8 multiboot system 1

[rreinman]

I am asking what is the proper way to get 8 opperating systems on one physical disk. I keep wipping out the 5th system.

I had as follows:

On drive c: Dos6.22,win98se,NTwksta.on a fat16 2 gig part.
On drive d: NTsrv on ntfs on 6 gig part.
On drive e: Win2kpro on ntfs on 6 gig part.
On drive f: Win2kAdvserv on ntfs on 6 gig part.
It seems when I get this far, the last operating system blows up. I can't get any farther than that.
Does this have to do with the primary partitions going over 4?

I cant get a handle on this..
Please advise
Bob R

 

[straybullet]

Wow - no idea of the answer to this one - Ive never had more than 4 work successfully. Looking forward to seeing if this is possible.

 

[rreinman]

Yes Straybullet it's not only possible, but I know of my instructors at the Chubb Institute that has accomplished this. As you can see, I put 3 on the first drive. You can get 6.22, 98se, ntwksta, & ntserver on the 2 gig drive with probably enough room to do most things.
I always got 5 on, but the last drive blows up the previous os install. After I get this far, I want to install Linux 8 and 9 onto the same physical drive. It will work, and it makes a very good test machine for whatever you want to try out. Once configured, I plan to use Driveimage to save it to another drive.

Bob

 

[wolluf]

Bob - why not just use 2 drives if you want 8 operating systems?

As you seem to know, you can have a maximum of 4 primary or 3 primary and one extended partition on a drive. I've seen software which claims to allow to greatly increase this number (bootit I think is one) - by effectively storing its own partition table (so you obviously always need it installed - and I suspect its not very stable. I had a play with it several years ago on test machine and got into all sorts of trouble! But it may be better now of course).

If you really want 8 on one drive, I'd use logical drives in an extended partition (plus 3 primary partitions). I would never put more than one operating system in a partition/logical drive - like you have with c: (though don't understand how you have dos 6.22 & win98 on the same partition - win98 would just overwrite dos 6.22). I'd also use a boot manager - recommend

http://www.boot-us.com

as well as using NT/2k/XP boot loader. This will also boot linux if the linux installation has a bootable boot sector.
If you install win98 on primary fat partition C:, you should be able to install NT work, NT server, 2k & 2k server on logical drives in the extended partition (I'm leaving out dos 6.22 for the moment). Linuxes could go on the other 2 primaries - and use more logical drives for theie swap partitions, I think. I've never tried putting so many on one drive - so good luck & let us know how you get on.

 

[rreinman]

Thanks wolluf.
Shows you are interested. But using a third pary partition program like the one I have used for 3 years now..Partition Magic, (and it works very well), would be a walk in the park. You can install os's as many letters are in the alfa bet.
But as we are taught at Chubb, I am using only the dos fdisk utility to make this work. As you know, dos only recognizes upto 2 gig hard drives. This then is formated with fat 16. Dos goes on first, then win98se, which does not get over written because it is installed from dos6.22 (win98 is just a gui for dos) then winntwk, then winntsrv. I wanted server on a ntfs part. so I created D drive for that.
Next came win2kpro as ntfs on E. Then came win2advsrv as ntfs on F.
I want to put on winxppro as ntfs on g.
Then in the unalocated space, install the three req. partions for Linux 8 and then Linux 9 so I have all these to test with.
I think I blow them up because the boot ini gets mest up not seeing the proper nt loader for the nt installs past the win2kpro installs.
When I try to reboot after install completion, it gives me a error on the last os that the winnt boot loader 32 is missing. The newest os is fine. Sorta gets replaced by the last os to be installed.
Maybe the drive #'s it assigns them to does not corrispond with the drive letters.
I am determined to get this. As I am going to try another time Tonight.
I don't want to use my partition magic.
(You can't test dynamic disks with it anyway!)
I want to test this and use it for a test machine on all program installs I do, and see how each program responds to differetn os's.
That is why I am going to image the then updated and configured drive to another backup drive so, not if, but when something goes wrong in the future I can return to normal.

Thanks for your time, and if you see something that I am doing wrong, please let me know....

Bob

 

[techkiwi]

What boot manager do you use to select which partition to boot from? Seems to me this is going to be a key factor for you in deciding how to manage your partitions.

You may want to check out this site:

http://www.ranish.com/part/

This features the program that is my personal preference for managing partitions (it also has a boot manager, which I don't use), but you might be more interested in some of the links. In particular the Partition Manager User Group where they get into some really tricky stuff, and the links to pages that explain all about multi-boot.

