Hi, Truth.
No need for a whole article, really. It's quite simple, when you are
starting from scratch.
Step 1: Install Win9x/ME.
Step 2: Install WinXP into a second partition.
Done! WinXP Setup will have detected the existing Win9x/ME and created all
you need for dual-booting. :<)
But, if you are not starting from scratch, or if you are installing non-MS
operating systems (such as Linux), then it can get a lot more complicated.
:>( Or, it may be only slightly more difficult than starting from scratch,
IF your existing Drive C: is formatted FATxx.
Remember that Win9x/ME can't read, write, boot from or even SEE an NTFS
volume. From this basic fact, several other rules naturally follow: The
System Partition (the Active partition on the first physical HD, almost
always Drive C
must be FAT, otherwise Win9x/ME can't boot at all, no
matter which volume you try to install it into. Win9x/ME's boot volume must
be FAT. Any volume holding files that you want to access from Win9x/ME must
be FAT.
Since you already have only WinXP installed, your Drive C: probably is
formatted NTFS. To install Win98, you will need to convert Drive C: to FAT.
But Microsoft provides no way to do this. Convert.exe is a one-way street:
It converts FAT to NTFS, but not vice-versa. That leaves you with only two
choices:
1. Invest your time: backup; reformat; restore, or
2. Invest your money: buy Partition Magic or some similar program which
will convert NTFS to FAT
If Drive C: is FAT, then you may be able to simply install Win98 into any
FAT volume in your computer that does not already hold WinXP. This will
leave you able to boot into Win98, but unable to boot into WinXP. That's
easily fixed, though, by booting from the WinXP CD-ROM and running the
Recovery Console's FixBoot and BootCfg commands.
To recap: To install dual-boot into a new computer is easy. To add
Win9x/ME to a computer that has WinXP already installed usually is possible,
but it can be a real headache.
RC