos (drive E from within 2k/xp, C from a 98/me boot disk).......

Yes I want XP to be on C and 2k to be on D and 98 to be on E.....XP is my primary OS, I only will use 2k/98 once in a while, but often enough to need it on the computer.......

 

[Foofish]

Ok...this is the way I would do it (actually this is almost like my laptop...XP, 98, FreeBSD). However, you will have no extended partition...is that ok?:

P1 - Primary with Dell (non-dos, but still eats up one of your 4 available primaries)
P2 - Primary with XP
P3 - Primary with 2K
P4 - Primary with 98

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BOOT DISK FIRST!!!

Then, Set P2 to Active via Fdisk. Install XP. Boot with floppy. Set P3 active and install 2K. Boot with floppy. Set P4 active and install 98. Boot with floppy. Set P2 active. Reboot into XP. Find any boot manager you like (including Window's POS bootloader, but I recommend Powerquest's BootMagic) and plug away.

PS: If you decide to keep Window's POS bootloader, you will need to manually putz with the boot.ini file.

Typically it looks something like this...

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

I would clone the "multi(0)...." line 3 times and (since I don't remember the specifics) start incrementing them....so it would look like....

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2K Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 98 Professional" /fastdetect

I believe that's the way it works....someone feel free to correct me. I'll go back to the office tomorrow and check.

 

[Foofish]

Oh...there is a way to do it without losing extended partition, but I think you are going to be stuck with XP being D drive Personally, I'd just nuke the Dell partition and free it up

 

[doofus125]

Oh...there is a way to do it without losing extended partition, but I think you are going to be stuck with XP being D drive Personally, I'd just nuke the Dell partition and free it up

I tried deleteing the Dell Partition, but then the computer wouldn't go past the bios screen, second, it doesn't matter if I have an extended partition or not, just as long as it works......

 

[doofus125]

Ok...this is the way I would do it (actually this is almost like my laptop...XP, 98, FreeBSD). However, you will have no extended partition...is that ok?:

P1 - Primary with Dell (non-dos, but still eats up one of your 4 available primaries)
P2 - Primary with XP
P3 - Primary with 2K
P4 - Primary with 98

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BOOT DISK FIRST!!!

Then, Set P2 to Active via Fdisk. Install XP. Boot with floppy. Set P3 active and install 2K. Boot with floppy. Set P4 active and install 98. Boot with floppy. Set P2 active. Reboot into XP. Find any boot manager you like (including Window's POS bootloader, but I recommend Powerquest's BootMagic) and plug away.

PS: If you decide to keep Window's POS bootloader, you will need to manually putz with the boot.ini file.

Typically it looks something like this...

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

I would clone the "multi(0)...." line 3 times and (since I don't remember the specifics) start incrementing them....so it would look like....

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2K Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 98 Professional" /fastdetect

I believe that's the way it works....someone feel free to correct me. I'll go back to the office tomorrow and check.

I have done that and it doesn't work, I just get an error saying that hal.dll is missing and it reboots.....

 

[Foofish]

Oh wait...since your Dell is partition 1, you might have to shift everyone down by one. Try booting 2K or 98 as posted previously and see if any of them boot to anything first.

 

[Foofish]

Oops...Also recall Windows boot loader can't handle multiple primaries....you may need to grab bootmagic afterall

Anyone else care to comment?