Hex Booting WinME, Win98, Win2K, WinNT4, Win95, Linux

[Zach]

Can it be done? I already got Redhat, Win2K, and Win98 going off of my 2K boot loader. I know I can get WinNT in there, but what about adding 95 and 98, without extra hard drives?

I have this for my boot.ini:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:\
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect
C:\lnxboot.bin="Redhat Linux 7"
C:\="Windows 98"

Could I make it like this if I add partitions?:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=C:\
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect
C:\lnxboot.bin="Redhat Linux 7"
C:\="Windows 98"
D:\=Win95
E:\=WinME

 

[TBP]

shouldn't that be "penta boot" or "quint boot" instead of "dual boot"? 🙂

Although I've never tried, I would think it is doable theoretically. This would be an interesting and useless 😀 experiment. Ever thought about putting on BeOS, too? That'll give you a hex-boot system. 🙂

 

[Zach]

If you do web design, it's good to be able to test in many OS's, so I would actually make use of it once or twice. But, yes I guess it would be more of a gee-whiz project. 🙂

I'll update the title..

I'm specifically wondering if anyone has had Win98 and Win95 (or Win98 and WinME, or..) dual booted with Lilo, because if that can be done the rest is possible.

 

[SUOrangeman]

For testing your web creations, you install multiple web browsers, not multiple OSes.

Anyway, to install multiple incarnations of Win9x, I think you'll need a third-party tool like XOSL, BootMagic, or System Commander. Windows (including NT loader) does not *natively* does not allow multiple installs of Win9x.

-SUO

 

[perry]

I think that the Win9x OS's like to be on primary partitions. Linux can be installed anywhere and be happy as a clam. I'm not 100% sure about NT/2K, won't comment on those.

I used System Commander to setup a 5 OS system.. 98, 98SE, NT, 2K, and Linux. They were all happy and I could boot any one of them to test out whatever needed testing. Pretty easy. Of course, a week after I had that working, the system was re-appropriated to being a Win2k Server test box, oh well.

SUO, to get multiple versions of IE, he'll need multiple verions for Win9x since, IIRC, IE won't let you put several different versions on the same OS install. That is, if you can track down the older versions of IE to try and install in the first place.

 

[Zach]

SUOrangeman, no need to step on my feet, I know how to test web pages. It is my job... perry started the reason.

And it's too bad about system commander being needed. Maybe I'll have to work some Lilo magic?.. What if I did something like installing 9x's and switching around the active partitions, would that dictate where the OS boots from, or is all go straight to the MBR? And, if I'm not mistaked, the MBR is soley in the first sector (or cluster, or something) of the drive so it's not affiliated with partition locations.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

Pretty easy stuff I just did. Quad booting Win98SE/WinMe/Win2000/Win2002XP Just clean install and never upgrade! Thinking of adding Mandrake Linux, but kind of scared. This I found is the easiest. Never have to partition in the past when adding Linux after Windows.

 

[Zach]

So WinME will play fair.. I was wondering, I just installed it after Win2K on another system and it just added itself to the boot loader (no having to boot off of 2K's Cd etc. etc.).

What about getting both Win98 and Win95 in there?

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

Here's what you will have to do, in this order. I doubt you will be able to put on 98SE after 98, it's one or the other. With each new version check Clean Install instead of Upgrade. Then with Linux, create file system and install like in Mandrake. This is all I know. Hope it helps.

Win98
WinMe
Win2k
WinXP
Linux

 

[Zach]

I'm scared of loosing all my data, I have a well established 98 system on this machine.. We'll see I guess, I might stick to FAT32 compatable OS's anyway, but I need something with MSIE 5.00 to test SSL connections (there's a bug..).

I'll do it over spring break maybe, I'll keep ya'll posted. Maybe I should make a web page out of it, I figured I'd get more feedback. Maybe people don't know..

 

[hovenas]

Go to pcformat.co.uk and snoop around their downloads section. Syscommander Lite for free. It only allows 4 systems though...

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

O yeah, you have to do it on seperate HDs or Partitions. You cant have WinNT folder or Win98 folder with two OS on the same drive!

 

[Zach]

Hamburgerpimp, sorry but you're wrong. Windows 9x and NT can share the same partition (notice that they have different directories, WINNT and Windows), while Linux will need it's own partitions. I bet you could have Linux on a FAT partition with a windows OS, but why do it? WinNT's and Win2K's can be on the same partition, but you'd have to (of course) specify different directories, Win2K and WinNT maybe. WinNT even allows you to specify extra install directories during install, with the /r switch.. from my understanding of that. Interesting feature, maybe for backup. The boot.ini does reference the directory...

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

I meant it creates Windows folders and WinNT folders duplicates even with the clean installs. I wouldn't waste my time fvcking with any of this, I'd spend time on Networking with Advanced Server if I were him. Screw the individual OS'. Just some friendly advice.

 

[CTho9305]

How about a solution that won't screw with your MBR over and over, and won't have 2000 partitions? Get VMware for either linux or NT, and then just single or dual boot, whenever you need to do a browser test, boot a vm and test it. Or, you could use wine under linux to test Windows browsers.

 

[Zach]

I want the actual OS's to do thier own things, call me a purist. I also don't want to spend time messing with Linux too much, and already bothered getting the NT boot loader to boot Linux.