Can I install dual boot Windows OS?? (win98, win98 korean)

[gredodenda]

I'm in a situation where I need to install dual boot OS system. OS will be Win98 english and Win98 Korean. Kids need English version, but my friend needs Korean version.
Can I install both win98 english and korean version in one hard drive by partitioning??
I'm not a newbie in installing dual boot. I'm using win95, NT4.0 and Win2000 so I know how to make it work, but I have no idea if this dual same OS would work.

Can this be done. If win98, can't work, how about dual WinMe???

Thanks

PS. Has anyone done this???

 

[ALstonLoong]

well i never tried dua boot win98 before.... but i did try win98 and winme dual boot system.Emm... at that time i am using bootmagic for me to choose which OS to boot. so.... why not give it a try ? Pls let me know if suscessful !

alston

 

[MetalCat]

Should do , I've had diffrent versions unning like that before.

All I can remeber thou is that I used diffrent partitions !

Good luck

 

[AndyHui]

Yes it can be done. Install each to a different partition, then the only change that you make is to have 2 copies of MSDOS.SYS which contain the different paths for each of your OSes. Then all you need to do when you want to switch is to swap around the 2 MSDOS.SYS and then reboot.

The only drawback to this method is that you cannot select which one you want at boot time. It does mean that you won't need a 3rd party boot manager though.

 

[danielshoes]

I think it can be done. Let's try...
(I hope my "junior" label change because this repply... =-P ).

I use a very good and FREE boot manager called "Extended Operating System Loader" (or XOSL). You will need it. You can find it at

www.xosl.org

It is better than the famous bootmagic from PowerQuest. Full featured. Really cool. And it comes with a FREE partitioning tool built in. Try it!

Win 9x/Me must be installed in a primary partition. An IDE hard drive supports up to four primary partitions. So you can create up to four primary partitions (or install up to four Win9x/Me into a single hard disk, I suppose). It sounds easy, but there is a problem: DOS/W9X FDISK can create ONLY ONE primary partition. After creating a primary partition, DOS/W9x FDISK can only use the second primary partition as an "extended partition", adding "logical partitions". The others two primary partitions avaliable are not used anyway by Win9x/Me.

So we need, at first, a good partitioning tool. My favorite is the LINUX FDISK. With it, you can create the two FAT32 primary partitions you need. I use it from an Linux installation CD (Of course I don't install Linux. I only go ahead until the partitioning procedure. I am a Linux newbie).

After creating these two FAT32 primary partitions, you need to format it with a boot disk, but I DON'T KNOW how "DOS COMMAND.COM" will see these two FAT 32 primary partitions ON THE SAME hd! I am assuming it will work.

Anyway, format c: and install the first windows.

Before go ahead, see that a Win9x/Me EVER MUST be instaled into drive C. To boot the second windows, you'll need to "hide" the first windows partition (XOSL does it) and the second will be seen as the only one (as C), and the second windows can be booted.

Note that when you hide the first partition, it becomes unaccessible (because it is hidden, and the second windows can't access it. Well, in fact, it can be accessed if in the XOSL boot manager setup you choose the option "SWAP DRIVES&quot.

Now wait a minute, let me thing...
I have two W98 working in my machine, but in TWO DIFFERENT DRIVES. When I installed them, I placed a drive in the PRIMARY IDE and installed the first windows (as C). So I removed this drive and placed the another drive in the same way and installed the second windows (as C). After all, I had two windows installed in two different drives, both thinking they are C drives. And when I boot the first windows, it is C and everything is ok, and when I boot the second windows, the first FAT32 partition is hidden and it thinks is C. Everybody happy! So what is the problem, Daniel?!?

I am asking myself how to install the second windows on the same drive and during the installation make it think that it is the C, with a neighbour EXISTING AND VISIBLE FAT32 primary, (the real C). Well, I had an idea...

Let's assume you had installed the first windows (first primary) and are attempting to insatll the second windows on the same drive (second primary partition). But, the first partition is the C and the second partition is seen as D. This is the situation.

You need to make the second windows think that your partition (second primary) is the C. DOS/WIN assign a drive letter (C, D, E, etc...) if it is labeled as a FAT32 or FAT16 partition. Go to Liux FDISK and change the partition type to another type (NTFS, ext2, anyone!). Stay cool, because it will not destroy your data! You will only confuse the windows. Write this changing and exit.

Boot from a floppy and now this partition is no more C. DOS/WIN simply can't see it. Now, the C is the second primary partition, where you want to install the second windows. Now, install the second windows inside it. It will be happy, because it is C, but only for now.

Now you have the two windows installed in the same hd, both thinking they are in C, with the first primary FAT32 partition labeled to another thing. Now, go again to Linux FDISK and rename the first partition to FAT32, what it really is. Write the change and exit.

If I am correct, the next boot will be in the first windows. If everything is working until now, you only need to install the XOSL boot manager from a floppy and select to hide the first partition when booting the second windows. Remember that when you hide a partition, it becomes inaccessible (we want that the other becomes C, right?)

And that's all!!!

I am very curious. If you try it, please notify me your results and doubts, ok?!?

danielshoes@openlink.com.br

 

[TravisBickle]

There is a program called Norton System commander which will boot multiple OSes, and hide one from the other if you like. It sits in the Master Boot Record. Well, that is what I hear, I don't use it.