Need Dual-booting info: current 98se & add xp

[dave]

Hi:

I've always used win98se, and I want to keep it. However,
several cutting-edge games require that I move up to XP.
(new ATI catalyst drivers are being made for xp, but development has
stopped on drivers for 98se. Also, xp will see/use more ram than 98se
will.)
Bottom line: I've got to add XP.
I have 4 hard drives on my system. Each is 120-160GB each.
Right now they are all FAT 32, but I can clear one and make it NTFS..

1. Is it best to keep 98se on one drive, and use a completely
different drive for XP?

2. What is the best program to use for dual-booting 98se and XP?

3. Will XP "see" the FAT 32 drives (other than the 1 dedicated to
the 98se). Most of my games and programs are kept on a separate
drive apart from the currect C (which holds 98se.) I would like XP to
be able to access these games and programs without having to make
duplicate copies of them on the xp drive.

4. Finally, if I decide, eventually, to delete 98se, will that cause
problems? (I think most boot programs would sit on the same drive
as 98se.). (or am I wrong?)


I have very mixed feelings about XP, but my biggest problem is
that ATI won't make drivers that support 98 or ME anymore. My 9800
Pro is being held back by older 98se drivers, and that keeps LOMAC and
FS9 from really taking off!!)

Thanks for any help you can give me.

dave

 

[R. McCarty]

I think after a few weeks with XP, you won't miss 98 much
anymore. Yes, I would use a dedicated partition for each
OS. XP can access and use FAT32 drives. If I was you I
would just image my 98 System disk (& Verify) and just
do an upgrade to XP and not bother with Dual-Booting.
Just run the upgrade Advisor, be prepared to buy perhaps
256 Megs of memory and a new/latest version of Anti-Virus.

You bring up an interesting point, obsolete software. You
aren't alone. Thousands of Enterprise operations are facing
the end of support for Windows NT 4. My wife works for
a State government agency. They use Windows 95 on their
desktops with Novell Netware. An application they use is
dropping support for 9X O/S's, so the entire operation will
have to move quickly to Windows XP just to keep using the
latest version of that one application.

Windows 98 is still widely used, but it's time is nearly done.
Drivers, Security patches and new applications with no 9X
support are going to push users to upgrade. If the PC is 3-4
years old or older, it's probably time for a $500 upgrade.

Perhaps Microsoft may revive the IT industry indirectly by
just ending support for 9X, ME and NT.

 

[Roger Bryant]

Thusly, it was spoken by the voices beneath (e-mail address removed)'s tin-foil hat

Hi:

I've always used win98se, and I want to keep it. However,
several cutting-edge games require that I move up to XP.
(new ATI catalyst drivers are being made for xp, but development has
stopped on drivers for 98se. Also, xp will see/use more ram than 98se
will.)
Bottom line: I've got to add XP.
I have 4 hard drives on my system. Each is 120-160GB each.
Right now they are all FAT 32, but I can clear one and make it NTFS..

1. Is it best to keep 98se on one drive, and use a completely
different drive for XP?

I dual-boot with ME and XP. They're in separte partitions on the same
30 gig HD

2. What is the best program to use for dual-booting 98se and XP?

If you set up XP from an XP upgrade while booted into 98se and put the
actull xp install on another partition/drive, Windows will see the two
OSes and set the boot loader up for you.

3. Will XP "see" the FAT 32 drives (other than the 1 dedicated to
the 98se). Most of my games and programs are kept on a separate
drive apart from the currect C (which holds 98se.) I would like XP to
be able to access these games and programs without having to make
duplicate copies of them on the xp drive.

XP work in both FAT32 and NTFS files systems. It will see and write to
*all8 of your FAT32 drives, even your windows 98se boot drive. As for
using programs, you'll have to install them separately for each version
of windows. Most program installs also write to the registry, and
neither OS can 'see' the others' registry.

4. Finally, if I decide, eventually, to delete 98se, will that cause
problems? (I think most boot programs would sit on the same drive
as 98se.). (or am I wrong?)

I've never tried that one before. Maybe someone else can help you.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Dave,

1. On one partition, not necessarily on one drive.
2. BING: http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ or you can use VPC.
3. Yes.
4. No.