DeltaX Multibooting

Hi All,

Thought we had forgot. :D Not so. The hard drive thread died out more quickly than maybe it should have as there were a number of issues still remaining to talk about in my opinion. There also seemed a desire to move into multibooting more quickly.

So it is time for Multibooting to start on DeltaX. Again, we will proceed from the simple to the complex and cover quite a number of multiboot scenarios. One might think that multibooting a single hard drive would be the easiest to accomplish. That is not so as there are many more factors that go into this type of multibooting that have to be considered.

The easiest multibooting type to start with would be that of two hard drives in a single computer. In my recollection of “stuff”, Sarkazztic did quite a bit of work in this area. As a result I tried, successfully, to set up two hard drives, each with its own operating system. This was the easiest to understand and figure out. Why? Because all that was needed was another hard drive.

I chose WIN98SE and XP Home. Two Western Digital 40 GB hard drives were used in this configuration. I utilized a store bought Compaq Presario Model 5360 computer to show that this could be accomplished.

The first HDD was installed, Fdisked into 5 partitions of 8GB each, and all partitions formatted. In this particular case WIN98 was installed and then upgraded to WIN98SE. Once this was done, this hard drive was replaced with the second hard drive and WINXP Home was installed. The XP CD did it all by the way. Just follow the prompts. As a note, the NTFS file system was installed the first time.

With this finished, I took out this hard drive and reinstalled the WIN98SE hard drive in the primary IDE position and the WINXP hard drive in the computer but unconnected. When I wanted to change operating systems, the computer was shut down, case opened, and the IDE cable switched to the WINXP hard drive. The disadvantages here was having to shutdown and open the case, and the fact that with some cases installing 2 hdds can be a problem causing you to change out the drives also.

There is an answer to this as a lot of you know. But this is the simplest and easiest of mutibooting procedures to understand and try on your computer. It has the least amount of factors to
consider. :) :)

That is the most simple way of doing it.

They do make a Trios switch that will take up a 5 1/4 bay that lets you switch between up to 3 hdds.
Caution when using this switch you must shutdown, turn the power off, then make the selection for which hdd to use. If not, you will burn out the contacts. Seen the aftermath of hot switching. Not nice.

Small correction...the easiest multiboot system is 2 OS'es on the same drive, different partitions. Fx. a primary partition with Win98 and an extended partition with a logical drive containing W2K/XP. And this can further be extended by a 3rd system (W98, W2K, XP).

Train,

It is the most simple as we have not brought in BIOS, third party software which is plentiful, or controller cards, etc. And for those that do not wish to spend lots of money on a second hard drive you might pick up a small one on EBAY (less that 10GB but not less than 1GB) worth the money, or find one at a thrift shop, a garage sale, or a computer shop that upgrades hardware such as hard drives.

If you have two hard drives, the next step would be as Train pointed out the addition of the Trios switch which you can not only add up to three hard drives as Train pointed out but what if you hooked contoller cards to the back of the Trios Switch? All sorts of possibilities emerge. And guess what, with a Trios switch, you might lose a third of your storage system but no more unless you lost the MOBO or powersupply.

On BT, a Delta Computer, built online with the "Crew", it has had A Trios switch (3 Hard drives), a controller card, and a SCSI Kit all at the same time. What we are doing is only limited by your imagination as you follow along.

Also, your back up possibilities increase substantially with a second hard drive or a third. Your computer has just become more powerful as a result of just a few changes.

The possibilities with adding certain hardware are mindboggling. And remember also, a burned CD backup will certainly pay big dividends in case you make a mistake in configuring something.

kallikru
Easiest hardware wise, yes. But it is not as technical software wise so to speak. That will be gotten to though.

Believe it or not I have been asked how to do just what GG1 posted.

Hi kallikru, Oops - Train beat me looks like. We have not gotten to Bios yet in so far as using it to change the boot. Which is certainly easier then physically changing cables. Thanks for getting in on this thread. Now if I could burn to CD what you and the rest know. Hmmm. Maybe I can get some ideas by watching Matrix again. :D :D

Now another way of going about greengoose's method of physically disconnecting the unwanted drive is to use a hard drive caddy. This is a device that sits in an external 5¼" drive bay and will allow different hard drives to be plugged into it. Of course, you need a spare drive bay to install it, and they seem to be in short supply on most cases.


