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How to create a dual boot machine?
- Thread starter dvalley
- Start date
TechyMcSe2k
Technical User
This requires editing the boot.ini file on the root of C:
The following link states XP, but will assist you in your case. You just have to add another line to the boot.ini file to give you the option of W2000 or Win98se.
EX:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows 98" /fastdetect
Make sure you back up a copy of the Boot.ini file before editing. Hope this helps!
Cliff, CCNA/MCSE/MCSA 2000
Network Administrator
The following link states XP, but will assist you in your case. You just have to add another line to the boot.ini file to give you the option of W2000 or Win98se.
EX:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows 98" /fastdetect
Make sure you back up a copy of the Boot.ini file before editing. Hope this helps!
Cliff, CCNA/MCSE/MCSA 2000
Network Administrator
Extracted from this discussion:
Run W2K set-up again (via CD boot/4 floppies – whichever…); choose Repair option and allow it to restore/repair boot-files.
This process will write W2K boot-files into the’98-HD C: (Primary) partition and thus give you the dual-boot. (Until you do this the ‘98-HD primary will not have the W2K boot-files present, and so you will not be able to dual-boot.) Similarly allowing it (via the set-up routine) to ‘upgrade’ the present W2K installation will/should achieve the same result.
Apply any service pack; then make the ERD for W2K. keep it safe and up-to-date.
You now have a dual-boot.
Run W2K set-up again (via CD boot/4 floppies – whichever…); choose Repair option and allow it to restore/repair boot-files.
This process will write W2K boot-files into the’98-HD C: (Primary) partition and thus give you the dual-boot. (Until you do this the ‘98-HD primary will not have the W2K boot-files present, and so you will not be able to dual-boot.) Similarly allowing it (via the set-up routine) to ‘upgrade’ the present W2K installation will/should achieve the same result.
Apply any service pack; then make the ERD for W2K. keep it safe and up-to-date.
You now have a dual-boot.
TechyMcSe2k
Technical User
According to the post, he is running Win2K as primary. This does not really matter though. You can easily setup dual boot whether 98 or Win2K is primary. You do not need to load Win2k boot files onto the 98 drive.
Cliff, CCNA/MCSE/MCSA 2000
Network Administrator
Cliff, CCNA/MCSE/MCSA 2000
Network Administrator
TechyMcSe2k
Technical User
bcastner--
Toushe' You win this dual....I bow to your greatness
Dvalley--I hope we helped you in some way in our back and forth.....without totally warping everyones minds.
Cliff, CCNA/MCSE/MCSA 2000
Network Administrator
Toushe' You win this dual....I bow to your greatness
Dvalley--I hope we helped you in some way in our back and forth.....without totally warping everyones minds.
Cliff, CCNA/MCSE/MCSA 2000
Network Administrator
No greatness involved. This is why there are a handful of third-party utilities to simplify the task.
My own guess in this situation was to use the implicit "OK" of Microsoft in their recent "Windows 2000 registry repair kit" to use the floppy disk images of System Recovery from XP. (Reference:
One very cool feature of Recovery Console under XP vs. Win2k is Bootcfg. I have never tried this, but it should work, run the above XP tool and do a bootcfg /rebuild.
My own guess in this situation was to use the implicit "OK" of Microsoft in their recent "Windows 2000 registry repair kit" to use the floppy disk images of System Recovery from XP. (Reference:
One very cool feature of Recovery Console under XP vs. Win2k is Bootcfg. I have never tried this, but it should work, run the above XP tool and do a bootcfg /rebuild.
Or of course, simply download the boot manager from (free for personal use), install it on either/both o/s & run it to set up your boot menu (which you can save to floppy, MBR or partition).
bcastner,
I'm curious, but would it make a difference if both the Win98 and Win2K partitions reside on 2 different drives?
I know in the past the repair option works fine if both partitions are properly setup on the same drive (Win98 on the primary and Win2K on the secondary). I've never tried it with both partitions on different drives.
