Dual Booting - Possibly Tri-Booting?

[AlleyCat]

I'm trying to "Dual Boot" using an older version of Win98 and a "newer"
version. I also have XP that I wish to install, along with the two
versions of 98, but I might not.
What is the best way to install each of these OS's and not have to have
a boot loader at startup? I know that when I install XP, it will
automatically install the boot loader, but I'd like to bypass that also.
Any help will be most appreciated.

Al

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I'm trying to "Dual Boot" using an older version of Win98 and a "newer"
version. I also have XP that I wish to install, along with the two
versions of 98, but I might not.
What is the best way to install each of these OS's and not have to have
a boot loader at startup? I know that when I install XP, it will
automatically install the boot loader, but I'd like to bypass that also.
Any help will be most appreciated.

Al

Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. You ask "What is
the best way", and then you write "I'd like to bypass [the boot loader]".

The best way is to use a third-party boot loader. However, if you
bypass the boot loader then you won't get a choice of operating systems!

Using a third-party boot loader (such as XOSL) allows you to install
almost any number of OSs, each into its own partition, completely
independent and hidden from any other OS. If this is what you want
then post again. By the way, XOSL is free.

 

[AlleyCat]

I'm trying to "Dual Boot" using an older version of Win98 and a "newer"
version. I also have XP that I wish to install, along with the two
versions of 98, but I might not.
What is the best way to install each of these OS's and not have to have
a boot loader at startup? I know that when I install XP, it will
automatically install the boot loader, but I'd like to bypass that also.
Any help will be most appreciated.

Al

Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. You ask "What is
the best way", and then you write "I'd like to bypass [the boot loader]".

The best way is to use a third-party boot loader. However, if you
bypass the boot loader then you won't get a choice of operating systems!

Using a third-party boot loader (such as XOSL) allows you to install
almost any number of OSs, each into its own partition, completely
independent and hidden from any other OS. If this is what you want
then post again. By the way, XOSL is free.

I've got a boot loader called ChooseOS. It is also free. ChooseOS works
in Win98se. Currently it tells me there are no other OS's installed, so
there's no use in loading ChooseOS. It's right. I only have Win98 on C:
drive as of now. Do these 3rd party boot loaders "know" if you've
installed other OS's to other drives without them being loaded at the
time of install?

I'd like to install another Win98se (clean), as the one I'm using now is
so mucked up with programs and uninstalled programs. The registry is
full of sh_t, and would take a year to clean up. The reason I need to
leave it on the box at all is because my wife has her Business
Accounting Software on it and I don't feel like re-installing any
software after a claen install.

I'd also like to install XP completely independent of the other OS's and
NOT have it install a boot loader when it "sees" the other systems.

Thanks

Al

 

[Tom]

I'm trying to "Dual Boot" using an older version of Win98 and a "newer"
version. I also have XP that I wish to install, along with the two
versions of 98, but I might not.
What is the best way to install each of these OS's and not have to have
a boot loader at startup? I know that when I install XP, it will
automatically install the boot loader, but I'd like to bypass that also.
Any help will be most appreciated.

Al

Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. You ask "What is
the best way", and then you write "I'd like to bypass [the boot loader]".

The best way is to use a third-party boot loader. However, if you
bypass the boot loader then you won't get a choice of operating systems!

Using a third-party boot loader (such as XOSL) allows you to install
almost any number of OSs, each into its own partition, completely
independent and hidden from any other OS. If this is what you want
then post again. By the way, XOSL is free.

I've got a boot loader called ChooseOS. It is also free. ChooseOS works
in Win98se. Currently it tells me there are no other OS's installed, so
there's no use in loading ChooseOS. It's right. I only have Win98 on C:
drive as of now. Do these 3rd party boot loaders "know" if you've
installed other OS's to other drives without them being loaded at the
time of install?

I'd like to install another Win98se (clean), as the one I'm using now is
so mucked up with programs and uninstalled programs. The registry is
full of sh_t, and would take a year to clean up. The reason I need to
leave it on the box at all is because my wife has her Business
Accounting Software on it and I don't feel like re-installing any
software after a claen install.

I'd also like to install XP completely independent of the other OS's and
NOT have it install a boot loader when it "sees" the other systems.

