Litespeed said:
Questions:
1) Can you un-install an operating systems, such as xp pro?
Certainly. The normal way to "uninstall" any operating system is to
format the hard drive and install a new OS of your choice.
2) Can you have 2 (or 3,or 4) windows operating systems installed at the
same time, such as xp pro and windows 98?
Again, certainly,
The simplest way I've found to dual boot between Win9x/Me and WinXP
would be to partition your drive(s) roughly as follows:
C: Primary FAT32 Win9x/Me/Legacy Apps
D: Extended NTFS WinXP/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/Me first, being sure to select "C:\Windows" (or
D:\Windows, if you prefer) when asked for the default Windows
directory. When you subsequently install WinXP, 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 WinXP installation routine will automatically set up a
Multi-boot menu for you. The default settings for this menu can be
readily edited from within WinXP. NOTE: If you elect to place
Win9x/Me 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/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gettingstarted/multiboot.asp
Someone gave me a computer. It was from a large corporation. It has windows
xp pro installed. I do not have the XP pro disk. I do not have the product
key number.
Then you don't have a legitimate license to use WinXP on that computer.
If you wish to continue using WinXP, you should go purchase your own
copy and license.
Boy, but let me tell you, I am having multiple problems with it; I can't
install a HP 812c deskjet printer......get this error message: "the file
HPVDJ50.INI on windows XP CD-Rom is needed"............I can't for the life
of me fine this file !! Help !!
Thanks, Steve
With second-hand computers, especially if acquired from strangers
but perhaps even if acquired from a family member or friend, your wisest
course of action would definitely be to format the hard drives and start
fresh. You don't want to get in trouble because the original owner may
have filled the hard drive with kiddie porn, or have problems because
the original owner downloaded/installed viruses or other malware.
--
Bruce Chambers
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