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Uninstalling a OS from a duel boot config

A

anthony88guy

Senior member
I have a duel boot configuration on one of my machines, Windows 98se and Windows 2000 professional. I have decided that?s its time to upgrade to windows xp. I own the upgrade version of xp, but I have problems installing it because of both operating systems. How can I uninstall windows 2000 pro? Windows 98se is the primary OS, and that?s the operating system that?s supported by the upgrade version of windows xp.
 
XP should upgrade Win 2000. Fire up Win 2000 and insert the XP cd. It should start and give you the option to upgrade or do a fresh install.

Bozo 😀
 
You do not need to have 98 installed so that you can install XP even though it is an upgrade version of XP.

Backup your data.
Put the XP CD in and reboot. When it asks you where you want to install, delete both partitions and create a new partition and install in the new partition.

After you are done, you will have only XP and it will be in drive C.
During installation, it will ask you for the CD to prove that you own an upgradeable version of Windows. You will need your 98 CD at that point.
 
I put in the Windows XP cd clicked Install, advanced installation. I have two OS's on the same partition (not a great idea). Windows Xp put the installation files on the C Drive where the other two OS's is. I think I can tell Xp where to put the installation files, but I need to just reformat C Drive and install it there, with installation files on another partition?
 
Don't worry about the installation files. It will copy them again.

Make sure you have backed up your data.

After putting the XP CD in and rebooting, make sure that your CD drive is in the boot priority list. You have to go into the BIOS if it is not.
After XP install starts, it will ask you to select where to install. Instead, select to delete the partition that contains your W98 and 2000 (I say again; make sure to backup your data).

After it deletes the partition, ask it to install XP. It will ask you how you want to format and you can select the partition format type (FAT32 or NTFS) and size.
After format, it will reboot and copy the installation files again.
 
Which file system should I use? FAT32 or NTFS On my other computer I am using FAT32, I know that their are greater security and stability with NTFS. Although I just read a thread about NTFS, and encrypting. Some people lost their files due to encrypting, is it possible not to encrypt your files?
 
Also the Cd-ROM drive is in the boot list, but not the second one after the IDE. Its like the fourth one, should be good though.
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
Which file system should I use? FAT32 or NTFS On my other computer I am using FAT32, I know that their are greater security and stability with NTFS. Although I just read a thread about NTFS, and encrypting. Some people lost their files due to encrypting, is it possible not to encrypt your files?
Click to expand...

NTFS is much more effecient, and stable. You do not have to use encrypt if you don't want to, so don't worry about loosing your files.

The CD should be first in your boot order, or it will automatically boot to whatever OS is on your IDE hard drive.
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
Which file system should I use? FAT32 or NTFS On my other computer I am using FAT32, I know that their are greater security and stability with NTFS. Although I just read a thread about NTFS, and encrypting. Some people lost their files due to encrypting, is it possible not to encrypt your files?
Click to expand...

I cannot tell you which one to use. You need to make that decision yourself. It is not black or white.

But, I can tell you that I have been using NTFS for 4 years with no regrets.

Once I re-installed XP on another hard drive and connected my old drive, which was NTFS, to the computer. I could not access the data because of the security settings.
But, I used the info on this page to get access.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
Also the Cd-ROM drive is in the boot list, but not the second one after the IDE. Its like the fourth one, should be good though.
Click to expand...

The CD should be the first. It will still ask you to press a key to boot from the CD. You press a key only the first time. After that, do not press the key when it goes through the automatic reboots. Let it boot to the HD to continue the install.
 
I dont think I can change the order it checks for boot devices. So if I installed Windows XP in NTFS, I can still share files with other systems, FAT32 and other NTFS systems?
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
I dont think I can change the order it checks for boot devices.
Click to expand...
Then, you cannot install XP! Are you sure?

So if I installed Windows XP in NTFS, I can still share files with other systems, FAT32 and other NTFS systems?
Click to expand...

An OS like Win98 or ME cannot read files that are on NTFS. An OS that is on NTFS (XP or Win2000) can read files that are on FAT32.
 
The CD-ROM drive is one the bootable drives in the Bios, its just not the first. With the FAT32 and NTFS, could I have an external harddrive and back up from both systems, one being a FAT32 and NTFS (The system I am installing XP on now)?
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
The CD-ROM drive is one the bootable drives in the Bios, its just not the first. With the FAT32 and NTFS, could I have an external harddrive and back up from both systems, one being a FAT32 and NTFS (The system I am installing XP on now)?
Click to expand...

If the hard drive is also one of the bootable drives and is before the CD, it will always boot and you will never get to boot to CD! What you need is to have the hard drive to be bootable but after the CD. I don't know why your motherboard wouldn't allow that!
If you are sure about that, you can remove the hard drive from the list and go through the installation. After the first automatic reboot, you go into the BIOS and put the hard drive back in the list.

What both systems? You are going to install XP on NTFS. What is the other system? What OS?
 
My other system is a 98se with FATE32. I am getting a external harddrive strictly for backing up. I was wondering with one system being FAT32 and the other being NTFS would I have any problems? I see your point with the booting issue; maybe I missed something in the BIOS.
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
My other system is a 98se with FATE32. I am getting a external harddrive strictly for backing up. I was wondering with one system being FAT32 and the other being NTFS would I have any problems? I see your point with the booting issue; maybe I missed something in the BIOS.
Click to expand...

If you want to use your external drive for backing up the Win98 system, you need to set up the external drive to be FAT. But, you can still have your XP system to be NTFS. That way, both systems will have access to the external drive.
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
Could I make two partitions one FAT32 and the other NTFS?
Click to expand...

Absolutely!
Just remember that if you make two partitions, one FAT and one NTFS, Win98 will only be able to access FAT while XP will be able to access both. That's all.
 
Thanks for your help and quick respones, I now know what I am doing.

Just remember that if you make two partitions, one FAT and one NTFS, Win98 will only be able to access FAT while XP will be able to access both. That's all.
Click to expand...

Why should I make it FAT, not FAT32?
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
Thanks for your help and quick respones, I now know what I am doing.

Just remember that if you make two partitions, one FAT and one NTFS, Win98 will only be able to access FAT while XP will be able to access both. That's all.
Click to expand...

Why should I make it FAT, not FAT32?
Click to expand...

I was just being general. Fat16 and FAT32 are after all FAT and not NTFS. I was not suggesting that you should set up FAT instead of FAT32.
 
Although does it really matter what the order of the boot devices are? The IDE drive is first for obvious reasons. When i delete the C drive, there is going to be nothing for the Computer to boot from. Then it should start checking other bootable devices, and the CD-ROM drive will be one of them. Then it should continue the installation. Am i Correct?
 
Originally posted by: anthony88guy
Although does it really matter what the order of the boot devices are? The IDE drive is first for obvious reasons. When i delete the C drive, there is going to be nothing for the Computer to boot from. Then it should start checking other bootable devices, and the CD-ROM drive will be one of them. Then it should continue the installation. Am i Correct?
Click to expand...

If the hard drive is the first in the boot sequence but it has no data on it, I believe you will get an error and it will not go to the next device in the list.
On the other hand, if the first in the list is the CD drive, which happens to be empty, it will go to the next in the list.
 
Ok, so basically what I do is boot up windows 98se. Put in the windows XP Cd, run it. Do fresh Install with advanced options. When that goes through it thing, it boots into MS-DOS, delete the C drive. Then install windows on the formatted C drive. Is that basically it?
 
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