Want to add Win 98 to Vista & XP Dual Boot (Will this work?)

[ashishmishra]

Hey guys,

I'm currently running Vista Beta 2 and XP Pro from 2 separate hard drives. I just laid my hands upon a Windows 98 SE CD. Plan on using partition magic and creating a 20 gig partition for Win 98.

Now the main question is how I go about installing it without it messing with my Master Boot Record which I'm sure it will overwrite on installation. Can somebody think of a way by which I can accomplish this.

EDIT: Ok, Here is what I've thought of, let me know if you think if it will work. Install Windows 98 on the separate partition, from within 98 edit the boot.ini to add an entry for Windows XP. That will give me a dual boot of Windows 98 & Windows XP. Now I just repair my Vista Install or do a Fresh install if I have to. Let me know guys if you think this will work.

Thanks for the help

Ashish

 

[Geiser34]

I don't think it's possible, read here Here...

Install the operating systems in the following order:
1. MS-DOS
2. Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me
3. Windows NT
4. Windows 2000
5. Windows XP

 

[ashishmishra]

The problem is that I don't want to mess up my XP installation, Vista I don't mind reinstalling cause there is nothing much on it. Any solution that doesn't entail me to reinstall Win XP would be excellent.

 

[ashishmishra]

Ok, Here is what I've thought of, let me know if you think if it will work. Install Windows 98 on the separate partition, from within 98 edit the boot.ini to add an entry for Windows XP. That will give me a dual boot of Windows 98 & Windows XP. Now I just repair my Vista Install or do a Fresh install if I have to. Let me know guys if you think this will work.

Thanks

 

[jlbenedict]

Originally posted by: ashishmishra
Ok, Here is what I've thought of, let me know if you think if it will work. Install Windows 98 on the separate partition, from within 98 edit the boot.ini to add an entry for Windows XP. That will give me a dual boot of Windows 98 & Windows XP. Now I just repair my Vista Install or do a Fresh install if I have to. Let me know guys if you think this will work.

Thanks

Windows 98 will fvck up the boot sector and will be the only operating system to boot. Windows 98 doesn't use the boot.ini file.

Any Windows 9x based operating system should be the first OS to be installed, for a smooth double or triple boot success.

 

[Geiser34]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict

Originally posted by: ashishmishra
Ok, Here is what I've thought of, let me know if you think if it will work. Install Windows 98 on the separate partition, from within 98 edit the boot.ini to add an entry for Windows XP. That will give me a dual boot of Windows 98 & Windows XP. Now I just repair my Vista Install or do a Fresh install if I have to. Let me know guys if you think this will work.

Thanks

Windows 98 will fvck up the boot sector and will be the only operating system to boot. Windows 98 doesn't use the boot.ini file.

Any Windows 9x based operating system has to be the first OS to be installed

Thank You, he wouldnt listen to me..:roll:

 

[jlbenedict]

Here are Microsoft's instructions for when you install Windows 98 after NT is installed.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q157992/

SUMMARY
This article describes how to set up a computer so that the user can go directly to Windows NT, Windows 95/98, or MS-DOS by making a selection from the Boot.ini, without any need for Windows 95/98 multiple boot support.
MORE INFORMATION
Windows 98 or Windows 95 should not be installed in the same partition as Windows NT; the shared Program Files folder can cause problems with interactions between Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook Express on these operating systems.

Also, if you are using both FAT32 and NTFS volumes, the NTFS partition should be on a logical drive letter that preceeds the FAT32 partition drive letter. If this is set up the other way around, Windows NT will not find the boot partition (where the system files are located).

This information applies to x86 processors only.

Follow these steps to enable triple boot support:

1. Install MS-DOS.
2. Install Windows NT.
3. Remove the read-only, hidden, and system attributes of Bootsect.dos by typing and running the following line from the command prompt: attrib -r -h -s bootsect.dos.
4. Copy the boot sector for MS-DOS by typing and running the following line from the command prompt: copy c:\bootsect.dos c:\bootsect.sav.
5. Boot to MS-DOS and install Windows 95/98.
6. Repair the Windows NT boot sector as Windows 95/98 has over-written the boot sector. This will also create a new Bootsect.dos for Windows 95/98. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
104429 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/104429/EN-US/) Installing MS-DOS Version 6.2x After Windows NT Is Installed
7. Remove the read-only, hidden, and system attributes from the Windows 95/98 Bootsect.dos by typing and running the following line from the command prompt: attrib -r -h -s bootsect.dos.
8. Rename the Windows 95/98 boot sector from C:\Bootsect.dos to C:\Bootsect.w40.
9. Rename the MS-DOS boot sector from C:\Bootsect.sav to C:\Bootsect.dos.
10. Remove the read-only attribute from boot.ini by typing and running the following line from the command prompt: attrib -r boot.ini.
11. Modify Boot.ini using any text editor, such as Edit or Notepad, by adding the following lines:
[Operating Systems]
c:\bootsect.dos="MS-DOS v6.22" /win95dos
c:\bootsect.w40="Windows 95/98" /win95
You should now see the additional choices of "Windows 95/98" and "MS-DOS v6.22" when you start Windows NT.

The new switches, /win95dos and /win95, are needed so that Windows NT can emulate the multiple boot process of Windows 95/98.

This article contains information about using Windows NT with a configuration that has not been tested and is not supported by Microsoft. If the steps described in this article do not function properly, use a supported configuration.

