Triple boot system? Quad boot system?

P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

Yes, you can, but only if you use a third-party boot loader.
I recommend you use XOSL. It's free, and it lets you run
almost as many OSs as there are letters in the alphabet.

Post again if you need further details.
 
H

Helge Wunderlich

P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

Helge Wunderlich said:
Yes. I have DOS 6.20, Windows 95, NT4 and Windows 2000 all managed by
the Windows 2000 boot loader.

You will probably find BootPart useful:
http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm

Here is a search at Microsoft's support site that will find a couple
of interesting articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/search...+"boot.ini"&Query=boot+windows+dos+"boot.ini"
Click to expand...

Interesting. I thought it was not possible to use the Win2000 boot
loader to manage more than one of the following: DOS, Win95,
Win98, WinME - simply because they all use the same boot-up
files. Would you care to explain how you get around this limitation?
 
H

Helge Wunderlich

Interesting. I thought it was not possible to use the Win2000 boot
loader to manage more than one of the following: DOS, Win95,
Win98, WinME - simply because they all use the same boot-up
files. Would you care to explain how you get around this limitation?
Click to expand...

I have to admit, I don't really know how I did it. I once replaced the
drive, and struggled terribly getting it to work again. Without
BootPart, I'd have to start from the beginning, installing DOS first
and then Windows 95 and so on.

I think the secret is that Windows 95 allows you to boot to the old
DOS version if there was one at install time. I am not clear on how
Windows 95 implements the dual boot trick, but it even manages to boot
DOS with the original CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, so it is something
clever. It seems to keep copies of its boot files, such as
COMMAND.W40, MSDOS.W40 etc., and somehow copy or spoof these files at
boot, since the root folder looks different when booted to DOS and to
Windows 95. This means that, when Windows 95 is not booted, the
original DOS files are the ones that exist with the correct names, and
the DOS bootsector (usually BOOTSECT.DOS) will boot happily when
launched from the NT bootloader. MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS still have to be
located at the correct sectors, though, so if you want to install DOS
other than first, you need BootPart to place them where they belong
and to create a DOS bootsector file.

I have never tried to dual boot two Windows 9x versions, so my reply
to Walter may be partly false.

My BOOT.INI looks like this (except for the line breaks):

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=signature(53981111)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
signature(53981111)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft
Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
c:\bootsect.620="MS-DOS 6.20" /win95dos
C:\="Windows 95" /win95dos

My root folder contains several files twice, some with different size,
all with different dates. This makes it impossible to restore the disk
from backup or to copy the files to a different location. I think
Windows 95's dual boot trick has something to do with this. Here's a
sample from my Windows 2000 CMD prompt:

C:\>dir msdos.* /A
Volume in drive C is WD272AA_1
Volume Serial Number is 386C-ECC7

Directory of C:\

01.09.2003 20:39 38 138 MSDOS.W40
01.09.2003 20:39 38 138 MSDOS.SYS
03.07.1997 23:19 22 MSDOS.---
01.05.2003 17:05 1 637 MSDOS.W40
4 File(s) 77 935 bytes
0 Dir(s) 518 291 456 bytes free

C:\>
 
W

Walter Donavan

I will try your suggestions. Thanks. I am interested in building a system
that contains OSs from DOS 6.x to Win2K.

--
Walter Donavan
Author of "Revelation: The Seven Stages
of the Journey Back to God"
www.revelation7stages.com
www.1stbooks/bookview/15479
Helge Wunderlich said:
Interesting. I thought it was not possible to use the Win2000 boot
loader to manage more than one of the following: DOS, Win95,
Win98, WinME - simply because they all use the same boot-up
files. Would you care to explain how you get around this limitation?
Click to expand...

I have to admit, I don't really know how I did it. I once replaced the
drive, and struggled terribly getting it to work again. Without
BootPart, I'd have to start from the beginning, installing DOS first
and then Windows 95 and so on.

I think the secret is that Windows 95 allows you to boot to the old
DOS version if there was one at install time. I am not clear on how
Windows 95 implements the dual boot trick, but it even manages to boot
DOS with the original CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, so it is something
clever. It seems to keep copies of its boot files, such as
COMMAND.W40, MSDOS.W40 etc., and somehow copy or spoof these files at
boot, since the root folder looks different when booted to DOS and to
Windows 95. This means that, when Windows 95 is not booted, the
original DOS files are the ones that exist with the correct names, and
the DOS bootsector (usually BOOTSECT.DOS) will boot happily when
launched from the NT bootloader. MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS still have to be
located at the correct sectors, though, so if you want to install DOS
other than first, you need BootPart to place them where they belong
and to create a DOS bootsector file.

I have never tried to dual boot two Windows 9x versions, so my reply
to Walter may be partly false.

