Q: I want to set up a dual boot system. I? M currently running XP on my primary HD and have half HD formatted, installed and ready for loading Win98. I thought I could just setup run from the Win98 CD and directly load the OS on the second disc but I keep getting a error message telling me that I have to install it via DOS. Is this possible using XP? I mean, I know I can do a command prompt but it? Is not really DOS.
The Question: I have XP loaded
Since, what would be the easiest way to load Win98 on the other HD and setting up my system so I can boot either OS?
The unskilled Guess:
I thought I could take out the primary HD that has XP on win98 and then load onto the secondary drive as I would with a fresh install. After Win98 loaded, move the primary back in the box and then I have two OS? S I want to run on their own station. What I do? T know how I would choose the OS that I want to load, just go into the BIOS every time?
Can someone simplify this for me?
Thanks!
Best Answer: Boot you computer in 98 (since that works) start computer managment, and upgrade the filesystem of that disk back to fat32 or NTFS. RAW tells the motherboard to use 16 channels to talk to the disk ( 8 inbound, 8 out) Fat32 reads the disk with 32 channels (16 inbound, 16 out) and NTFS reads it with 256 channels allowing for faster information retrieval. thats all, its not more secure its just a different language. (which incidentally makes it harder for slower computers to try to hack in). To tell 98 to use NTFS file system you nay need the drivers from microsoft but once you have them both 98 and XP should be fine. To prevent future improper shutdowns get an Uninteruptable Power Supply and properly install it so your computer knows when to shutdown (properly) when your power goes out.
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Re:Originally posted by: MrFiTTy
Boot from a dos disk, or win98 cd, run 98 setup and install to secondary drive (Making sure secondary drive is not NTFS), edit the boot.ini file so that your menu allows you to boot from the 98 partition if you want etc.
Thats a very simple explination.
Im a bit tipsy atm so im off to bed.
Dan
Since Dan went to bed already 
can someone explain what he means by "edit the boot.ini file so that your menu allows you to boot from the 98 partition?"
btw, I don't really want to uninstall XP at this point because I've got it set up just the way I want it with many programs that require some amount of tweeking.
thanks
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Re:just a quick reminder, XP/2K do NOT need to be on a C: parition, win9x NEED it. So, follow the lines outlined by the masses and try it out.
never tried it and hopefully someone can verify, perhaps within in XP's hdd letter management, you can change the letter of the XP parition and then reboot to take effect and then try and install 98se on the new blank C: parition. Privovided you already have a partition ready.
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Re:Just to point out, in the boot.ini file, NT os's require the physical location of the partition to be specified in the boot.ini file.
This is usually something like "multi(o)partition(0)" etc etc.
With 98, all you need is the root of the drive that 98 is installed on,
If you have 2 drives then im guessing that you want to install 98 on the second drive being something like "d:\".
All you should need to do is "D:\" in boot.ini after the xp partition, oh and of course a name to identify it.
Off to bed now 
Dan
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Re:Boot from a dos disk, or win98 cd, run 98 setup and install to secondary drive (Making sure secondary drive is not NTFS), edit the boot.ini file so that your menu allows you to boot from the 98 partition if you want etc.
Thats a very simple explination.
Im a bit tipsy atm so im off to bed.
Dan
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Re:my simpliest way is to format the xp drive so that both drives are blank then load windows 98 on one drive first.then load xp to the other drive.
simply because xp will load a bootloader that includes previous os's where as 98 won't.
sure you can modify the boot.ini but i have trouble there so unless someone comes along with that expierence i offer this suggestion lol
sorry but it is really easy this way
mike
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