BTW - I'm sure if anyone still has questions or would like to add anything to the previous DeltaX thread there's no reason why we can't have more than one going at the same time.

Hmmm, I still disagree. The simplest way, as I see it, is still using one harddrive and two systems like Win98/W2K-XP since W2K and XP has the builtin ability of setting up a boot menu during installation to choose which system to boot at startup - without the user having to do anything fancy...let alone open the box or install an HD switch to switch between any two hard drives. No need to mess with the bios for this to work.

Or am I missing something...?

But I agree that the two-HDD method is the most primitive which doesn't require any knowledge about dual boot at all.

Hi Karl,

I don't think it's the simplest way either, but I think the idea is that we discuss all the different ways of multi-booting, and the way greengoose described is certainly a good place to start.

No we have not covered the Bios bit. Which iswhen booting go into your bios and reset the boot order....hdd 0 will be lets say be XP and hdd1 will be your 98SE install.
This method is used by a number of people and the main thing is to remember is what OS is on what hdd. And for those that have onboard ATA controllers they can also select between the contoller or IDE to boot first.

But, if say XP is installed, it is installed in fat32, then all partitions can be accessed. Remember that Fat can not see NTFS partitions but NTFS can see Fat/Fat32.

Hi Kallikru, I am not exactly sure what you mean unless you are referring to the built in bootloader that resides in NTFS. Please explain how this is done from the standpoint of starting with a blank hard drive and install both OSs. Then, how would you boot either OS. :)

The built in bootloader is exactly what I'm referring to... :D

I would like to post this before we abandon the idea of using two hard drives, if I may...

Using two hard drives has a few advantages besides being the least complex to setup and keep operational. Showing some additional benefits for both desktop and laptop users, the use of two drives should be well considered for its benefits when deciding on the dual-boot system you will be using. Such a system as this may very well be the best choice for you.

One benefit is that a case of corruption has little chance of taking out both drives, and the computer always has at least one drive that is ready to run. The expense associated with having an extra drive is really negligable when considering that if a drive with two operating systems goes out, not only must the drive be replaced, but also both operating systems. You ARE shut-down. Guess what? On a dual drive system, a replacement drive is already available, and it even has an operating system already on it. You remain operational.

There are two ways of looking at this:
1. You have as many computers as you have hard drives. Add to that, all of your systems use identical components; and each system can run different operating systems. Or

2. You have one computer with an unlimited backup of operating systems, for which you only need to provide a drive and an operating system.

See..?

Seriously, outside of regular maintenance, there shouldn't be any need for additional tinkering within the BIOS or the need for any software for switching between the two drives. So, there is less complication, of which the most difficult task is to switch from one drive to the other. Hardly difficult to do, I would think. As such, you can do all of your work using one, and the other can do all of the fun things, all without ever interfering with one-another. A nice way of doing things…

As to remembering which drive has what on it? Isn't that what sticky notes are for? :D

Hi All,

Kallikru disagrees with me on which method is the easiest. And goodness knows he sure helped me along with many others when I first got started. I received a PM from another of the old Delta Crew who wrote that they agreed with Kallikru.

A good debate on which or what is what we need here. Why? Because not one of us is an undisputed overall expert in computers. The subject is to vast for a single person to know it all.

But getting back to what Kallikru and I were discussing. This was approached from the standpoint that a new person that might want to dual boot two operating systems could do so and be successful and not have to know anything about BIOS, much about files systems, hard drives, partitioning, third party apps, etc. This is why I started more on the hardware side of it - something you can see touch or feel.

To me, you have to start with the simplest number of ideas and work up to make it easier. The Model T Ford was a simple car to work on, but not necessarily the easiest.

I have had some pretty good discussions/debates with others but I have learned one thing on VirDr and that is anyone who knows something about computers and is willing to help others has my utmost respect. And as you older people/members know, when I am wrong or make a mistake I surely admit it. As do the others I have also noticed.

But on the point we are discussing, I do not yield as yet. :) I have not been convinced. If you have an opinion, please please join in. We need all the viewpoints we can. This thread can be one of the best threads we have ever done on VirDr but it needs all your inputs.

