How do I create a dual boot (XP and Win98SE) gaming system?

[mshan]

Anyone know if / how I can create a dual boot system so I can play games designed for XP and for Windows 95/98?

My mobo is a Biostar M7NCG rev. 7.2 (Nforce 2 chipset).

This mobo has Nvidia Geforce4 integrated graphics, though I would also like to use my ATI 9700 Pro.

Mobo also has integrated sound (Realtek AC97?), though I would ideally also like to add an Audigy 2ZS sound card.

I am totally clueless as to whether #1) if I can do this, and 2) if it's possible, how to do this? I have XP drivers, but would I also need Windows 98 drivers?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Green Man]

W9x chipset drivers are available from nvidia. Radeon drivers are available from ati. Not too sure about audigy drivers for 98...I'm thinking maybe not. Realtek should be no problem.
Create 2 FAT32 partitions.
FIRST install W98 on the first partition.
next install XP on the second partition.
Now when you boot you will be prompted to choose OS

 

[imported_Kiwi]

It's an easy plan to carry out, as long as you start with Win98SE, and create multiple partitions on the hard drive. Put Win98 on "C" in its normal "Windows" folder. XP will be on another partition. Install Windows98SE, then the MB's W98 Drivers, and last, the Radeon 9700 Drivers. Forget the IGP for game play. Then take Win98SE online to collect the Updates from MS. If you are on broadband, install a firewall before doing that.

The only reason for multiple FAT32 formats is to allow Win98 to have access to all save game files, if you have any games you play in both OS's. Of course, you could have more than just two partitions anyway (I iuse four on most Hdd's, myself). I like to use FAT32 on general priciples, period.

Once Windows98 is happily in place, all brought fully up to date, insert the XP CD and tell it to create a fresh install on a new partition. Do the same thing you already did with the MB CD and the ATI CD, and even if you only have a dial-up Internet, you need a firewall in place on XP before going online. Get it all updated, and you will be ready to start running some game installs. Any program you want to run in both OS's literally has to be installed in two places to work with both.

XP will automatically create a Boot Menu offering WinXP or Win98 each time you cold boot.


:thumbsup:

 

[mshan]

Will I be able to install XP on an NTFS partition or will it have to be FAT32?

Also, any major difference between Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition? And should all Windows 95 programs work fine on Windows 98?

And any potential for system problems or instability from having Win 98 and XP drivers (different partitions, of course), on the same computer?

 

[imported_Kiwi]

'98 SE, of course! Much better than First edition!

There shouldn't be much of anything that is different when it comes to games written for the W9X environment, but no guarantees. I never found anything that ran in the older one that wouldn't run in the newer.


:beer:

 

[mshan]

Any questions I should ask when purchasing an used copy of Windows 98SE?

Are there any previous registration / activation issues and what do they typically go for used on these forums?

 

[DBSX]

I might skip 98 all together and use Windows XP's "Compatability mode" instead. And many 95/98 games may work just fine in XP without that extra step. I've run old DOS games (Doom and Wolfenstein 3D) without issue, tho I did try one of the Duke Nukem games and had no audio for some reason. Personally, I would try that out before I went and dual booted with 98.

\Dan

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: DBSX
I might skip 98 all together and use Windows XP's "Compatability mode" instead. And many 95/98 games may work just fine in XP without that extra step. I've run old DOS games (Doom and Wolfenstein 3D) without issue, tho I did try one of the Duke Nukem games and had no audio for some reason. Personally, I would try that out before I went and dual booted with 98.

\Dan

Exactly.

 

[fire400]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: DBSX
I might skip 98 all together and use Windows XP's "Compatability mode" instead. And many 95/98 games may work just fine in XP without that extra step. I've run old DOS games (Doom and Wolfenstein 3D) without issue, tho I did try one of the Duke Nukem games and had no audio for some reason. Personally, I would try that out before I went and dual booted with 98.

\Dan

Exactly.

not 100% true. I still can't play some 98 games on XP with comp. mode. obviously, a dual boot would be the only option.

 

[Geomagick]

Of the games I have only one won't run on XP and it was rubbish to start with.

I'd look at your games collection and see exactly what you can't play on XP and then decide whther you want to run 98 then. It is a truly awful operating system compared to XP IMHO.

 

[mshan]

I currently don't own any Windows 95 or Windows 98 games, but I'm sure there are some classics that simply weren't released for XP (I am interested in flying and driving games. I think something called Longbow and Janes series are supposed to be very good).

I think it might be interesting to learn how to dual boot.

Question: Within each operating system, will I be able to label the master partition "C" (I think the Windows install will call them C, etc. sequentially via it's own naming rules. True?)

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: mshanI think it might be interesting to learn how to dual boot.

Question: Within each operating system, will I be able to label the master partition "C" (I think the Windows install will call them C, etc. sequentially via it's own naming rules. True?)

It stays the same one because each puts its own boot loader files on it, but you end up with two sets of "Program Files", one on the C: and the other on the partition that XP is on. I have the dual boot on two PC's, but with W98se and W2K here. I will try adding XP to one of those to become a triple, if MS will ever wake up and tell me how they want their handling charge paid for a CD of SP2 (which I was supposed already have, but another story there).

Someone wrote that they had seen or heard of ES IV: Oblivion running on W2K, so I may put XP off again, who knows?

 

[furballi]

Create two primary C partitions. The first one for W98, and the second one for WXP. Use a bootloader like Bootmagic (from PartitionMagic) to set one of the primary partition ACTIVE, and boot to that partition. Note that only ONE primary C partition can be active at a time. Therefore, you will not be able to see the other primary C partition while in windows.

 

[jayanath]

i think u cant have win 98 while having XP or maybe it was 95
i think u can play win98 games on win XP

 

[Geomagick]

Originally posted by: jayanath
i think u cant have win 98 while having XP or maybe it was 95
i think u can play win98 games on win XP

As far as I'm aware there is no limitation like this for dual booting with Win XP.

There are a few games out there that do NOT run on XP, however these are few and far between and in most cases are quite old.

 

[mshan]

How do I enable that compatability mode for old Windows 95 or Windows 98 games?

 

[SquishyWeasell]

First install the game that you want to play in Xp, then right-click the game > properties > hit the compatability tab, and just turn it on right there.

 

[DaveSimmons]

For DOS games you can also use DOSBox

Installing a real Win98SE might still be a good idea if you don't want to take the time to Google to see if the games you want to play have problems under XP.

I've had 2 games refuse to run properly under XP after trying all kinds of tweaks (The Longest Journey, Star Trek Armada) and one of my favorite games only works for some people under XP (Jagged Alliance 2).

Since I have piles of spare parts and have a KVM switch, I just put together a P3-933, 256 MB, geforce 4 ti4200, soundblaster 16 system to run Win98SE. You could get by with something slower like a P3-500 MHz, geforce 3 or 4mx, and be fine for all Win95/98 games.