Graham

 

[rreinman]

Thanks Graham!!!!

I am forcing myself to use ms dos 6.22 only!!!
I know it can be done, and I hope to do it.
I will check out this site now.
Thanks for the help.

Bob

 

[franklin97355]

As I see it it's not a hardware issue but a DOS issue.

 

[rreinman]

yes franklin I am trying to use dos exclusively to get this done. I know it can be done. I just have to do it.

 

[comtec17]

you can also use VMWare workstation.

http://wwww.vmware.com

 

[pweegar]

Sounds like where ever your MBR is getting written to is getting full. How much room is left on your c: drive? If memory serves me right, the MBR MUST be within the first 1024 cylinders? And your C: drive is probably there also.

 

[wolluf]

Bob - you're being disingenuous - only using the fdisk utility, but creating ntfs drives! Have you succeeded yet? I was just wondering what the partitioning was for just the windows o/s. Did you have just one primary and one extended partition, with each o/s on a logical drive in the extended? And did you really install NT workstation in the same partition as dos 6.22 & win98 (btw, win98 sits on dos 7). Presume you used one of the NT based systems to create the ntfs partitions/logical drives (not PM). The dos/windows bit of what you're trying should definitely work (in fact you've got me intrigued - I may have to try it myself!). You could try reducing the 6GB partitions.

you said

'When I try to reboot after install completion, it gives me a error on the last os that the winnt boot loader 32 is missing. The newest os is fine. Sorta gets replaced by the last os to be installed'

what exactly do you mean by this (which is last os, which is newest. Do they all boot apart from last?)

 

[rreinman]

hi Wolluf.....
Ok, this I know has got your attention,and me too!
See, I am attending the Chubb Institute and we used an image that has the following:
1. Install Dos6.22 on a 2.0 gig fat16 part.
2. Install win98se FROM DOS!!...you type "setup" at the command line. This will install 98 on the fat partition. The boot ini will be created with 98 as an option.
3. Install winnt workstation on the same fat16 part.
4. Install winnt server on the same fat16 part. also. (Here I made a separate partition in my extended because I want ntfs for server.) But the school's install was all 4 on c drive.
5. Install win2kpro on another partition in the extended part. that I have created.
Ok, everythings works up to here.
When I try to install another os, this one winnt advanced server, it seems to overwrite the win2kpro install. The boot ini lists it ok, but when I select win2kpro, it gives me that win32 file is missing.....
One note: I made sure that the service packs 6 where installed before win2k or winntadvsrv was installed because you would not be able to boot to them if you don't.
That much I'm aware of.
As far as mixing ntfs and fat, that is no problem.
Just in the same drive, dos, 98, ntwk needs it to be happy.
Well, I have re-created my c: with an extended of 18gig to be partitioned for the other oses...advanced server and xppro. Then, in the unallocated space of 18 gig, I want to install Linux 8, and 9 on the same drive.
Our instructor had 8 systems on a 20 gig single drive.
I have to re-create it at home. Only because I want to.
And using all those other utilities is cheating!!
I have partition magic upstairs and had used it along with drive image for 3 years now.
Its easy with that.
I was told, if you are good, you can get this test drive to work. So far, I had 5 fully configured, and updated.

ok, that's all for now......
Active directory class is tommorrow, and I need to read.

Bob

 

[quemalo]

if you dont give winnt folder another name it will overwrite it i. e., winnt7 try that

 

[rreinman]

quemalo: I gave it a different name: win2kpro. and the other one: win2kadvsrv.

Bob

 

[rreinman]

ok,, I did it!!

win98se on c: fat16 2 gig.
winntwk on c: fat16 (same)
winntsrv on d: ntfs 2 gig.
win2kpro on e: ntfs 6 gig.
win2kadvsrv on f: ntfs 6 gig.
winxppro on g: ntfs 6 gig.

and tommorrow: Linux 8&9
all on a single 40 gig h.d.

but one thing....I lost dos6.22 from boot ini somehow.
(I can always boot to it from floppy drive for testing)

That's all for tonite
Bob

 

[wolluf]

Bob - I've only got a much smaller drive (6GB) free at the moment, but thought I'd give it a try. Currently have

win98fe & dos 6.22 on C: (can boot dos from win98 boot menu)
nt work on F:
nt server on G:
2k pro on H:
2k server on I:

XP to go on J: - possibly room for an older small linux or QNX.

But enough of my playing - glad you've got yours up and running (having 98/dos and one NT let alone 2 on one partition is not clever IMO!)