Win2k dual boot!? Please help!

[RadioactiveCPU]

Whenever i try installing Win2k on my primary C: PArtition (i am using PArtition Magic), win2k setup says i have a corrupt drive. What's wrong with this picture? Anyone know?

 

[Woodie]

More info please:

What (if anything) is on the drive now? Is it FAT/FAT32/NTFS?

Do you care about what is on the drive now?

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

yes i care what's on the drive. It's my windows folders and system files. it is fat32.

 

[Woodie]

Try running scandisk (from W98) a few times, then try the W2K install again. I assume you're running the install when you're booted to W98?

Uhhh....not sure what else. Anybody else?

--Woodie

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

I'll try scandisk. hope that works.

 

[mrEvil]

Looking at the topic and then what you are trying to do, I'll ask you why are you trying to put Win2k on your C drive if your Win98 install is there?

IMO, since I've done this, the safest way (and easiest) is to put Win2k on a different partition. I too have Partition Magic and I carved out a partition just for Win2k and made it a NTFS partition. I'm duel booting and everything plays nicely....well, it was until I installed something and Win2k doesn't auto shut down, but that's another story.....

I'll be out until late Sunday or Monday, but LMK if you need more help....

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

well don't i have to install WinNT to the first 8gb of a partition? I'm trying that and still no go. do i have to use NTFS? or can i stay fat32?

 

[Woodie]

W2K can install on FAT32 or NTFS, and can be installed to *any* partition. I agree with mr-evil, you would be better off installing to two separate partitions, and I'd put the W2K on NTFS, so Win98 can't touch the partition at all.

W2k (like NT) will put the boot loader files, and the boot-menu stuff on the C: partition, but it will put the rest of the OS onto whatever drive you specify.

Don't try and mark the (new) NTFS partition as active--leave the c: (Win98) partition active. What exactly do you do? And what exact error do you get back?

--Woodie

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

I try installing to another partition and Win2k says that C: is corrupt and setup must exit. i don't get it.

Also, can i install Win2k from DOS? Whenver i format and try a clean install of Win2k it says the program can't be run in DOS, and has to run in windows. Am i doing something wrong?

 

[rectifire]

I had a problem similar to yours in that Windows 2000 would not boot after install files were copied to the drive. (I also have a combination 761 and VIA 686B chipset board, the FIC AD11) Error said something like "Windows 2000 could not boot because the following file is either missing or corrupted C:\WINNT\System32\ntoskrnl.exe"

I eventually found out that I had to disable the "Enable IDE Prefetch Mode" in the BIOS. Once I put this setting to disabled, Windows 2000 installed and ran without a hitch.

Hope this might help you in some way.

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

I am using Award BIOS and i can't find that option anywhere. would it be called anything else or any other suggestions? thanks

 

[Woodie]

For the "cannot be run in DOS" try going to the i386 directory on the CD, and running WINNT (WINNT32 is the Windows version of the installer).

I'm at a loss for the "corruption" on your C-drive.

--Woodie

 

[mrEvil]

Woodie's absolutely correct on running WINNT.EXE. As for the corruption, I only have 1 possible idea. Did you define your HD in bios or use AUTO detection? If you're using AUTO, then I'm scratching my head at the moment, otherwise try it and let us know....

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

it's on auto. how should i define it?

also, even in the i386 dir, it says "this can't run in DOS mode" what's up?

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

anyone? bump

 

[RadioactiveCPU]

please? bump

 

[Marine]

Sounds like you need to get your Win98 stable first before you try to install 2K. I just did a couple of these. After a Clean Win98 install, I just put the Win2K CD in and presto, asked me where to put it and loaded 2K with no problems. You don't need Partition Magic, System Commander or anything else. Win2K installs its own boot loader and gives you the option at boot which OS to select.