Hi,

To do what you want, you need to create primary partitions, and set them as active to do the installs. This way, you can install anyone that you please in any order. Personally, I would install XP first (NTFS), then what you want on the latter. If you do setup XP first, you can then use Disk Management to create the primary partitions in either FAT or NTFS (obviously, 98 can only be installed on FAT). BootIt NG will set all of this up for you. Download it and use it for 30 days, you may just buy it afterall.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

See below.

I'm trying to "Dual Boot" using an older version of Win98 and a "newer"
version. I also have XP that I wish to install, along with the two
versions of 98, but I might not.
What is the best way to install each of these OS's and not have to have
a boot loader at startup? I know that when I install XP, it will
automatically install the boot loader, but I'd like to bypass that also.
Any help will be most appreciated.

Al

Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. You ask "What is
the best way", and then you write "I'd like to bypass [the boot loader]".

The best way is to use a third-party boot loader. However, if you
bypass the boot loader then you won't get a choice of operating systems!

Using a third-party boot loader (such as XOSL) allows you to install
almost any number of OSs, each into its own partition, completely
independent and hidden from any other OS. If this is what you want
then post again. By the way, XOSL is free.

I've got a boot loader called ChooseOS. It is also free. ChooseOS works
in Win98se. Currently it tells me there are no other OS's installed, so
there's no use in loading ChooseOS. It's right. I only have Win98 on C:
drive as of now. Do these 3rd party boot loaders "know" if you've
installed other OS's to other drives without them being loaded at the
time of install?

*** I have never used ChooseOS. With XOSL, you get a selector
*** screen that shows you every partition you have. It is up to you
*** to include certain partitions (and their OS) in the XOSL menu,
*** and to selectively hide other partitions.

I'd like to install another Win98se (clean), as the one I'm using now is
so mucked up with programs and uninstalled programs. The registry is
full of sh_t, and would take a year to clean up. The reason I need to
leave it on the box at all is because my wife has her Business
Accounting Software on it and I don't feel like re-installing any
software after a claen install.

*** This is what I did for some of my clients. Their PC is used
*** by the kids (for playing games) and by their mother (for studies).
*** I gave them two identical versions of WinME, with an XOSL
*** selector menu. The kids keep wrecking theirs with games and
*** viruses. The mother's OS is rock solid.

I'd also like to install XP completely independent of the other OS's and
NOT have it install a boot loader when it "sees" the other systems.

*** I do not understand your point about installing a boot loader.
*** Either you have a third-party boot loader (with its functionality
*** of offering you a selection of OSs), or you rely on the WinXP
*** boot loader (in which case you are far more restricted).

 

[Ron Sommer]

I'm trying to "Dual Boot" using an older version of Win98 and a "newer"
version. I also have XP that I wish to install, along with the two
versions of 98, but I might not.
What is the best way to install each of these OS's and not have to have
a boot loader at startup? I know that when I install XP, it will
automatically install the boot loader, but I'd like to bypass that
also.
Any help will be most appreciated.

Al

Your requirements are somewhat contradictory. You ask "What is
the best way", and then you write "I'd like to bypass [the boot loader]".

The best way is to use a third-party boot loader. However, if you
bypass the boot loader then you won't get a choice of operating systems!

Using a third-party boot loader (such as XOSL) allows you to install
almost any number of OSs, each into its own partition, completely
independent and hidden from any other OS. If this is what you want
then post again. By the way, XOSL is free.

I've got a boot loader called ChooseOS. It is also free. ChooseOS works
in Win98se. Currently it tells me there are no other OS's installed, so
there's no use in loading ChooseOS. It's right. I only have Win98 on C:
drive as of now. Do these 3rd party boot loaders "know" if you've
installed other OS's to other drives without them being loaded at the
time of install?

I'd like to install another Win98se (clean), as the one I'm using now is
so mucked up with programs and uninstalled programs. The registry is
full of sh_t, and would take a year to clean up. The reason I need to
leave it on the box at all is because my wife has her Business
Accounting Software on it and I don't feel like re-installing any
software after a claen install.

I'd also like to install XP completely independent of the other OS's and
NOT have it install a boot loader when it "sees" the other systems.

Thanks

Al

To install XP, you will have to hide the other partitions or disconnect the
drives and install.