Windows XP and win 98 boot disks

[Ron]

This is a question for the MVP's

I have been trying to tell a friend in work that a Windows 98SE bootdisk is
not the way to install Windows XP.

The reason I thought was due to the way XP file system works. MY thinking is
that the Windows XP CD uses the same boot loader as NT and 2000 system.
which is entirely different from 98 and segments the hdd differently for
install.

I always install XP from the cd, and MS brought out 6 disks you can download
to create NTLDR bootloader floppys which are in theory simaler too the old
legacy NT disks?

What is the reason the windows 98 formatted drive is different to a xp
formatted drive?

Or is windows 98SE installed FAT 32 ok for a format then convert to NTFS
after using the windows XP cd ?

Thanks for any replies

Ron

 

[Steven Burn]

If the drive is NTFS format then you'll need the NT/2K/XP boot diskette,
however, if it's FAT32 or FAT16 then you can safely use the 9x boot diskette
then convert to NTFS after installation.

In saying that, it shouldn't really matter if you have the CD and the CDRom
is set as the first boot device as it will eradicate the need for a boot
diskette.

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

Disclaimer:
I know I'm probably wrong, I just like taking part ;o)

 

[Patti MacLeod]

Hi Ron,

You can use a WIN98 startup disk to initialize setup for XP and still have
the XP Setup routine partition and format the drive on which XP is going to
be installed. To do so, it's also best to copy SMARTDRV.EXE, from a system
that's currently running WIN98 or WINME, to the WIN98 startup floppy disk.
You can then invoke SMARTDRV at the A: prompt when you boot from the WIN98
startup disk (you can run XP Setup without invoking SMARTDRV, but it will be
PAINFULLY slow).

When you boot from the WIN98 startup disk, and have invoked SMARTDRV at the
A: prompt, insert the XP install CD (if you haven't done so already), and
navigate to the i386 directory on the install CD. Once at the prompt that
includes the i386 directory, key in:
WINNT
<ENTER>
Setup should then commence.


Regards,

 

[Ron]

If the drive is NTFS format then you'll need the NT/2K/XP boot diskette,
however, if it's FAT32 or FAT16 then you can safely use the 9x boot diskette
then convert to NTFS after installation.

So what your saying is then, that infact you can use a windows 98 boot disk
to make a Windows XP install, when all along I actually thought that 98 boot
disks are a bad idea, if you boot to fat32.

I actually thought XP formatted it in a slightly different way using the XP
CD, differently to using 98se boot disk

Ron

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In addition to Steven's reply - why would one even *want* to take the extra
steps to boot from a W98 boot disk rather than booting from the XP CD? I
also prefer to set the disk format to NTFS at installation rather than
convert later, as the cluster size in a conversion (using the native convert
command) will default to 512k, which isn't as good for performance.

 

[Steven Burn]

I used my 98SE boot diskette and all went fine ;o) (converted it to NTFS as
soon as I verified everything was working okay).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

Disclaimer:
I know I'm probably wrong, I just like taking part ;o)

 

[Ron]

Hi Ron,

You can use a WIN98 startup disk to initialize setup for XP and still have
the XP Setup routine partition and format the drive on which XP is going to
be installed. To do so, it's also best to copy SMARTDRV.EXE, from a system
that's currently running WIN98 or WINME, to the WIN98 startup floppy disk.
You can then invoke SMARTDRV at the A: prompt when you boot from the WIN98
startup disk (you can run XP Setup without invoking SMARTDRV, but it will be
PAINFULLY slow).

When you boot from the WIN98 startup disk, and have invoked SMARTDRV at the
A: prompt, insert the XP install CD (if you haven't done so already), and
navigate to the i386 directory on the install CD. Once at the prompt that
includes the i386 directory, key in:
WINNT
<ENTER>
Setup should then commence.


Regards,

Thanks for the reply's Patti and Steve,

I always thought you shouldnt use 98 boot disks to install XP, I know it
works fine, Ive done it loads of times, but I actually thought the XP CD
when booted done somthing different other then load smartdrv, then windows
98

Thanks again

Ron

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have been trying to tell a friend in work that a Windows 98SE bootdisk is
not the way to install Windows XP.

The reason I thought was due to the way XP file system works. MY thinking is
that the Windows XP CD uses the same boot loader as NT and 2000 system.
which is entirely different from 98 and segments the hdd differently for
install.

I always install XP from the cd, and MS brought out 6 disks you can download
to create NTLDR bootloader floppys which are in theory simaler too the old
legacy NT disks?

What is the reason the windows 98 formatted drive is different to a xp
formatted drive?

Windows 98 fdisk will create a FAT 32 partition. *Usually* XP is
installed on NTFS instead, and you do it after booting the XP CD direct
- it is not normally necessary to get those six floppies. If your
motherboard will not support booting to a CD it must be seriously
doubted if the hardware is adequate for XP anyway.

But you *can* install XP to a FAT 32 partition, and do it with no more
than a Win98 start up floppy.. You need to ensure that smartdrv.exe has
been put on it, or the process will be unacceptably slow.

Then boot the floppy, use FDISK to make a suitable size FAT 32
partition; reboot and FORMAT C:

Then run
SMARTDRV
go to the CD drive with the XP CD and
CD \i386
WINNT
which will start the XP setup.

Or you can run from an existing Win98 system and use Install, change
Upgrade to New install, then when it asks where to put the system hit
ESC and delete the existing partition to make a new RAW one