And Kallikru, many thanks for posting what you did so we could cover this better. :) :)

Stickey notes Ridgerunr? :D :D

Quote:

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Originally posted by oldhermit
I would like to post this before we abandon the idea of using two hard drives, if I may...

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You brought up some good points. Options available. There are many and I have setup a computer with a his and her's hdds .
That is what they wanted and that is what they got. Must admit that the pull ring on the ribbon saves a lot of wear and tear.

I am with Kalli.....multi boot wether it be 98/2k or 98/xp or 98/2k/xp on a single drive with partitions is definately the easiest no fuss multiboot option....now while I still prefer the multi drive and the boot loader for windows multiboots....if I am going to through a unix (read linux) os in the mix I prefer to add another hard drive and use the bios option just so there is no cross talking of os' going on..

Isolation of the OS's , as Sarr brought out is what this is all about. From a mechanical side , yes this way seems more difficult, but from the isolation point of view, which is important this is the easiest method.

Now why do you use your method?
What factors do you have to look out for?
Conciderations?
Do OS's play fair with one another?


In the case I set up it was because they did not want anything from one hdd on the other. Nothing. In other words , they did not want to buy another computer.

Sarrkazztic posted:

Quote:

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if I am going to through a unix (read linux) os in the mix I prefer to add another hard drive and use the bios option just so there is no cross talking of os' going on..

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Could you explain this cross talking bit?

I'm with Kallikru and Sarrk. on this one. Simply, because I remember (as do you all) my "newbie" days, a little too well. :D
Mentioning adding hard drives and going into the bios would have had me heading to the hills. :p

But surely this is semantics? We can use this thread to discuss multibooting using 2 drives, and another thread, describing how to use one.

Let the posters decide for themselves, which they feel is "easiest and simplest".


Daizy

Quote:

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Originally posted by Daizy

Let the posters decide for themselves, which they feel is "easiest and simplest".


Daizy

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I'll go along with that. As each of us look at things is differently.

I will elaborate on cross talking later if someone else does not...Tuesdays are very hectic for me and I wont be home again til after midnight.

I think Train's (re)pointed things here in a good direction. Before jumping to far (further) in to the physical/mechanical methods of multi-booting and whether a particular method is easier or not, IMHO its important to delve in to the factors, considerations and goals that should/must be considered in multi-booting.

Goose provided a base/starting scenario: two OSes on two seperate drives. That provides (as has been pointed out) isolation of things. But what "things", in what ways? What would/could one want to provide isoaltion from? When/why isolate? When/why NOT isolate? Using Goose's setup, aside from mechanical ease, what does it give you and what doesn't it give you from the standpoint of goals/considerations relevant to a mutli-boot setup?

Any (even the simplest) multi-boot scenario involves factors that must be considered/addressed, trade-offs between what can and can't be acheive or perhaps at least how it can be acheived, etc. In order to evaluate or discuss any method/means of multi-booting I just think the background/goals/issues of multi-booting need to be flushed out here.

Not to long ago I tried to install Linux Redhat on a partition on my Win 2K pro. machine. The result was that I couldn't boot to my Windows partition. The reason,as far as I could figure, was that the Linux boot loader(LiLo) couldn't see the NTFS file system. After a few days of trying to repair LiLO, I gave up and reinstalled Win 2K pro.. Luckily, I had backed up all important data. Now(today) I'm going to install a Trios switch and second harddrive for my Linux install. I'm shutting down after I post this thread and have a go at it. I'll post back with the results after a while.

Train-what did you mean about having to shut off the power to the PC before switching from one drive to the other. Did you mean: shut down the PC, turn off power switch on the back of the box, or shut down the PC, wait till all LED's are off then change the switch position?

Well here I go-:)

Hi All,

There have been some interesting questions brought up along with various viewpoints on dual booting which is just one type or part of this subject of multibooting.

I was taken to task for my use of the word debate. It was pointed out to me that this is a forum of learning which I can't agree more with. The word can mean an arguement OR deliberation, consideration, or a question in a public assembly. And the latter is how I used the word.

