In what order do I partition and install to get the following setup?

[Sukhoi]

I would like to have the following on my HDD when I am done:

• C: Win2KPro NTFS
• D: Win98SE FAT32
• E: Data FAT32

What order do I do everything in? Here's what I'm guessing, but I'm not sure if I'll have any problems:

1. Partition drive.
2. Format D: and E: as FAT32.
3. Install Win98SE to D:.
4. Install Win2KPro to C: and format it with NTFS.

When installing Win98SE to D:, will it try to put any files on C: too? I've heard it's a bad idea to convert FAT32 to NTFS, so I'd like to avoid doing that if possible. Thanks!

 

[dOrKuS]

Are you planning on partitioning the drive through the windows installation or from third party software like Partition Magic. If you have access to Partition Magic, I would recommend doing it throught that, or through the fdisk utility (should be on your 98 bootdisk)

I haven't heard of win98 trying to install files on the c:/ drive, like you said.

Anyhow, I would recommend the method you stated. First install 2k, then 98, and finally your data on drive e:/.

Good luck and feel free to pm me if you have any major issues.

~Brian

 

[Colt45]

you have to install 98 first, or else it will overwrite the MBR and leave the Win2K partition useless (as you wont be able to boot to it).

it would be best to:

boot to a win98 bootdisk, make a FAT32 partition

install win98 on C:

boot to win2k disk, use it to make a NTFS partition [drive D:], proceed to install 2K.

once 2K is installed, just use disk manager to create a FAT32 [E:] partition.

I think it may be possible to install win98 to D: if D: is active. uncertian though, and you still need to install it first.

edit: drive letters showed up a smilies

 

[Sukhoi]

No access to PartitionMagic, so I'll be using FDISK.

I guess I'll just mess around with it some and see which way works best.

Has the problem with converting FAT32 to NTFS that I heard rumored a while ago, been confirmed?

 

[Superwormy]

You're asking for trouble doing it the way you have initially listed.

Windows 98 will want to put its boot files on the C: drive, and thats the way its easiest to do. However, with it formatted NTFS... it isn't possible. Your better bet would be to do it like this:

C:\ 100 mb FAT16
D:\ 2 gb Win2k Pro NTFS
E:\ 2gb Win98 SE FAT32
F:\ Data FAT32

OR:

C:\ 2 gb Win98 FAT32
D:\ 2gb Win2k Pro NTFS
E:\ Data FAT32

Or at least thats what I've found works best after a few years of dual-booting.

Oh, and for process to do this:

Backup Data
Fdisk and Partition
Format C:\, D:\
Install Windows 98
Install Win2k ( format and setup E:\ drive within setup of Win2k )

 

[Colt45]

I've never had a problem converting FAT32 to NTFS, what was the rumor?

 

[Sukhoi]

I don't remember exactly, but it was about the cluster size getting screwed up or something weird like that.

 

[Sukhoi]

<< You're asking for trouble doing it the way you have initially listed.

Windows 98 will want to put its boot files on the C: drive, and thats the way its easiest to do. However, with it formatted NTFS... it isn't possible. Your better bet would be to do it like this:

C:\ 100 mb FAT16
D:\ 2 gb Win2k Pro NTFS
E:\ 2gb Win98 SE FAT32
F:\ Data FAT32

OR:

C:\ 2 gb Win98 FAT32
D:\ 2gb Win2k Pro NTFS
E:\ Data FAT32

Or at least thats what I've found works best after a few years of dual-booting.

Oh, and for process to do this:

Backup Data
Fdisk and Partition
Format C:\, D:\
Install Windows 98
Install Win2k ( format and setup E:\ drive within setup of Win2k ) >>



Dang, I was hoping Win98SE wouldn't try to dump anything to C:. Maybe I'll just install Win98SE to C: and Win2KPro to D:. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Zlash]

<< I don't remember exactly, but it was about the cluster size getting screwed up or something weird like that. >>



I've never had any problems either.

 

[c0rv1d43]

The file system conversion "problem" to which you refer is probably the fact that, when you convert a FAT partition to NTFS in NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, you wind up with 512 byte clusters. On a large partition that can cause some performance issues, and it makes it too easy for file fragmentation to occur. If you want the partition to be NTFS, then format it that way right from the start. (BTW, WinXP's CONVERT.EXE utility tries to optimize cluster sizes. That's an improvement over the earlier behavior, but it doesn't always succeed.) The actual conversion process itself is pretty reliable, but you should still back up all important data on a partition you're planning to convert BEFORE you do the conversion.

Others are correct in saying that you are headed for trouble if you try to set the system up with Win2K on the C partition and Win9X on the D partition. There are ways around this with third party partition software, but I heartily recommend not using them. I've spent a lot of time helping people recover data from systems which were set up this way.

In addition to the turf wars you're likely to see between Win9X and Win2K with respect to which gets installed first, you want to consider the fact that Win9X can't "see" an NTFS partition. Not a great idea to have the OS trying to access / use partition following partitions that it can't see.

- Collin

 

[Sukhoi]

Thank you, I knew I wasn't crazy. I'll just install Win2KPro to an unformatted D: and let it do the formatting itself.

 

[c0rv1d43]

Well, you might still be crazy, but at least your memory is intact.



<me grins, ducks, runs>

 

[Sukhoi]

/me slaps c0rv1d43 with a large trout.

 

[c0rv1d43]

At last, a scalable solution!