Repair Win98 on multi-boot with Win2K...?

[KuriousJorj]

Hi!

I need to repair a Win98 install on a multi-boot system that has Win2K as the other OS.

1. Can I repair Win98 with the install disk, like I can Win2K? (i thought the Win98 CD only gave the option for clean reinstall...?)

2. How do I repair/access the Win2K OS once I do this, since it will overwrite the Win2K startup info? Should I download "Bootpart" and put it on a CD? A MS info page refered to "RDISK.exe..." Is this the way to go?

THANKS!

BJ

 

[wolluf]

Win98 doesn't have a 2k like repair feature - depending on the problem, clean install or install over itself (this is similar to 2k repair reinstall) are usual methods. But as you say - you'll wipe the 2k boot sector. So, some suggestions.

1. Save boot.ini, ntldr, ntdetect.com and bootsect.dos from root of C: to a newly formatted floppy. This will then be able to boot your 2k when (if) you wipe/reinstall 98 & will be useful to repair the 2k boot sector. Check out it works before continuing.

2. Reinstall 98.

3. To re-establish dual boot, copy those 4 files from flopy to root of C:. Then start recovery console and run fixboot C: command -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;229716.

Should now dual boot again - but if 98 doesn't boot, might need to regenerate bootsect.dos rather than using old one, so go here

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm

and follow the first part of instructions for 'Repairing the Windows? XP Boot Loader' - to (re)create bootsect.dos.

HTH.

PS. If you intend continuing dual booting, I'd recommend using a third party boot manager (I use

http://www.boot-us.com

- free for personal use) and install each operating system in a primary partition with its own boot sector (makes them independent and avoids this sort of problem). You'll need to hide the first operating system partition while installing the second to do this - boot-us has tools for this.

 

[KuriousJorj]

Thanks!

So you wouldn't recommend using "bootpart?"

thanks

BJ

 

[wolluf]

I haven't used it for years - it was one I looked at when I started mult-booting (and I've already given you my boot manager of preference - which came out of trying 6 or 7). Bootpart will probably be fine - but I've been using boot-us for 4+ years now, and am 100% happy with it (for my uses).