Dual Boot Win98SE and Win2K - HELP!!!

[apoppin]

I am running Win98SE and have used Partition Magic 4.0 to create a partition for Win2K. Unfortunately, I have only made several disasters and have recovered each time with FDISK and a drive image.

I guess what I need is a complete walkthrough. Any suggestions as to where I can go for info - perhaps a website or a book?

I have managed to create an additional partition within Win98SE. However, when I boot to that (empty) partition (with Boot Magic) I am not sure how to install Win2K.

Suggestions, please. I am getting so frustrated I can't even think clearly anymore.

 

[Soccer55]

The easiest thing to do is to install Win98 on your C partition. Then boot into Win98 and stick your Win2k CD in. It will prompt you to install or to upgrade the existing installation, you want to install. It should then take you through Win2k setup, and you should eventually get to a screen where you can select the drive to install it on. Select the option to change the destination drive, and set it to one of your other partitions. Then finish the installation and you're all set. Feel free to PM me if you need more help with this. btw, I'm running a 98/2000 dual boot so I can understand your frustration.....good luck

-Tom

 

[apoppin]

Thank-you for your helpful reply.

I have been reading everything I could find from "search" in the current threads on partitioning on these forums. Is there any clear guide to partitioning posted on the Internet or in a book I could buy?

When I made my partition (and I have tried EVERYTHING from logical to extended to making them active to not active including FAT 32 and NTFS) I keep on getting an error message when first booting (with Boot Magic) that a Windows System File is missing: "Insert Windows Startup Disk".

Here's what I understand so far: 1) create a partition with PM (preferably using NTFS for Win2K) and I have accepted the default size recommended by PM (what size partition do you recommend?). 2) make the changes active (here is where I get stuck with the error message). 3) boot into Win98SE and do a "clean install" of Win2K from the "advanced" tab to specify the installation files to the new partition.

Maybe I am extra dense - I know something is wrong - I have reverted to Maxtor's Utitlity to blow away the PM partition and reinstall from a Drive Image more times than I care to admit.

Help please!

 

[Soccer55]

This is what I did with my dual boot. I used the Maxtor partition utility to create 3 partitions of my 30 GB drive of 15, 7, 7 (the other GB is split between the 3). The beauty of the Maxtor program is that you don't have to worry about logical and extended partitions cause it takes care of that for you. Then I installed Win 98 in the normal fashion, installed prgrams, drivers, etc. Then I inserted my Win2k disc as you did and selected clean install under the advanced tab. Now, if I remember it correctly, it reboots your computer and goes into Win2k setup. This is where you select the partition you want to install on *and* select either FAT32 or NTFS for your file system. Win2k setup should automatically prompt you to format the partition and proceed with the installation. It's been a couple of months since I installed the dual boot, so this is what I remember from the fun and excitement that was getting this to work. I'm not sure how partitioning works with PM cause I have never used it, I've always used fdisk or the Maxtor utility. The error might be caused by PM, but I'm not sure. It's rather strange that your computer asks for a boot disk even though Win2k doesn't come with one. Only thing I can think of in that respect is to check your bios to see if you have boot from CD enabled. If you need any further help, let me know and I'll see what I can do for you. If you get really frustrated with it, I need a format of my Win2k partition myself, so I can format mine and reinstall it sometime this coming week (spring break) and give you a step by step process for it. Good luck

-Tom

 

[aolj]

You could also boot directly from the win2K cd. it worked for mine.

 

[apoppin]

Thanks for your answers.

No, please don't reformat just for me.

I was hoping I could make Partition Magic work for me. Today, I ordered a Radeon 64 (Hot Deals - $160!!!) so I will go ahead and partition from FDISK (or the Maxtor utility) and do clean installs of Win98SE and Win2K when it arrives. (I'll forget Partition Black Magic, for now).

Please let me know if after FDISK (or the Maxtor partition tool) do you first format c: /s for C drive and then install Win98SE; secondly, format d: and THEN use Win98 to setup Win2K to D drive. OR . . . am I lost here?

 

[Soccer55]

I was just saying that I could reformat over spring break instead of summer if you wanted step by step instructions because I'm going to have to do it sooner or later anyway. But to answer your question, I believe the Maxtor utility formats your drives, if not, then do format c: (I don't know what the \s does cause I don't use it). If you want, you can do format d: at the same time just so you don't have to do it later. Then install Win 98 on your C: drive. After you're done installing Win 98, pop in your Win2k disc, and do like you did before (clean install, use advanced tab to get to different partition, etc). Everything should work nicely from there. Let me know how it all goes

-Tom

 

[randomlinh]

make the partition for win98, and install. then boot up using the win2k cd, then go ahead and tell win2k in the setup to format the unformatted section of the HD to NTFS. that should work... don't bother telling partition magic to format for ya.

 

[apoppin]

I always thought the /s made the partition bootable.

Anyway, I should have the videocard by Monday and start my project then.

Is NTFS really desirable for Win2K (for a home user) or better to stick with FAT 32? Will I see much of a performance advantage?

And, can I share applications between Win98 and Win2K? (In other words, divide my HD into 2 or 3 partitions?)

Thanks for your replies and interest.

 

[Soccer55]

Win2k is designed around NTFS, so it would function a lot better if you were to use it. The only problem is that if you are in Win 98 and you need something from the NTFS partition, you can't touch it because Win 98 only recognizes FAT32. With that said, you can share software, it's just a matter of reinstalling it in 2k. What I do is install my software in Win 98, reboot into Win2k and then when I install the software in Win2k, I change the default installation path from D: to C: All this does is just install the software over itself on the C drive. It puts all of the necessary registry keys into your Win2k registry, and since you installed the program in the same exact spot as you did before, you don't have to have 2 instances of the same program on your hard drive taking up 2x the space. Hope this helps.

-Tom