Also, would the repair option even work if the Win98 partition comes after Win2K? From my past experience, it does not but I am curious to hear what you think.
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
I'm curious, but would it make a difference if both the Win98 and Win2K partitions reside on 2 different drives?
I know in the past the repair option works fine if both partitions are properly setup on the same drive (Win98 on the primary and Win2K on the secondary). I've never tried it with both partitions on different drives.
Also, would the repair option even work if the Win98 partition comes after Win2K? From my past experience, it does not but I am curious to hear what you think.
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
cdogg - the repair would create dual boot if separate drives and win98 is primary (1st boot device), but not if 2k is primary (because it will update the boot sector on the boot drive - so if that is 98, it will create the bootsect.dos, make it 2k and put entry in boot.ini. If 2k, it will just overwrite existing (it won't be interested in subsequent drives/partitions). Same if 2 partitions on one drive and 2k on first (active).
wolluf,
That's what I thought as well. Since dvalley never posted which OS was the primary boot drive, then I would imagine this info would be important to include as well.
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
That's what I thought as well. Since dvalley never posted which OS was the primary boot drive, then I would imagine this info would be important to include as well.
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
- Thread starter
- #12
I have been following this thread the whole time. I tried modifying the boot.ini to no avail.
The primary is Windows 2000 and the Windows 98 is on a second drive.
Would the Boot manager from boot-us.com still work-or will I have to switch the drives?
The primary is Windows 2000 and the Windows 98 is on a second drive.
Would the Boot manager from boot-us.com still work-or will I have to switch the drives?
cdogg,
I thought it was implicit that the Win2k boot loader files were not on the primary partition (or primary boot drive) and responded as such.
But the core of your question: Does it make a difference if the OS installs are on partitions vs. different hard drives?
I suspect wolluf already answered the question. My attempt:
No, it makes no difference if the OS installs are on partitions versus hard disks. What makes a difference is that the newer OS requires on the active primary boot partition the loaders from the new OS. It also requires a proper boot.ini file.
This is the nice thing about boot.ini, it uses ARC paths. The ARC specification does not care if it is a partition or physical disk, as long as it is specified appropriately.
Earlier I suggested using under Win2k the XP Recovery Console floppy images for an issue such as this. For one reason you have bootcfg, which is not available (unfortuantely) under Win2k. The other reason is that you can use the command "Fixboot", which does not copy the loader files, but rewrites the boot sector of the active primary boot drive to accomodate the newer OS, and let you use boot.ini as the alternative.
Bill
I thought it was implicit that the Win2k boot loader files were not on the primary partition (or primary boot drive) and responded as such.
But the core of your question: Does it make a difference if the OS installs are on partitions vs. different hard drives?
I suspect wolluf already answered the question. My attempt:
No, it makes no difference if the OS installs are on partitions versus hard disks. What makes a difference is that the newer OS requires on the active primary boot partition the loaders from the new OS. It also requires a proper boot.ini file.
This is the nice thing about boot.ini, it uses ARC paths. The ARC specification does not care if it is a partition or physical disk, as long as it is specified appropriately.
Earlier I suggested using under Win2k the XP Recovery Console floppy images for an issue such as this. For one reason you have bootcfg, which is not available (unfortuantely) under Win2k. The other reason is that you can use the command "Fixboot", which does not copy the loader files, but rewrites the boot sector of the active primary boot drive to accomodate the newer OS, and let you use boot.ini as the alternative.
Bill
bcastner,
Well, I don't think the it was ever implicit that Win98 was on the primary boot partition. Either Win98 didn't have Win2K's boot loader files or Win2K was the primary system partition. But everything else you've pointed out does make sense.
Thanks for the explanation,
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
Well, I don't think the it was ever implicit that Win98 was on the primary boot partition. Either Win98 didn't have Win2K's boot loader files or Win2K was the primary system partition. But everything else you've pointed out does make sense.
Thanks for the explanation,
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
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