Dual boot 98 after XP 1

[realtree]

I started out with XP on one drive. I got a new MB/CPU and HD. I had to install XP on the new drive (D when the old one (C wouldn't boot. My current boot shows both XP's installed. Both the drives are NTFS currently. Now I want to install 98SE to (C.

I figure I will reformat via Win98 boot disk, then install Win98 to C:; after, the boot will only be Win98. I need to fix the boot.ini or something like that afterwards. The thread replies I read didn't sound very sure if it will work or not. I need to know the procedure to fix the boot foolproof. I've never set up a dual boot Win98 AFTER XP before. I REALLY don't wanna do ANOTHER XP exodus. I can't afford to waste any more time. I need to use a C compiler (djgpp) that doesn't work in XP. (Compatibility mode doesn't work. Hell, even my simple bouncy-ball program GPF's!)

 

[wolluf]

Several options - I'd just use a third party boot manager - recommend

http://www.boot-us.com

(free for personal use). Just install 98 on first (C drive (after using fdisk to remove ntfs partition & create new fat32 one of course). Then install boot-us GUI on 98, and set up boot menu.

Alternatively - look here

http://www.petri.co.il/install_win98_after_xp.htm.

PS. I'd disconnect the XP drive while installing 98.

 

[realtree]

I was thinking of doing it the windows way. 98 must be installed on first partition on the master drive. I switch the jumpers on the drives so the old one is master, I disable the new drive in the bios, then install 98. Then I re-enable the drive, and boot from the XP disc, and - I'm not sure - either let the boot disc run and choose repair from the blue-screen menu, or run recovery console. Is there a problem with my plan? I'm a hard sell on the 3rd party boot manager.

 

[linney]

See if these give you any ideas.

Dual boot to 98 after installing XP first
thread779-284874

HOW TO: Create a Multiple-Boot System in Windows XP (Q306559)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q306/5/59.asp

http://www.Dougknox.com

Navigate to Win XP Tips and look for link to "Install 98/Me After XP is Installed".

 

[wolluf]

trefrog - if you prefer the M$ way then the second link I posted and/or linney's links should get you there.
I would just add I've been using that boot manager for 3 years - with up to 8 o/s multi-booting. Easy to use (& easier to set up in this case) & very reliable (and leaving the o/s with their own boot sectors makes them independent of each other - a definite plus in my experience - though with your 2 disk setup with XP having its own boot sector already, its not so important).

 

[realtree]

Thanx wolluf. I read all about boot-US, and now I'm convinced. Plus, DougKnox's method assumes that XP is on C:, which mine is not.

 

[realtree]

I'm in windows 98 now. XP's ntldr is missing. OK, tell me if I'm right on this: I need to configure XP now as though it were the only OS for boot-US to work. This is what I did:

[1] I disabled the new drive and reformatted the old drive and installed 98 on it.

[2] I physically disconnected the old drive so recovery console can't see it.

[3] I boot the XP CD and run recovery console. I'm not very confident in using fixmbr right now, so i tried fixboot. It says it's not valid or something like that.

[4] I tried going further into the XP CD boot, but for some reason, it doesn't have the option to press R to repair an installation. (not for recovery console, but the one that's supposed to show up on the screen with the partition selection box)

Is fixmbr ok to use? I saw a page that says to just copy ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini. If I do this, what should I put in the boot.ini?

-------------------------------
config
-------------------------------
Master
partition1
Windows 98

Slave
partition1
Windows XP

this site says to put:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"/fastdetect

 

[wolluf]

Bit confused - thought you had XP properly installed on new disk, didn't need 'fixing' (ie, it would boot if only drive in machine).

To create a boot sector for XP (if that's what you need), you've already read basically the right info:-

1. Copy ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini to root of XP partition. If drive is going to be 1st drive in machine, then boot.ini like yours. If second, then

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"/fastdetect

It would be worth putting both entries in (at least to start with - so you can test it) eg -

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro - disk2"/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro - disk1"/fastdetect

2. Load recovery console and run fixboot x:, where x: is the XP system drive as seen from recovery console (this is obvious when you log onto recovery console - it ask you to choose installation). You don't need fixmbr (writes a new master boot record - you're only concerned with XP boot sector).

Now see if it will boot on its own (using disk1 boot item). If it will, reconnect 98 drive, run boot-us to set up boot menu. I have noticed (on my machines) boot-us will boot from either boot.ini entries when XP on second drive - so try it an see before removing the one you don't need.

 

[realtree]

I backed up the partition and boot sectors, and saved track 0 of boot disk 1. I finally got it to where the two can boot from the floppy. I didn't have any room for boot-us to make a primary partition, so i used MBR. No problem. Everything was working fine until... I don't know what exactly happened, but now I can't get into XP. When i select XP from the menu, there is a flashing "_" in the corner. I press a key, and it wants to boot from CD. I don't! So I let it timeout. Then it brings me back to the boot manager. I have a DOS boot disk with fdisk and the boot sector backups. This is what boot-us shows me:

What's going on?

 

[wolluf]

Don't know! I've never seen that.

Did you put both entries in boot.ini as I suggested? Can you boot from XP disk if 98 is disconnected (it is bootable, so should work - no boot manager - with both boot.ini entries present you can use the 'disk1' version). If you can't - sounds like something's happened to XP boot sector (post back any messages you get - you may need to rebuild (fixboot) again - but no idea why this should happen). If you can - just try reinstalling the boot menu from boot-us again in 98.

 

[realtree]

It's ok now. I just had to take the XP CD out of the drive. The little "_" still appears, but when I press a key, it only displays "Boot from CD" for a fraction of a second, and then it boots up. (at least I don't have to change the BIOS setting to boot from CD)
Next time I will install win98 first, regardless of whether I think I'll need it or not. I'll probly go back to boot-us when I decide to try out Linux.