Install & Dual Boot Question???

[Don]

Have an existing system running WinME (Fat32 partition on C). Can I
install Win2K on second partition "D" and dual boot into both operating
systems? Or does fat32 on C cause complications? Want to get rid of
WinME ASAP, but need to use it until I am ready to cut over to Win2K.

My first time posting here, thanks.

Don

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Have an existing system running WinME (Fat32 partition on C). Can I
install Win2K on second partition "D" and dual boot into both
operating systems? Or does fat32 on C cause complications? Want to
get rid of WinME ASAP, but need to use it until I am ready to cut
over to Win2K.
My first time posting here, thanks.

Don

The simplest way I've found to dual boot between Win9x and Win2K
would be to partition your drive(s) roughly as follows:

C: FAT32 Win9x/Legacy Apps & Games
D: NTFS Win2K/Modern Apps

Adjust the partition sizes according to your actual hard drive(s)
size and the amount of space you'd like to allocate to each OS and its
applications.

Create the partitions using Win9x's FDISK so you can enable large
disk support (FAT32). (No need for 3rd party partitioning
utilities/boot managers and their frequent complications.)

Install Win9x first, being sure to select "C:\Windows" (or
D:\Windows, if you prefer) when asked for the default Windows
directory. When you subsequently install Win2K, be sure to specify
"D:\Winnt" (or "D:\Windows," "C:\Winnt" as referred/applicable) when
asked for the default Windows directory, to place it in the other
partition. The Win2K installation routine will automatically set up a
Multi-boot menu for you. The default settings for this menu can be
readily edited from within Win2K. NOTE: If you elect to place Win98
on the "D:" drive, you'll _have_ to leave the "C:" drive as FAT32.

This method can be adapted to using 2 physical hard drives by
placing the boot partition (C:, which still must be FAT32) and either
of the operating systems on the Primary Master hard drive, and the
second operating system on the second hard drive.

It is also possible to have a 3rd partition for shared
applications, but it would be necessary for such a partition to be
formatted in the common file format (FAT32). The applications would
also have to be installed into each OS (to ensure proper system file
placement and registry updates), one at a time, but the bulk of the
program files could be located on this common partition. I do not,
however, actually recommend doing this as, if you were to uninstall
such an application from one OS, you may not be able to gracefully
uninstall it from the second OS, having already deleted crucial
installation data during the first uninstall action.

Just about everything you need to know (URLs may wrap):

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q217/2/10.ASP

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/administration/management/mltiboot.asp

--

Bruce Chambers

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[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Have an existing system running WinME (Fat32 partition on C). Can I
install Win2K on second partition "D" and dual boot into both operating
systems? Or does fat32 on C cause complications? Want to get rid of
WinME ASAP, but need to use it until I am ready to cut over to Win2K.

My first time posting here, thanks.

Don

Your plan will work quite nicely. However . . . if you install Win2000
on drive D: then it will always have to stay on drive D:, even if you
should delete WinME at a later stage. There are two ways to avoid
this:

- Install Win2000 on drive C:. This is an easy solution but it is
not recommended.
- Use a third-party boot manager such as XOSL (free). It lets
you install Win2000 such a way that each OS is hidden from
any other OS and is always visible on drive C:.

Post again if you require further details.

 

[Don]

Your plan will work quite nicely. However . . . if you install Win2000
on drive D: then it will always have to stay on drive D:, even if you
should delete WinME at a later stage. There are two ways to avoid
this:

- Install Win2000 on drive C:. This is an easy solution but it is
not recommended.
- Use a third-party boot manager such as XOSL (free). It lets
you install Win2000 such a way that each OS is hidden from
any other OS and is always visible on drive C:.

Post again if you require further details.

Think I will use the drive "D" drive option. I have a copy of Partition
Magic so I can shrink the C drive and then expand the D drive. I really
don't care what partition the Win2K OS resides on. Eventually I will
get rid of the Win ME. I'm going to try it later today so I will keep
you posted. Thanks.

Don

 

[Don]

The simplest way I've found to dual boot between Win9x and Win2K
would be to partition your drive(s) roughly as follows:

C: FAT32 Win9x/Legacy Apps & Games
D: NTFS Win2K/Modern Apps

Adjust the partition sizes according to your actual hard drive(s)
size and the amount of space you'd like to allocate to each OS and its
applications.

Create the partitions using Win9x's FDISK so you can enable large
disk support (FAT32). (No need for 3rd party partitioning
utilities/boot managers and their frequent complications.)

Install Win9x first, being sure to select "C:\Windows" (or
D:\Windows, if you prefer) when asked for the default Windows
directory. When you subsequently install Win2K, be sure to specify
"D:\Winnt" (or "D:\Windows," "C:\Winnt" as referred/applicable) when
asked for the default Windows directory, to place it in the other
partition. The Win2K installation routine will automatically set up a
Multi-boot menu for you. The default settings for this menu can be
readily edited from within Win2K. NOTE: If you elect to place Win98
on the "D:" drive, you'll _have_ to leave the "C:" drive as FAT32.

This method can be adapted to using 2 physical hard drives by
placing the boot partition (C:, which still must be FAT32) and either
of the operating systems on the Primary Master hard drive, and the
second operating system on the second hard drive.

It is also possible to have a 3rd partition for shared
applications, but it would be necessary for such a partition to be
formatted in the common file format (FAT32). The applications would
also have to be installed into each OS (to ensure proper system file
placement and registry updates), one at a time, but the bulk of the
program files could be located on this common partition. I do not,
however, actually recommend doing this as, if you were to uninstall
such an application from one OS, you may not be able to gracefully
uninstall it from the second OS, having already deleted crucial
installation data during the first uninstall action.

Just about everything you need to know (URLs may wrap):

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q217/2/10.ASP

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/administration/management/mltiboot.asp

I will install the Win 2K on the D drive. And although you recommended
against it, I've had fairly good luck with the version of Partition
Magic in my possession. Thanks.

Don