setup /ntldr (Installing Win9x/ME *AFTER* NT4/2K)

[SUOrangeman]

I have had to have posted this command a good fifty times by now. Has anyone else tried it?

If you have WinNT4 or Win2K already up and running on your system ...

... and you want to install Win98 or WinME ...

... but you relize that just running 'setup' for the Win9x install will rewrite the MBR ...

PLEASE TRY 'setup /ntldr'. It is *supposed* to just add the new OS to the NT boot loader without obliterating the existing MBR. I have used this command a good number of times with much success.

WITH THAT SAID, ...

Play it safe. Make an emergency repair floppy from NT4(rdisk?)/2K(backup accessory) and have the bootable CD ready. You *may* still have to *repair* the MBR back to it's NT loader state.

ALSO ...

With BootPart from www.winimage.com, you can safely and easily add any bootable partition as an option to the NT loader.

-SUO, defender of partitions and multi-booting

 

[AndyHui]

Bump

 

[SUOrangeman]

This also applies for reinstalling Win9x/ME after Win2K is up.

Oh yeah, thanks for the bump.

-SUO

 

[Electrode]

This really helped me! Bump just for that.

 

[Shadow07]

Good tip. And also for everyone that uses Windows 2000, you can boot to the Emergency Recovery setup and repair the MBR. Also, you can have the SETUP look at the installation of Windows 2000. Make sure that you have an ERD for your installation you want to restore/repair.

Also, if you are a Network Administrator/Engineer like I am, go out and purchase Winternals ERD Commander. IT IS SO VALUABLE! You can make a bootable CD that will help you restore your installation. Also, you could get a copy of WINIMAGE and create your own.

 

[zzzz]

I had a related question. Can you install win 98/Me in a logical drive? what about the 2(or 8) Gb boundary? Does the win98 have to be before 2(or 8) Gb?

 

[ugh]

Say I have the NT Loader in C drive and I formatted the drive coz I had to reinstall Win98. Will setup /ntldr re-install NT Loader on C to let me boot up to Win2k again?

 

[AndyHui]

zzzz: Win98 does not have the 2GB or 8GB boundary limitation. You can install Win98 in a logical partition located anywhere on the drive.

ugh: Setup /ntldr is a Win98 command that causes Win98 NOT to over-write the Win2K bootmenu and add itself to the bootmenu. It will not be able to restore the menu if you have formatted. To restore the menu, use either the fixboot command, or boot up from the Win2K CDROM and select the Repair option.

 

[ugh]

<< ugh: Setup /ntldr is a Win98 command that causes Win98 NOT to over-write the Win2K bootmenu and add itself to the bootmenu. It will not be able to restore the menu if you have formatted. To restore the menu, use either the fixboot command, or boot up from the Win2K CDROM and select the Repair option. >>



Ack... A Win98 setup command? darn... Should've read this post b4 I formatted my C drive..

 

[Electrode]

bump
every time I need this post it's 40 pages down. Mods, put this in FAQs or at least put a sticky on it!