Hi,
You can dual boot windows xp with windows 98 by following the instructions
given in the KB acticle given below:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306559&Product=winxp
or
This article was previously published under Q306559
IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY
Disk Volumes and Disk Format
Reformatting and Repairing Hard Disk
Supported File Systems
Precautions
To Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows XP and MS-DOS, Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows Me
To Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP
Installing Programs on More Than One Operating System
Specifying the Default Operating System for Startup
Troubleshooting
Glossary
REFERENCES
SUMMARY
This article explains how to set up Windows XP as a multiple-boot system
with the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, and Microsoft Windows NT
3.51
Microsoft Windows 95 Operating System Release 2 (OSR2), Microsoft Windows
98, and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows 3.x
You can install more than one operating system on your computer and choose
which operating system you want to use every time you start your computer.
This is often called a dual-boot or multiple-boot configuration (see the
glossary at the end of this article for definitions of unfamiliar
terminology).
back to the top
Disk Volumes and Disk Format
Note that Encrypting File System (EFS) is not available in the Windows XP
Home Edition.
back to the top
Reformatting and Repairing the Hard Disk
You may need to reformat and repartition your hard disk if:
You have only one volume.
You have to install each operating system on a separate volume of your
computer so that each installation can retain its own files and
configuration information.
The boot volume is not formatted with the correct file system:
If you want create a multiple-boot system by using Windows 95, Windows 98
or Windows Me along with Microsoft Windows XP, you have to format the boot
volume by using FAT16 because Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me do not
support the NTFS file system.
If you want to install Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me with Windows
NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you can format the boot volume by
using FAT16 because Windows NT 4.0 does not support the FAT32 file system.
If you want to create a multiple-boot system using Windows 98 or Windows Me
with Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you can format the boot volume by using
FAT32.NOTE: If you format a Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP
volume with any file system other than NTFS, you will lose all
NTFS-specific features. This includes some Windows XP features such as file
system security, Encrypting File System (EFS) settings, disk quotas, and
Remote Storage. Likewise, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me do not
recognize an NTFS partition and identify it as unknown. Therefore, if you
format a Windows 98 or Windows Me partition as FAT, and a Windows XP
partition as NTFS, any files on the NTFS partition will not be available or
visible if you try to access them while running Windows 98 or Windows Me.
back to the top
Supported File Systems
The following table lists the supported file systems for Microsoft
operating systems: Operating system Supported file systems
-----------------------------------------
MS-DOS FAT
Windows 3.1 FAT
Windows NT FAT, NTFS
Windows 95 FAT
Windows 95 OSR2 FAT, FAT32
Windows 98 FAT, FAT32
Windows Me FAT, FAT32
Windows 2000 FAT, FAT32, NTFS
Windows XP FAT, FAT32, NTFS
back to the top
Precautions
Before creating a multiple-boot configuration with Windows XP and another
operating system, review the following precautions:
Before attempting to create a multiple-boot system, be sure to back up your
current system and all data files.
Each operating system must be installed on a separate volume. Microsoft
does not support installing multiple operating systems on the same volume.
If you have only one volume on your computer, you have to reformat and
repartition your hard disk to contain multiple volumes before you begin
creating a multiple-boot configuration, unless you are simply installing
another copy of Windows XP.
Do not install Windows XP on a compressed drive that was not compressed
using the NTFS compression utility.
You have to use a different computer name for each operating system if the
computer is on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP secure domain.
Install the operating systems in the following order:
MS-DOS
Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows XP
back to the top
To Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows XP and MS-DOS, Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows Me
NOTE: You cannot install both Windows 95 and Windows 98 in a multiple-boot
configuration. Windows 98 is intended as an upgrade to Windows 95 and it
will try to use the same boot file.
You have to install Windows XP only after installing MS-DOS, Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows Me to prevent these operating systems from
overwriting the Windows XP boot sector and the Windows XP startup files.
To create a multiple-boot system with Windows XP and MS-DOS, Windows 95,
Windows 98 or Windows Me:
Ensure that your hard disk is formatted with the correct file system.
Install the multiple operating systems into separate volumes, in the
following order: MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and then
Windows XP.
Do one of the following:
If you want a multiple-boot system with MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98 or
Windows Me along with Windows XP, install MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98 or
Windows Me, and then install Windows XP.
If you want a dual-boot system with only Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows
Me, install Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me, and then install Windows
XP.
Install each operating system according to the standard installation
procedure.
back to the top
To Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP
Using a multiple-boot system with both Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP is not
recommended as a long-term solution. The NTFS update in Service Pack 5
(SP5) for Windows NT 4.0 is provided only to help you evaluate and upgrade
to Windows XP.
To create a multiple-boot system with Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP:
Ensure that your hard disk is formatted with the correct file system.
Install Windows NT 4.0 and apply SP5, and then install Windows XP to a
separate volume. Install each operating system according to the standard
installation procedure.