Hi jmtjet, Just go to Start, click on Shutdown, Choose Shutdown in the dialog list that comes up and click OK. Then change your switch position on the Trios Box, and reapply power.

"One of the built-in safety features of the Trios is the button "lock-out" feature. Once a button is pressed and a hard drive selected, pushing the button again has no effect until the system is shut down. This prevents accidental data loss from bumping or accidentally pushing the switch while the unit is on and functioning. The Trios is d**n near foolproof."

To answer some of Train's and DrMDJ's questions. I did not have to know anything about BIOS, much about files systems, hard drives, partitioning, third party apps, etc. This is why I started more on the hardware side of it. When you don't know anything you find something that will work. And I was scared of the BIOS, the Registry - you know little things like that. :) Nowadays I feel more comfortable with the OSs, third party apps and so on. And I have the necessary backups to get me back on line quickly should I make a mistake.

Having two operating systems separated by and installed on two hard drives made sure I could come back up with my computer if I messed up the hard drive. You ensure by the physical limitation of having one IDE cable connected to one hard drive that you have one hard drive that is safe. This was a decided advantage to me for a while. The biggest disadvantage of course was that I physically had to shut down power, go into the case, and change the IDE cable.

Well I'm back. But didn't get the Trios switch to work. I installed it following the instructions to the letter. The result was I couldn't boot to the drives. The BIOS didn't auto. detect the drive.??? I think the switch might be defective. I've got an email into Romtec support asking them what's next. I purchased the switch from TigerDirect so I can RMA it and get another one if this one is bad. I'll keep you posted. :(

Maybe try reseating the cables before you give up.

Hi GG, I tried reversing the cables, reseating them and every other thing I could think of. -no go. It's as if the switch is not getting power. I connected the switch power cable to a molex connecter from the power supply(350 watts)-tried two connectors-same result. The instructions say the IDE cable from the Trios switch to the motherboard should not be longer than 18". The one I'm using is 18" -the same one I'm using right now.

Question, Should I be seeing LED lights on the front of the Trios switch if the switch has power? I'm not-and don't see any LED's either. The switch is model RX-910T6.

Thanks for letting me jump on this thread. jmtjet. :)

The LED on the Trios switch comes on when you push a button. Number 1, 2, or 3. Also are all your Hard drives set to MS? Did you check your BIOS as per instructions.

By the way, the Trios switch does have its part in multibooting so we are not wandering to much. :)

:( I took the switch back out of it's box and smell it. It smells fried. :( I'll try for an RMA. I don't think I done anything to fry the thing-I never got it to work even once. Thanks.

Not a probem. By the way I have the identical one to yours. No biggy to install. Probably a crossed up wire in manufacture.

...and you can still switch drives without it...

Hi oldhermit - yes you certainly can because the boot.ini resides with the OSs of each drive. Just makes it physically easier. No goin' into the case. Safer too. :)

I hate to digress too much, but this is the guy we need to invite to this forum:

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Richard's Multiboot Menagerie

Can a PC run more than 30 operating systems? It sure can. Here's how.

