partitioning correctly 5

[newbee61]

I have recently installed a 100gb drive and would like to set up a DUAL BOOT WIN98SE/WIN XP PRO on it. can someone give a step by step instruction for accomplishing this task?
Starting with "partitioning the hard drive". I'm looking for a how to approach.

Thank You
Newbee61

 

[TekTippy4U]

Hi Newbee61;
Install 98 First...then XP
Use a 98 Floppy Startup disk to Fdisk 1/2 the drive in FAT32 if you want a True Dual Boot - go to (

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm)

if necessary. Or - you can use your OEM 98 CD by setting BIOS for CDROM as first Boot device. More 98 OEM install basics here Faq615-5157.

If you plan on sharing the files across OSs, then Fdisk the whole disk using FAT32 (for FAT32 - always choose "Y" for yes, when starting Fdisk) but break it up -say 40GB for 98 and 60GB for XP, or however you like. In this scenario, you'll create a Primary partition. of 40GB, set it "Active"...reboot, and then create the (one possible only) Extended Partition(allow it to use the remaining Disk space)....once that's done, you'll create a Logical Dos Drive of ~60GB at which time a drive letter will be assigned (yet still Unformatted - for the XP install to come). Now all the Disk space is Allocated, and a Primary "active" Partition of 40GB is ready to Install 98 on......and 60GB is left for XP afterwards.

BUT...for a true (except boot files) separate Dual boot config, where 98 can't see XP at all, you'll need to make the remaining 60GB in NTFS....basically you'd stop Fdisk after making the Primary 40GB "active" and reboot and Install 98 (don't create Extended Partition, don't use Fdisk). XP will always see 98 (basically for simplication, NTFS(2K/XP only) can see FAT32(used for 98/ME primarily and/or 2K/ XP), but not vice-versa).

So you install 98 (an OEM 98 will Format auto, as outlined in the faq)....if you have to use Floppy disk, then reboot to Floppy and Format C: (it'll reboot to floppy and choose Start w/CDROM support and then Install 98 by
from A:\ (hit enter after each one)
D:\ (possibly E:\ F:\ or even R:\ depending)
CD WIN98
Setup
.... get it updated and running.....then you put the XP CD in the CDROM drive and off you go. It'll recognize and detect the unallocated 60GB and ask you which file system (ntfs or fat32)...choose NTFS...and follow through the motions.

that's a basic outline of it anyway.
One caveat;
Your "hardware" needs to be compatable with XP...you make no mention of how old the PC is, or the specs of the components....oh yeh....before anything Update the BIOS if possible.

some articles;

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/russel_september10.mspx

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=217210

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;306559

I don't think I made any mistakes, but I may have,- so ask more questions and be specific about your goals (need to share OSs or not) and others will post more advice.

there's a couple of links in the faq to help using Fdisk, and here's some more;

http://www.mobiledyne.com/pub/pcfdisk.html

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mrscary/fdisk.htm

If you have an OEM 98, don't worry about the floppy (see faq) . If you need to use the floppy don't worry about FDisk and the 40GB for 98, unless you want to make a FAT32 partition Larger than 64GB, then you'll need the updated Fdisk found here;

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/q263/0/44.asp&NoWebContent=1

your XP Pro is not an Upgrade disk....is it?, though i don't think it'll matter.
Remember - Set BIOS to A:\ , CDROM, then Hard Disk, and just remove the floppy when you want to boot to cdrom first. (write protect the floppy - as soon as it's made), Remove all bootable disks (floppies and cdroms, etc) .....and you'll boot to the HDD.

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[wolluf]

TT4U has given some excellent advice. Here's an alternative, using a third party boot manager (I'd recomend

http://www.boot-us.com

- free for personal use), which will give you more flexibility (doesn't matter which is installed first) and durability (both o/s will be independent - so problems with one won't affect both).

This is how I would do it.

1. Boot from XP install CD, use its partitioning tools to create partition big enough for XP - leave rest unpartitioned - complete XP install.

2. From XP, create a primary (not extended) second Fat32 partition. I'd also install the boot-us Gui, and use it or its dos tool to hide the XP partition (if you do this in XP, it will be hidden on next boot). This is so 98 will put its boot sector on its own partition.

3. Boot from 98 install Cd and install 98 (it will see second partition as C: as first will be hidden).

4. Install boot-us gui in 98 - unhide XP partition, reboot - XP will boot - use boot-us GUI to create dual boot menu (you can store this on floppy to test if you wish - then in mbr or spare partition slot when you're happy - I generally use mbr).

 

[TekTippy4U]

Hi wolluf;
thanks for the props....one question. Doesn't winXP have a 32GB FAT32 limit? So a Win98 ver of fdisk is needed? (unfortunately, even tough 32gb(98) and 68(XP) will do just fine.) Or does Boot-us contain a tool for this (perhaps updated fdisk ver?.)
Also, does Boot-us allow you to resize the partitions? (in case you mis-size them at first?)

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[wolluf]

Hi TT4U

Yes XP can only create 32GB Fat32 partitions - but you certainly don't need any more than that for 98 and can use NTFS for XP (

http://www.sysinternals.com

provide freeware to enable win98 to read ntfs filestore if need be).