My BOOT.INI looks like this (except for the line breaks):

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=signature(53981111)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
signature(53981111)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft
Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
c:\bootsect.620="MS-DOS 6.20" /win95dos
C:\="Windows 95" /win95dos

My root folder contains several files twice, some with different size,
all with different dates. This makes it impossible to restore the disk
from backup or to copy the files to a different location. I think
Windows 95's dual boot trick has something to do with this. Here's a
sample from my Windows 2000 CMD prompt:

C:\>dir msdos.* /A
Volume in drive C is WD272AA_1
Volume Serial Number is 386C-ECC7

Directory of C:\

01.09.2003 20:39 38 138 MSDOS.W40
01.09.2003 20:39 38 138 MSDOS.SYS
03.07.1997 23:19 22 MSDOS.---
01.05.2003 17:05 1 637 MSDOS.W40
4 File(s) 77 935 bytes
0 Dir(s) 518 291 456 bytes free

C:\>
Click to expand...
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

The system that Helge implemented appears to be quite
strange, as he himself admits. I would not recommend it.
You would get a far better and more robust system if you
used a third-party boot loader. This would have the added
advantage that each OS is on its own and can be managed
on its own. Still, it's your machine and your decision.


Walter Donavan said:
I will try your suggestions. Thanks. I am interested in building a system
that contains OSs from DOS 6.x to Win2K.

--
Walter Donavan
Author of "Revelation: The Seven Stages
of the Journey Back to God"
www.revelation7stages.com
www.1stbooks/bookview/15479
Helge Wunderlich said:
Interesting. I thought it was not possible to use the Win2000 boot
loader to manage more than one of the following: DOS, Win95,
Win98, WinME - simply because they all use the same boot-up
files. Would you care to explain how you get around this limitation?
Click to expand...

I have to admit, I don't really know how I did it. I once replaced the
drive, and struggled terribly getting it to work again. Without
BootPart, I'd have to start from the beginning, installing DOS first
and then Windows 95 and so on.

I think the secret is that Windows 95 allows you to boot to the old
DOS version if there was one at install time. I am not clear on how
Windows 95 implements the dual boot trick, but it even manages to boot
DOS with the original CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, so it is something
clever. It seems to keep copies of its boot files, such as
COMMAND.W40, MSDOS.W40 etc., and somehow copy or spoof these files at
boot, since the root folder looks different when booted to DOS and to
Windows 95. This means that, when Windows 95 is not booted, the
original DOS files are the ones that exist with the correct names, and
the DOS bootsector (usually BOOTSECT.DOS) will boot happily when
launched from the NT bootloader. MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS still have to be
located at the correct sectors, though, so if you want to install DOS
other than first, you need BootPart to place them where they belong
and to create a DOS bootsector file.

I have never tried to dual boot two Windows 9x versions, so my reply
to Walter may be partly false.

My BOOT.INI looks like this (except for the line breaks):

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=signature(53981111)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
signature(53981111)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft
Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
c:\bootsect.620="MS-DOS 6.20" /win95dos
C:\="Windows 95" /win95dos

My root folder contains several files twice, some with different size,
all with different dates. This makes it impossible to restore the disk
from backup or to copy the files to a different location. I think
Windows 95's dual boot trick has something to do with this. Here's a
sample from my Windows 2000 CMD prompt:

C:\>dir msdos.* /A
Volume in drive C is WD272AA_1
Volume Serial Number is 386C-ECC7

Directory of C:\

01.09.2003 20:39 38 138 MSDOS.W40
01.09.2003 20:39 38 138 MSDOS.SYS
03.07.1997 23:19 22 MSDOS.---
01.05.2003 17:05 1 637 MSDOS.W40
4 File(s) 77 935 bytes
0 Dir(s) 518 291 456 bytes free

C:\>
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
C

Colon Terminus

Hi Pegasus,

You're right. The Win2K boot loader can only manage ONE of DOS, Win95, Win98
or WinME, but any of the Win9X bootloaders can manage DOS. What this means
is that you can have DOS, Win9X and Win2K with no problems. You can have
Win95 or Win98 or WinME plus DOS.

You accomplish this by (well there are other ways, but none so easy) first
loading DOS, the loading WIn9X. The Win9X boot menu will allow you to choose
'tween Win9X and DOS. Then you load Win2K which will have your Win9X
installation on its boot menu. Win2K will allow you to select 'tween Win2K
and your prevbious Windows (9X). If you choose to boot to the previous
Windows AND immediately begin banging on the F8 key, your Win9X menu will
allow you to select DOS.

So you wind up with a heirarchy of boot menus. The Win2K menu which will
allow you to boot to Win9X and the Win9X menu (invoked by banging on the F8
key) which will allow you to select DOS.