By Richard Robbins

We've all heard of dual-boot systems or even triple- and quadruple-boot systems with versions of Linux, Unix, and Windows. But exactly how many operating systems can you fit in one computer? I decided to find out. On today's show I'll demonstrate how it's done.
This project started with a simple dual boot between Windows 98 and 2000. Then I added some Linux distributions and BeOS. Somewhere along the line, adding operating systems became an obsession. I wanted to see exactly how many I could stuff in one box. It also became a project to prove people wrong. Many people told me that what I achieved could not be done.
How many operating systems?
There are many points of view on exactly what an operating system is. I have concluded that I have approximately 39 separate, fully functional operating systems on my machine (as well as two that are sick at the moment). If you count my 18 DOS window managers, I have a total of 57 operating systems on my PC.
How could anyone have the time to use them all? I mainly use Windows 98 SE and Windows XP, but I do hop around to the others for the fun of it. The nice thing is the versatility. If one acts up, you spank its bottom and boot another OS.
Having many operating systems on one machine does not inhibit the normal functionality of the machine. I can do anything on my machine that I could do before I added these systems, and more.
Here's a list of the operating systems on my PC.
Before you start
Research is the key. Do the research before you start. Plan everything. Decide which systems you want installed and why.
Don't be afraid to start over completely. I had to start over on a number of occasions. It has taken me about a year to do all of this.
Get a bunch of hard drives for your system. I have six. You might need to get a PCI IDE card to expand your IDE ports.
Partition wisely. Map out your partition plans and go over their advantages and disadvantages.
Always, always back up your precious data.
And have a guitar handy. I've had quite a bit of practice while waiting for installers to finish.
The Boot Loader
One challenge was figuring out which boot loader to use and how to use it. In a multiboot setup, a boot loader is essential. It's impossible to work without one. A boot loader is the program that resides in the master boot record of the hard drive and tells the BIOS which partition to boot to.
I finally decided to use Extended Operating System Loader (XOSL). It includes support for partition hiding, boot keys, and drive swapping, and it comes in a neat 1024x768 pixel resolution (32-bit color) with mouse support.
Here's why I like XOSL as a boot loader:
· XOSL can hide partitions. When you have multiple versions of Windows on one PC, you have to hide them from each other or they won't function.
· XOSL can boot Windows off a logical drive. More on this later.
· XOSL has boot keys. Boot keys are an essential shortcut if you want to avoid typing something, navigating through a menu, and so on. For example, if I had an NT Loader with Windows 2000 and 98, I wouldn't want to go through both menus just to get to 98. In XOSL I specify the boot keys on my keyboard using the down arrow and Enter keys. This eliminates the second menu, making the process seamless. XOSL does this by placing the keys in the keyboard buffer until they can be implemented.
· XOSL looks great and is easy to install. It runs on standard VESA drivers, which let it access higher screen resolutions and depths.
Here are XOSL's flaws:
· XOSL has a 24 boot-item limit and a 56 partition limit, forcing me to install more than one dedicated installation.
· XOSL is also unable to boot directly to Linux. Therefore, when you install Linux you must install LILO to the boot sector of your Linux partition, not to the master boot record. Remove the timeout and point XOSL to that partition and it will "chainload" just fine.
Since XOSL has a limit of 24 boot items, I had to figure out how to install multiple instances of XOSL. I created five separate boot menus and grouped them accordingly:
· Main
· Unix
· Linux
· Windows
· DOS window managers
This made the menu system more organized. I can boot back and forth from any menu to any other menu, as well as boot CD-ROMs and floppies.
Other programs you'll need
· PartitionMagic is a must-have utility for partitioning.
· BootPart is a program to add partitions to the NT Loader.
· Linux OSes has tons of ISO Linux distributions.
Operating System Partitions
Another challenge was to get the OSes to cooperate with each other. It's like putting a pit bull, a cat, a parakeet, a Komodo dragon, an antelope, a wolverine, a rattlesnake, and a duck-billed platypus all in a room and saying, "Now please get along, children." The best way to keep control is to give each animal its own compartment. With this in mind, the challenge was to give each OS its own compartment on the hard drive.
To do this, you have to figure out each OS's requirements, how the OS works, and how to implement the requirements. For instance, a lot of systems (such as Windows 95, 98, and Me) won't boot if they are installed past the 1,024th hard-drive cylinder, and some systems require a primary partition, a swap partition, or both.
Plan out how much space you want for each system, where you want them, and what file systems they use. You must find out which operating systems need primary partitions rather than logical drives and which systems cannot run past the 1,024th hard-drive cylinder. This cylinder runs at about 8GB and prevents many systems, including Windows, from booting past it.
Rule of thumb: Don't install Windows past the 1,024th cylinder unless it's XP or 2000 being booted from the NT Loader. Linux, Windows, BeOS, and others can be run from a logical drive. BSDs, QNX, and DOS versions, however, must be installed to primary partitions.
How to set up your disk
There can be only four primary partitions on one hard drive, or three primary partitions and one extended partition. It's a BIOS restriction and there is only one (messy) way around it. I don't recommend it, but if you want further info, go to The Real Multiboot.
I suggest sticking to the four primary partitions. I usually put the pickiest operating systems, such as Windows, OS/2, and Minix, on the first disk. Most versions of Unix and Linux will happily install anywhere else. It's also a good idea to set up two partitions as swap partitions, one for Linux and one for Windows. It saves space and is more organized.
Windows on a logical partition
You can install Windows 95, 98, and Me on a logical partition, but not directly. The XOSL FAQ has more information.
1. Install Windows to a primary partition.
2. Copy everything from that partition to the logical drive of choice. You'll have to maneuver around win386.swp or you'll get an error.
3. After everything is copied, install XOSL.
4. Hide the primary partition and boot from your Windows floppy. Make sure the C drive is the logical drive you want your Windows installation on.
5. From the command prompt type "sys c:" and then hit Enter. This writes the Windows boot sector to that logical drive.
Multiboot Resources
If you're compelled to go off the deep end as I did, there are many resources on the Internet that can help you. Don't forget to visit the various computer newsgroups.
OS Links
· The OS Files: Free OSes
· Freebyte's Guide to Free and Other Operating Systems
· OS on the Net: The List
· OSNews.com
· osOpinion.com
Many multiboot how-tos are available from a search at Google. Search for "Multi-Boot" or "Multiple operating systems."
List of Operating Systems
I have separated the names of the operating systems in their boot menus as they appear on my machine.
Main menu
· Aos|Oberon 2.3.6
· DrDOS 7.2
· FreeDos 7
· MS DOS 5.0
· MS DOS 7
· OS/2
· QubeOS
· SkyOS
Linux menu
It's entirely possible to install almost every version of Linux on one machine. New versions of LILO eliminate the 1,024th cylinder boundary, enabling you to use up to 160GB for Linux. However, I decided to stop at around 10 versions because any more seemed redundant.
· Conectiva
· Debian
· Immunix
· JBLinux
· Libranet
· Mandrake
· RedHat
· Slackware
· Storm
· Vector
Unix menu
· AtheOS 0.3.7
· BeOS 5 Personal Edition
· BeOS 5.0.3 Developer Edition
· FreeBSD 4.4
· Minix 2.2
· NetBSD 1.5
· OpenBSD 2.9
· QNX RTP 6.0 (hosted)
· QNX RTP 6.1 (dedicated)
· QNX Neutrino OS 6.2
· SyllableOS 0.4.0
Windows menu
· Windows 1.01
· Windows 1.03
· Windows 2.03
· Windows 2.10
· Windows 3.1
· Windows 95
· Windows 98 First Edition
· Windows 98 Second Edition
· Windows 98 SE Lite (not counted as separate)
· Windows Me
· Windows 2000
· Windows XP
DOS window managers
I have 18 DOS window managers. Here's a good site to learn more about them.
Originally posted September 12, 2002

