Multi boot. How can I do it?

[Denis54]

I would like to be able to run the following OS:

XP Pro
NT 2000
98SE
LINUX

Is there any 3rd party program that would allow me to do this?

The drive has to be in FAT32, Right?

 

[KF]

>The drive has to be in FAT32, Right?

For W98 you need the first partition to be FAT32. It does not recognize NTFS. Linux will need its own partitions, although it supposedly is not impossible to run it on FAT32.

>Is there any 3rd party program that would allow me to do this?
Sure. Quite a few. Search on "boot manager" in Google. There is System Commander, and Boot Magic. There are some shareware and free ones too.

It is possible to make the boot manager that XP comes with boot linux, although I've never tried it. There are instructions on the web that describe how. (You need to make a file copy of the linux boot sector for starters.) The boot managers that come with some linux distros (like Mandrake 9.1) should also be able to boot W98, XP, and W2000, if you can figure it out.


I'm told, one thing you have to watch out for is when you have multiple versions of NT (as 2000 and XP are) on NTFS partitions. There are many versions of NTFS, not just one. Later versions of NT automatically and silently upgrade all NTFS partitions to later versions, which previous versions can't recognize or access, which make it impossible to boot them. So you have to install earlier version after later versions (if they are on NTFS). If you ever have to reinstall XP, you have to reinstall the earlier version of NT too (wiping it out).

IAC, if you install in the following order, it is almost taken care of by itself

W98
XP
W2000

because XP puts its own boot manager on the HD, keeping W98 as a menu selection. W2000 adds itself to the menu.

linux

because the linux boot loader will allow you to select between linux and XP. If you select XP, it will allow you to select the others.


Link to a multiboot FAQ

 

[blcjr]

Originally posted by: Denis54
I would like to be able to run the following OS:

XP Pro
NT 2000
98SE
LINUX

Is there any 3rd party program that would allow me to do this?

The drive has to be in FAT32, Right?

No need for a third party program. With Windows OS's, the general rule is to install the OS's chronologically, i.e. the oldest first, etc. With respect to Windows and Linux, you should install the Windows OS's first, then Linux. So the order would be:

98SE
NT 2000 (Did you mean "Windows 2000"?)
XP Pro
Linux

The first three will result in a menu running out of "boot.ini" created by Windows. As for Linux, I can only speak from experience with Redhat. Recent versions of RH use the GRUB boot loader. What will happen when all four are finally installed is that the GRUB loader will boot first, and present a menu with two options: Linux and DOS (or "Windows" if you rename it when configuring GRUB during the RH installation process). Select Linux, and you are into Linux. Select DOS, and you get the boot.ini menu allowing you to choose from the three Windows OS's.

As for file system, only 98SE needs to be FAT32. The 2000/XP can, and should really, be NTFS. The Linux filesystem can be any supported filesystem; RH defaults to ext3, which is what I've used.

The trickiest part may be prepping the drive. Are you up to that? You need to delete all existing partitions, and then create and format a FAT or FAT32 partition just big enough to support your intended use of 98SE. The rest of the drive needs to be free. The installation routines for 2000/XP and Linux provide for partitioning and formatting during the installation process.

I've never done these four OS's at a time. But I've triplebooted two Windows OS's and Linux, and even Novell, 2000 Server, and Linux. I don't think adding a fourth to the mix is a problem as long as you do it in the right order.

 

[blcjr]

I'm told, one thing you have to watch out for is when you have multiple versions of NT (as 2000 and XP are) on NTFS partitions. There are many versions of NTFS, not just one. Later versions of NT automatically and silently upgrade all NTFS partitions to later versions, which previous versions can't recognize or access, which make it impossible to boot them. So you have to install earlier version after later versions (if they are on NTFS). If you ever have to reinstall XP, you have to reinstall the earlier version of NT too (wiping it out).

Well, my advice was

98
2000
XP

Can you point to any kb article or faq discussing what you mean by "Later versions of NT automatically and silently upgrade all NTFS partitions to later versions?"

I've installed NT, 2000, and XP hundreds of times. The installation of these OS's will see existing partitions, and if the space is free will give you the option of creating a new partition and installing there. For setting up a triple/quadruple boot I don't think one wants to be messing with "upgrading" anything. Each OS should get a fresh, clean, partition. In that case, there is nothing to "automatically and silently upgrade."

I think your order will probably work. I'm sure there are some differences in NTFS between 2000 and XP, but I seriously doubt that XP will do anything to a preexisting 2000 partition if XP is installed in its own separately created and formatted partition. I'm willing to learn differently, though, should that be the case.

 

[KF]

v-com link about installing XP

"Important note - Different versions of NTFS can corrupt other versions of NTFS. System Commander 7 will automatically hide all NTFS primary partition from the active NTFS. Keeping these partition hidden from each other is the safest way to proceed. "


This is a clip from some help instructions that came with System Commander 7 (now kind of old):

" If you install or run Windows 2000/XP on a system that has Windows NT
SP3 or older in NTFS, the Windows NT partition will automatically be
converted by Windows 2000/XP to an incompatible NTFS format, so that
Windows NT will no longer boot. Using OS Wizard will automatically
hide NTFS partitions from Windows XP/2000 by default to prevent this
issue, but in the event you unhide the partition and run Windows
2000/XP, the partition will be converted.

In addition to keeping the NT partition always hidden from Windows
2000/XP, our recommendation is to use Windows NT SP4 or later, or
keep the Window NT partition in FAT rather than NTFS.

Using Windows NT SP4 or later will allow booting after the conversion
by Windows 2000/XP, but some Windows NT utilities will no longer work,
such as NT's CHKDSK program.

If you find you can no longer run your Windows NT, you can unhide
the partition (if not already) and still access the data and files
from Windows 2000/XP."

The way this worded, 2000 and XP might use the same, or compatible, versions of NTFS, at least before SP1, and the problem is with NT4 before SP4. But they do convert any NTFS partitions to their own format, not only when they install, but any time they see one, so just installing in a certain order isn't safe, as I thought it would be.

I never personally encountered the problem, because I never had different versions of NT all on NTFS on the same system.

 

[blcjr]

Okay, I'm learning something. There is a kb at support.microsoft.com that confirms the problem. However, it shouldn't be a problem for anyone with NT SP5 or later, and anyone still running NT who is not at SP6a is just asking for trouble. And the kb does still have one installing XP after NT (keeping intact the "general rule" I described to begin with). Moreover, I don't think this is an issue at all with 2000, just NT.

Here's the kb at support.microsoft.com.