Adding Windows 2000 to an XP drive and making it Dual-Boot

[benn686]

Whats the simplest way of adding another OS to the same physical drive?

Should I create a new partition first, and then install win2k on it?
Will windows 2000 automatically detect I have XP on the main partition
and create a startup dual-boot screen?

 

[Danny Sanders]

See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306559/en-us

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE

 

[Guest]

1st backup the root files boot.ini, ntdetect and ntldr to a folder on the drive

Should I create a new partition first, YES

Install W2K to this new partition. Once complete open up c:\boot.ini. Copy
the w2k entries only [not everything]. Open the backedup boot.ini. Paste
these entries at the bottom under the xp entries. Save

Copy these three backed up files back to the root of c: overwritting the w2k
versions which just got installed.

Reboot. You now have a xp/w2k multiboot

This procedure will save you a ton of time. Issue is w2k was before xp so
when you install w2k its versions of those files overwrite the xp versions.
W2k can boot w2k but not xp. Xp can boot both which is why you backed up the
xp versions.