MPTech

What factors did he have to take into consideration to be able to do that?
How many times did he have to start over?

What are some of the considerations they conveniently left out of the article?

A person's experience in computing is made evident in several ways. Don't I wish my days were so involved in statistics and formulas that the little accompishments of years ago can never disrupt anything that I ever do. It is also evident that experience can cause changes in our perspectives. We might forget about the steps we took to accomplish what we have, but we should not forget that there are many visiting here to whom much of computing is still a mystery. What seems normal to someone with years in the industry may still appear quite confusing to those just starting out. GG has, and started this thread with the right idea, and is addressing the idea of multi-booting in its simplest form, and this thread will likely become more advanced as it is allowed to continue.

You can also use a removalble drive rack to dual boot. After a failed attempt to install a Trios switch I'm looking into installing a removable drive rack to achieve my goal of dual OS's on separate drives.

my 2 cents:

I happen to agree with Greengoose:
Setting up 2 HDDs IS the simplest and easiest way to setup up a dual-boot system. It is NOT the most convenient. Consider it this way; IF you wanted to be able to boot to DOS, Win 3.1, Win95, Win98, WinNT, WinXP, AND Linux. What Greengoose is saying is that you install each OS on a separate HDD (7 drives). The simple/easy part is that you don't have to worry or be concerned about compatibility issues. You don’t have to consider BIOS or partitioning either. Yes it is redundant, you'll wear out your cable, and you have 6HDDs that are not being used, but it is simply a matter of loading an OS, nothing else. You never have to worry about what you do in one OS affecting the others, it physically cannot.

