Dual Boot Challenge

[aitai]

Hi, All

I am having a problem dual booting WIN98 (factory istalled) & NT Workstation 4.0. Whenever I try to install NT I get the following error message:"Setup can not detect any hard drives"

This is the deal. I have two hard drives configured as a Primary Master (WIN98, FAT32, 6.8GB [3.6GB loaded with applications], C:\) and a Primary Slave (for NT 4.0, FAT16, 1.99GB [x7], D-J:\). On the Primary Slave, the D:\ is the primary partition with the remainder as extensions. Both hard drive specifications are NT 4.0 compatible.

Objective
1. Retain the Primary Master setup (WIN98, FAT32, C:\)
i. Avoid re-installing WIN98
ii.Keep most, if not all, of currently installed applications
2. Install NT on Primary Slave (NT 4.0, FAT16, 1.99GB [x7], D-J:\)
3. Avoid as much pain as possible!

Tools
1. Partition Magic 6.0
2. Patience (albeit low, and ebbing)

Steps (please provide a 'dummy' style walk through)
1.
2.
etc.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could give a detailed installation procedure from the information that I have provided. I have searched many forums, and read many articles without finding a concise set of instructions. Thanks.

 

[yahve]

Hi,

I would like to know:
1. from where are you lauching the NT install
2. does w98 boot normally
3. does w98 sees both hard drives and all the partitions

I don't know much about NT4, I use w2k myself, but I don't think that NT4 can see fat32 partitions, maybe there's your problem.

Bye.

 

[butchrecon]

Your Primary partition CANNOT be a Fat32 partition. That is why you are having problems. NT4 needs to put the boot.ini file on the C: (Boot partition). With it being formatted Fat32 it cannot do that. My suggestion:
C:\-FAT16
then create a FAT16 partition on the second (slave) drive as well. If you are not worried about the Win98 OS seeing the NT4 partitions then convert it AFTER you install NT4 to NTFS. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[goodweb]

NT has to be installed on C:\ as NTFS or Fat16 GoOdwEb's Internet Cafe

http://www.goodwebs.net

 

[butchrecon]

NT does not have to be installed on the c: drive. You can install it on another partition. The boot files (boot.ini) need to be on the c: drive. Win 98 has to be on the c: drive. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[aitai]

Windows 98 sees both drives, and boots without any problem. I am trying to install NT from a folder located on the Primary slave (D:\, FAT16).

My concern, Jim, is since a FAT16 partition can only be 2.1 GB in size (and the Primary Master is loaded with 3.6 GB of applications), how will the applications on the FAT32 partition be affected by repartioning the Primary Master drive where they reside?

 

[aitai]

Another follow up. How do I get the get the NT boot files onto the C:\ drive if I want to install NT on the Primary Slave (D:\)? Thanks again.

 

[yahve]

Hi,

If you have free space on c, then you could create a new partition in that free space, format it in fat16, and this could be used by NT4 for its boot.ini . If you can use W2K instead of NT4, you don't have to do this, since W2K can read fat32.

NT will install where you tell it and will place the files it need to have on c by itself.

Bye.

 

[aitai]

Does the partition where the boot.ini files reside need to be in front of the FAT32 partition, or can it be after? Thanks.

ps It is tempting to use W2K, but the HCL will be a greater issue.

 

[butchrecon]

the boot.ini file needs to be on the boot drive. In your case it needs to be on the C: drive. Now since your C: drive is FAT32 you cannot load NT4 by default on it. You need to bake the C: drive a FAT16 drive. That intails wiping it clean and reformatting FAT16. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[Guest_imported]

This can be done MUCH easier. Temporarily,
Unplug the primary drive and make the second drive the primary.
Now install NT on that drive. When done make a boot diskette and copy the boot.ini from the system partition of the new NT install. Edit the boot.ini and change the arc path to point to the correct partition.

Now plug in the original primary drive.

When you want Win98 boot normally. When you want NT boot off the diskette.