NOTE: If you intend to install more than one operating system consisting of
some combination of Windows NT 4.0, with either Windows 2000, or Windows XP
as the only installed operating systems, you must ensure that you have
installed SP5 for Windows NT 4.0. Windows XP automatically upgrades any
NTFS partitions that it finds on your system to the version of NTFS that is
used in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. However, Windows NT 4.0 requires SP5
to read and write files on a volume that is formatted with the version of
NTFS used in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
back to the top
Installing Programs on More Than One Operating System
If you are installing programs on more than one operating system, you have
to treat each operating system as a separate entity. Any programs and
drivers that you want to use must be installed under each operating system
under which you want to use it. For example, if you want to use Microsoft
Word on the same computer under both Windows 98 and Windows XP, you have to
start Windows 98 and install Microsoft Word, and then, you have to restart
your computer under Windows XP and reinstall Microsoft Word.
NOTE: Windows 95 or Windows 98 might reconfigure hardware settings the
first time you use them, which may cause configuration problems when you
start Windows XP.
back to the top
Specifying the Default Operating System for Startup
If you have more than one operating system on your computer, you can set
the operating system that you want to use as the default one for when you
start your computer:
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
On the Advanced tab, under Startup and Recovery, click Settings.
Under System startup, in the Default operating system list, click the
operating system that you want to start when you turn on or restart your
computer.
Select the Display list of operating systems for check box, and then type
the number of seconds for which you want the list displayed before the
default operating system starts automatically.
To manually edit the boot options file, click Edit. Microsoft strongly
recommends that you do not modify the boot options file (Boot.ini), because
doing so may render your computer unusable.
back to the top
Troubleshooting
When you start Microsoft Internet Explorer, Explorer may quit and you may
receive an error message that is similar to the following:
iexplore caused an Invalid Page Fault in module kernel32.dll
This error may occur if you install multiple operating systems on a single
volume.
To resolve this issue, install each operating system on a separate volume.
You cannot configure your computer to start both Windows 95 and Windows 98
(or Windows Me).
You cannot configure a computer to multiple boot Windows 95 and Windows 98
(or Windows Me) because these platforms use the same boot file. Therefore,
multiple booting Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me at the same time is
not supported.
When you start your computer, the boot menu does not appear and you are
unable to start Windows XP.
This issue may occur if you install Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me
after you install Windows XP.
To resolve this issue, repair, or reinstall Windows XP.
back to the top
Glossary
Boot Volume
Dual-Boot
FAT (File Allocation Table)
FAT32
File System
Multiple-Boot
NTFS File System
System Volume
Volume
Boot Volume
The volume that contains the Windows operating system and its support
files. The boot volume can be, but does not have to be, the same as the
system volume.
See also: System Volume, Volume
back to the top
Dual-Boot
A computer configuration that can start two different operating systems.
See also: Multiple-Boot
back to the top
FAT (File Allocation Table)
A file system that is used by MS-DOS and other Windows-based operating
systems to organize and manage files. The file allocation table (FAT) is a
data structure that Windows creates when you format a volume by using the
FAT or FAT32 file systems. Windows stores information about each file in
the FAT so that it can retrieve the file later.
See also: FAT32, File System, NTFS File System
back to the top
FAT32
A derivative of the FAT file system. FAT32 supports smaller cluster sizes
and larger volumes than FAT, which results in more efficient space
allocation on FAT32 volumes.
See also: File Allocation Table (FAT), NTFS File System, Volume
back to the top
File System
In an operating system, the file system is the overall structure in which
files are named, stored, and organized. NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 are types of
file systems.
See also: NTFS File System, FAT, FAT32
back to the top
Multiple-Boot
A computer configuration that can start two different operating systems.
See also: Dual-Boot
back to the top
NTFS File System
An advanced file system that provides performance, security (i.e.,file and
folder permissions), reliability, and advanced features that are not found
in any version of FAT. For example, NTFS guarantees volume consistency by
using standard transaction logging and recovery techniques. If a system
fails, NTFS uses its log file and checkpoint information to restore the
consistency of the file system. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, NTFS also
provides advanced features such as encryption, Reparse points, Sparse
files, USN Journal, and disk quotas.
See also: FAT32, File Allocation Table (FAT), File System
back to the top
System Volume
The volume that contains the hardware-specific files that are needed to
load Windows on x86-based computers with a basic input/output system
(BIOS). The system volume can be, but does not have to be, the same volume
as the boot volume.
See also: Boot Volume, Volume
back to the top
Volume
An area of storage on a hard disk. A volume is formatted by using a file
system, such as FAT or NTFS, and has a drive letter assigned to it. You can
view the contents of a volume by clicking its icon in Windows Explorer or
in My Computer. A single hard disk can have multiple volumes, and volumes
can also span multiple disks.
See also: File Allocation Table (FAT), NTFS File System
back to the top
REFERENCES
For more information about multibooting with Windows 2000 and Windows XP,
see the following Microsoft Web page:
Multibooting with Windows 2000 and Windows XP
I hope the above information is what you are looking for.
S.Vijay
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
