Multiple OSs using System Commander

[bobbie100]

I want to install all the following Windows OSs on a single machine: 98/98se/Me/NT4/2000/XP. This machine will be used solely for testing software installation and running prior to release.

I have System Commander 7.0, but am not clear about the best way to use it so that all 6 OSs are isolated from one another.

Any experience/advice would be appreciated.

 

[wolluf]

1. What do you mean by 'isolated from one another'? If you're just testing that same software runs ok in each o/s - you don't need isolation, just a separate partition/logical drive for each o/s.

2. I've been multi-booting for years, but haven't used System Commander - so I can't give any advice about it.

3. I do use

http://www.boot-us.com,

which depending on your answer to 1, can probably do the job (ie, you can hide all other o/s partitions except the one you're booting from using it - its free for personal use) - might be problem if just one hard drive though - see next point.

4. How many hard drives on this machine? Ideally, I'd suggest putting each o/s on its own primary partition - but you can only have 4 on one hard drive - so if you have just one drive, you'd have to use logical drives in an extended partition for at least 3 of the operating systems. Which makes it impossible to make them independent (not sure about 'isolated').

5. If my guess about use is correct, then using boot-us (as I said system commander is outside my experience - I've read about it & tried it out, but I know boot-us), and you've just one hard drive, I'd set up machine like this:-

- install 98 on (up to) 2GB FAT primary partition.
- install boot-us GUI in 98, and create 2 more primary partitions (for 98SE and ME - can be FAT or FAT32 - makethem 2GB also - NT considerations).
- use boot-us to hide partitions 1&3, and install 98SE on 2 (it will just appear as C: drive to setup). Install boot-us in 98SE, repeat - hiding 1&2 and install ME on partition 3.
- unhide all partitions, and install NT on a partition you create during the install process (also 2GB) - this should be the first logical drive in the extended partition, and the install will overwrite the 98 boot sector, creating an NT based dual boot of NT and 98.
- repeat for 2k - it should go on second logical drive in the extended partition - if your drive has space, make this partition larger. This will add to the NT, now 2k based dual boot, making it triple
- repeat 2k for XP - will make it quadruple boot
- now use boot-us to set up boot menu (you can save it to mbr or floppy). You'll need to set 98SE to be hidden when booting ME for ME to boot. Should be 3 entries -

XP
98SE
ME

(you may need to edit the labels for what you want)

booting XP will give a further menu for

98 (Microsoft Windows)
NT
2k
XP


HTH - if its nothing like what you want, please post back.

 

[bobbie100]

Many thanks for the detailed response.

I've tried out Boot-us and BootItNG, and BootItNG better matched my particular needs.
I have also considered VmWare, but running in a virtual environment significantly undermines the real-time aspects of the testing which are a major factor in this program.

Again thanks for spending the time.