If Windows NT is going to be on the same partitions as MS-DOS and/or Windows 95/98, the partition must be an MS-DOS partition. Windows 95/98 FAT 32 partitions will not work with MS-DOS and Windows NT.

Using NTFS or FAT32 partitions will require different partitions for each operation system. The ARC path in the Boot.ini file will need to be modified to reflect the different partitions.

 

[ashishmishra]

Hmm...Very Interesting Thanks, I think I've thought of a way, will update on what happened after I try it. If the Windows 98 indeed messes things up at least the Repair Installation can be used.

 

[postmortemIA]

Good luck with installing windows 98 on anything but first partition.

Go get Microsoft virtual Pc 2004 for free, and install 98 under Xp.

 

[ashishmishra]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA
Good luck with installing windows 98 on anything but first partition.

Go get Microsoft virtual Pc 2004 for free, and install 98 under Xp.

I figured that would be an issue, but I forgot it also has problems with 250GB hard drive. FAT32 can't handle the size, so I guess I have to get a lower capacity IDE and disable 1.5 GBs of RAM find some sort of working drivers for the X1800XT and Creative X-Fi then I guess it will work.

You say why do I take so much effort, well I'm a big fan of some really old games which need 98. Also I guess for nostalgia sake, it was afterall the OS on my first computer.

I'll keep trying! EDIT: Or get a real cheap machine to complement it

 

[postmortemIA]

FAT32 can handle the size, that is not the problem, but your order. Healthy order is to put Win 98 on 1st partition, everything else can be in any order.

By the way, Windows ME (Worst OS by far) sees boot.ini (as it was published after release of Windows 2000)

 

[VooDooAddict]

What old games you trying to play? Are they 3D? If not, you should really try it though VMware or Virtual PC. You might also want to try out GameTap and see if they have any of the games you are looking for.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: VooDooAddict
What old games you trying to play? Are they 3D? If not, you should really try it though VMware or Virtual PC. You might also want to try out GameTap and see if they have any of the games you are looking for.

Exactly what I was going to suggest. A non-ancient system will be able to run win98 games in vmware easily.

 

[cw42]

if there's any win98 games worth playing, chances are somebody online has already figured out a way to get it to work with xp. don't waste ur time install wincrap98.

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA
Good luck with installing windows 98 on anything but first partition.

Go get Microsoft virtual Pc 2004 for free, and install 98 under Xp.

I've got 98 installed on my system under virtual PC 2004 and it runs pretty decent with the Virtual Machine Additions. It emulates a system with S3 Trio graphics, so it can handle Direct Draw, but no Direct 3D. To test it out, I installed my wife's old Catz 4 game and it ran pretty decently.

Now that VPC 2004 is free I've been on a mission to install every major release of Windows on my PC. So far I've got 1.03, 2.03, 3.11, 3.11 for workgroups, NT 4 and 98SE running in VPC, and I'm dual booting Vista and XP Pro. I just have to get 3.51 up and running (and maybe 2k, ME and 95 to for the sake of completeness) and I'll be golden.

 

[postmortemIA]

You certainly have lots of disk space

I have two 36GB raptors, and every GB is priceless.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

Originally posted by: ashishmishra
Hey guys,

I'm currently running Vista Beta 2 and XP Pro from 2 separate hard drives. I just laid my hands upon a Windows 98 SE CD. Plan on using partition magic and creating a 20 gig partition for Win 98.

PartionMagic seems to not be able to handle operating systems spanning mulitblie drives.... I ran a computer with dual XP's (one for general use+ one for games) along with 98se, with no problem, because Partitionmagic is really good.... Just be sure you put PQBoot, or w/e the symantic version is on a bootable floppy first, ebcause the worst thign would be to not be able to do what you want, and not be able to boot to the OS you use, and having to reformat....

 

[ashishmishra]

Update: Wow I did bite off more than I could chew, meh! anyways I was planing on a fresh install of windows which I didn't do since getting the opteron and the X1800XT.

I took a fresh and empty 250 GB drive hoping to partition it into 30 & 220 with 30 being the primary partition of Windows 98, it was unable to format it. I had a complete backup on my other 250 GB, so I reinstalled Windows XP, and man it feels a lot faster now. The whole install process with the 2.6 Ghz Opty 170 felt real fast and it is a bit faster than my old setup, mainly because I've kept it real lean this time, no crap in the taskbar and stuff. Will install Vista again soon.

I think I'll get a separate cheap box for my oldie OS needs when finances permit again. The problem with Virtual PC is that there is no 3D accelaration and a couple of them need it, I'm not sure whether if there is any virtualization software which allows even basic level 3D accelaration.

Even if I did get it to install, I would have a tough time to find working drivers for my Geforce 6100 Mobo, X1800XT, X-Fi, so I guess the idea of getting a old box to do the job is appealing, maybe an old P4, A XP with 256-512 RAM, and a Geforce Ti 4200 or Radeon 9700, that will do the trick

Thanks for the all the help.

Ashish

 

[ashishmishra]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA
You certainly have lots of disk space

I have two 36GB raptors, and every GB is priceless.

I know what you mean, thats the reason why I went with 2 x 250 GBs. It is a good balance, even if some OS problem happens, or you make them happen (like me in this case ) you know that you that you can take a complete backup of all your data in one drive and then mess around freely with the other.