Perhaps not as elegant as a 3rd party boot manager (I use System Commander
for this purpose), but nevertheless functional.
 
W

Walter Donavan

I checked out the (previous replies) links to third party free boot loaders
and got so confused I abandoned the hunt.

Since I can get to sort of DOS in Win ME, or can boot to sort of DOS with
the Win ME book diskette, I already in effect have DOS, Win ME, and Win 2K.

However, I am greedy and want Win 95 and Win 98 too. (And maybe Win 3.1.)
But not unless I can get unconfused.

--
Walter Donavan
Author of "Revelation: The Seven Stages
of the Journey Back to God"
www.revelation7stages.com
www.1stbooks/bookview/15479
 
C

Colon Terminus

Hi Walter,

I have one system that boots DOS 6.22, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, WinNT4,
Win98, Win2000 Professioinal, Win2000 Server, WinXP and Red Hat Linux.

I accomplish this with a 3rd party boot manager called System Commander.
Though not free, it is reasonably priced and, in my opinion, the easiest to
use of all the boot managers.

There is a learning curve, though.
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

As I said in my previous reply: XOSL is free, and it works
extremely well, allowing me to run unlimited OSs on the
one machine, with full separation between each of them.

At some stage you have to get more than your big toe
wet: Accept a recommendation from one of the respondents
and invest time and effort in his recommendation.
I can guide you through it if you're prepared to do your bit.
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

The XOSL download site appears to be down at the moment.
You can get the product in two ways:
- Check out the newsgroup mentioned by another poster
- Quote your email address (suitably encoded) so that I can
send you the version I downloaded a year ago.

You will also need a copy of ptedit.exe. You can get it free
from the PartitionMagic site.

Having a copy of DriveImage and of PartitionMagic is not
strictly necessary but would be helpful.

Lastly, an old hard disk (say 2 GBytes) would be extremely
helpful so that you can practise without fear of destroying
anyting. Your friendly computer dealer would probably lend
you one or sell it for very little money.

If you want a faster way of communicating than by newsgroups
then feel free to write to (e-mail address removed).
Omit every "y" in my address.

In your next post you should state exactly what OSs you
want to install, and the size of your hard disks.
 
W

Walter Donavan

Pegasus:

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.

Please use this email address:

(e-mail address removed)

After I receive XOSL from you, I will discard the address.

I already have ptedit.exe; it's on the PartitionMagic rescue diskette #1. (I
have access to PartitionMagic 8.) I don't have access to DriveImage.

--
Walter Donavan
Author of "Revelation: The Seven Stages
of the Journey Back to God"
www.revelation7stages.com
www.1stbooks/bookview/15479
 
W

Walter Donavan

Pegasus wrote:

"Lastly, an old hard disk (say 2 GBytes) would be extremely helpful so that
you can practise without fear of destroying anyting. Your friendly computer
dealer would probably lend you one or sell it for very little money."

I recently gave away an 8 GB drive. (Sob.) Something told me not to do it.
Fortunately I am buddies with my local computer dealer.

I would like to run DOS 6.x., Win95, Win 98, Win 98 ME, and Win 2K. Maybe
Win 3.1 just for fun. I'll start with Win 95 in addition to my existing Win
ME and Win 2K.

I have two hard drives with a total honest capacity of 95 GB (claimed 100
GB). They are about 85% free. They are partitioned as follows:

C: Win ME (FAT32)
D: My Documents (FAT32)
G: Win 2K Pro (NTFS)
H: copies of CDs that I run directly from my hard drive with a pgm called
vSubst (FAT32)

The four partitions are approximately 19-25 GB ea.
--
Walter Donavan
Author of "Revelation: The Seven Stages
of the Journey Back to God"
www.revelation7stages.com
www.1stbooks/bookview/15479
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

As I said in my previous post, get a spare hard disk and have
some practice runs. My recommendation is to install XOSL
in the first primary partition (15 MBytes is just fine), then to
install DOS 6.22 in the next primary partition. Label that
volume "DOS 6-A". Next you create an extended partition,
and install DOS 6.22 in the first logical drive. Call the volume
"DOS 6-B".

You must now run ptedit.exe in order to set the correct value
for "hidden clusters" for DOS 6-B. This is essential; without it,
you cannot boot into a logical drive. Ask for details if you need
them.

Create a further logical drive for your data.

Lastly, you must configure XOSL:
- Add the two OSs to its menu
- Hide the two DOS partitions from each other.
- Make the data drive visible to both OSs.

Now check your handiwork. Can you boot into the two versions
of DOS? Can you see the correct volume labels? Is DOS
visible on C: in each case? Is the data drive on D: in each case?

Let me know when you're comfortable with this so that we can
move on to your real disk.
 

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