OK, with that said, I think next in the evolution is 2 OS’s on the same drive, with dual booting managed by one of the OS’s (no third party boot manager). If you feel there is another step between here, jump in. I can give my own personal, first-hand experience here.

I reformatted my HDD with 4 partitions. My plan is. C Drive is OS1 (Win98SE), D Drive is OS2 (WinXP), E Drive is Program Files or Applications, and F Drive is Data (BMPs, MP3s, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, downloads, etc). I choose not to make any of them NTFS, because I like to be able to read them from DOS, if absolutely necessary.

From this point forward, I recommend small steps and lots of backups along the way.

After formatting, I loaded Win98SE to the C Drive (the oldest OS must be loaded FIRST, I read it, but someone else will have to explain, I don’t recall). Stabilize it: set your resolution, setup your Internet connection & Browser, load your drivers (get the most current ones), get any service packs (OS & browser updates), but don’t load any additional software, yet. Once it is clean, and minimal (no additional software), take a copy / drive image / ghost of the entire C Drive to another partition (preferably a separate HDD or CD). I recently began using Norton Ghost 2003 and it seems pretty simple. I haven’t restored yet, but will as a precaution soon. To complete the activity of this drive, I would now optimize the OS by running some of the Utilities discussed in the other DeltaX (AdAware, SpyBot, Reg Cleaner, Reg Scrub, Reg Seeker, HDValet, and Norton System Works as a final check). Now ghost it again to a new filename. (you have 2 copies, just in case)

OK, second OS, I’m trying to remember how I did it, but I think I rebooted into Win98, after it comes up insert the WinXP (home) CD. When the XP install starts up, it asks where you want to install it, tell it the D drive. The install goes pretty much as usual from here on. (anyone is welcome to correct me, it’s been over 6 months since I did this, but it was pretty easy for my first time!). Once the install completes and the system reboots, it will now pause during the bootup and ask which OS to boot: Win98 or WinXP. Boot into XP, again stabilize and update it (service packs, current drivers, etc) like before and ghost XP (the whole D Drive) (to a different filename. I call mine GhostXP_031022a and Ghost98_031022a, or…..b, to make them unique). Now optimize XP like before and ghost it again (Ghost98_031022b).

Now you have a dual boot, on a single drive. (If I can do it, anyone can!)


Here’s my question to the forum.
When I created my minimal/optimized version of Win98, I installed all of my 98-programs onto the C Drive / Program Files (not my dedicated E Drive). I’ve been told I can install, say WinAmp for Win98 onto the E Drive, then boot up WinXP and install WinAmp again for WinXP into the same folder on the E Drive. That way my C & D Drive are dedicated to the OS’s and DeFrags are much faster, drives are leaner, and backups are smaller & faster. I tried doing this, but ran into some problems (WinAmp didn’t seem to like it).

Comments & Criticism are welcome! :D

An excellent explanation MPTech :) The important point to remember is always install the OS's in the order of oldest to newest.

Now to your question; the vast majority of apps can be installed onto a shared partition, but you do get the occasional one that won't give you the choice or won't behave when you do it. When that happens there isn't much that can be done about it unfortunately.

Another thing that can be done to save some hard disk space is to share the swapfile/paging file. It's such a long time since I dual booted ME/2000 that I can't remember exactly how it is done, I'm sure someone else remembers though.

Here is a good MS Knowledgebase article on multibooting with WinXP, it would apply equally to Win2000:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q306559

Hi All, What would be next and just before a dual boot on one hardrive would be using the Trios Switch and controller cards to accomplish tying in 7 HDDs for example. The Trios switch can handle three HDDs and their OSs and the procedure to use it is fairly easy. You shut down the computer as explained earlier and make your selection ont the Trios Switch. Position one, two, or three which corresponds to three hard drives with their own OS. This eliminates the issue or situation of having to change out an IDE cable. :)

Goose,

Gonna still play devil's advocate here.... ;)

Before worrying about the steps taken to acheive a (any) particular multi-boot setup, or the method taken to boot between the two or more OSes one has set up, what factors/considerations need to or should be taken in to consideration before one starts? What all are the things one has to worry/think about beforehand when setting up (planning for) multi-boot, and which might influence the way in which they do it (or need to)?