Boot-us does have file partitioning functionality in the more recent versions (for fat/fat32). Obviously if newbee61 wants just fat32 primary partitions on this drive he will need to use a partitioning tool other than XP provides (eg,

http://www.lpacomputers.telinco.co.uk/PD.zip)

Boot-us doesn't have any resizing - but again with 100GB drive, and just 2 operating systems its not easy to make a mistake with sizing! And of course, standard Windows tools have no resizing ability either.

As I said - I am offering an alternative approach. I've been multi-booting for 5 or 6 years now, and have had excellent stability since I made operating systems independent of each other. Boot-us was the 6 or 7th boot manager I tried, and its the one I liked the best - and it still does everything I need. So although I've had a look at a few since, I'll not change unless I come up with new requirement that boot-us doesn't support (and that Dr. Ulrich Straub, boot-us author isn't going to provide)

 

[TekTippy4U]

thanks for answering the Boot-us question;
we as power users understand the rest;
though newbie61 may not.
I agree to completely separate the OSs is best, unless you "need" to write (not just "read" with that great sysinternals tool) across partitions. But Newbie61 doesn't seem like a power user and can get into a "snare" if not remembering that the NTFS partition will "vanish" when looking at it in 98 (during instrall AND at any Boot up).
hopefully our discussion will help sort things out for newbie61.....possibly raise more questions than we've answered

Forgot to also ask if ;
not using Boot-us (or any other partitioning / boot manager) and
By NOT fully Fdisking in FAT32, and leaving 60GB unformatted(as I first suggested).....will XP automatically make the unallocated Disk Space leftover into a "Primary" Partition, if formatted in NTFS.? (so Disk will have 2 Primary and No Extended?)

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[wolluf]

No - XP partitioning tools during setup will automatically create an extended partition if there's already a primary partition.

 

[edfair]

Although I don't have drives that big I do multiboot on most machines I use. Partition magic and the co-supplied boot manager are my tools of choice, but from familiarity rather than any ingrained bias.
I also vote for separate partitions for each OS, but would use the excess as a sharable drive or a group of sharable drives, depending on how the 98 sets them up. And I would do everything in fat32 so unexpected glitches don't cause possibly valuable data to become unavailable.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[newbee61]

To all the kind folks,

My objectives are to dual boot using a single drive
with three partitions on each OS.
1 part (8gb)for OS and things associated with this OS, i.e.
Norton, Zone-Alarm etc.
2 part (15gb) for apps that tend not to change that often.
3 part (10gb) for games for the grandkiddies.
I plan to do the samething with XP-Pro.
I have an 80gb drive set to master.

I currently have the two OS's running on seperate drives,
master is XP-Pro, Slave is Win98SE. The only problem is I have to reset the bios on my A7V133 to boot to which ever drive that contains the OS I want to use. I originally installed the first drive as master and loaded win98SE,
then switched the config to slave on 98, and master to load
XP-Pro using NTFS.

How can I get these OS's to come up as a menu so I can choose which drive I want to load????

If I have to run a dual boot from a single drive, well thats ok too. any help would be appreciated for this oldtimer. I wish I had more line code experience, I'd write a batch program.

Thanks to all for anything you come up with.
If anyone needs to know my complete machine config please advise.

I'd ask my Grandkids, but to be honest, I'm quite embarrassed...
=O)

 

[TekTippy4U]

come on now silly ;

it seems from what you have
Phys. Drive 1 - Master - 80GB - XP Pro
Phys Drive 2 - Slave - 100GB?(new drive?) - win98

and from what you want to do, as stated above , only requires a Boot Manager will allow you to choose which drive to boot from.. (I could be wrong)

And....if you're not going to start Fresh.....maybe a tool like Partition Magic is for you.....allowing the resizing of partitions.

2 drives , with a separate OS on each is always better IMHO. Let others here answer as well, before deciding. The 2 separate drives (especially with diff file systems) helps maintain drive integrity. I have heard of many - ALL fat32 dual boot drives having problems,-- yet not too many Fat32 and NTFS, dual boot probs (especially when sharing the same physical drive).
But Maybe I'm not paying close attention when NTFS is involved.

btw;
thanx for the reply wolluf...I would've thought differently .
[thumbs]

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[TekTippy4U]

Also;
While I agree with the edfair suggestion, of making a "shared" space / partition / drive (if you have 3 now)...this should be FAT32, so that it;s readable/writeable from 98, as well as NTFS 5.0 (2K) and better (or NTFS 4.0 SP6).

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[newbee61]

Thanks again for all the fine input.

Wolluf; you made some excellent suggestions.

TT4u; Many thanks for such concise instuctions.

Edfair; I have ordered a copy of PM. I just wanted to learn the old ways and have a little fun.

You Folks are great and hope you don't mind if I tap your KB in the future.

Newbee61

 

[TekTippy4U]

newbee61
thanks, and your welcome
tap away all you need .....and stick around and share some answers yourself

edfair; gave me some needed info, thanks

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[gbosse]

I'm using XP Home on an 80Gb drive partitioned into 8 drives.

I just bought a 120Gb Maxtor, and want to install either Windows 95 or 98 so I can continue using the old DOS progs like my Wacom tablet, etc.

Any suggestions on the best way to configure the system so I can choose either o/s, perhaps a floppy drive boot disk?

G. R. Bossé