Hey All,

Belated "Happy Holidays".

I just received a "MAXTOR ATA/100 200GB hard drive. I want to install this HD into my system. I'm running 98SE and want to divide the "new" HD into 3 sections.....1/3 for XP-pro, 1/3 for 98SE back-up and the final 1/3 for a LINUX system. I know I will need a "Dual-Boot" software (I think). So.....my question is....how do I do all of this ??


Thanks in advance

Dual booting really is not difficult to do. My problem is that I am inexperienced in Linux, but I am sure that it can be done.

You do not need any special "Dual Booting" software. In principle, what you do is to first make sure that your hard drive is totally nuked of any hidden partitions, etc. and is clean. Then you create two (2) partitions. The rule of dual booting is that you install the oldest sytem first, and the latest system second.
So - on your two partitions boot Windows98 and install on partition1, which will eventually become "C". When Win98 is up and running properly, while you are in the desktop with no other programs running, insert your WindowsXP disk. The XP installaiton screen will load. Go through the normal installation setup, and when in the hard drive format screen point the XP installation to partition2 and install it there. XP will automatically setup your MBR (Master Boot Record) as a dual boot, and when you boot the computer you will be given the choice of booting into 98 or XP. Okay, so far so good.

Now comes the part where I am not sure. HYPOTHETICALLY you will, while XP is still running, install your Linux disk, and point it to the unformatted 3rd partiton, set a Linux partiton, format and install there. Or, possibly, you may have to install the Linux partition and installation first, before Windows98 and XP. However, I could also be very wrong on this, so my suggestion is to post in the Linux section of this forum and Linux Sam or one of the other more experienced folks there can probably guide you from this point. And whether XP can create a pointer in the MBR pointing to a Linux installation I am not sure.

Hope at least I got you started in the right direction; it will be something very close to this anyway.

If I understand correctly, you sound like you're keeping the original drive with WIN98 in there. If that is the case, you can boot to a WINXP installation disc and create the partitions on the new drive from it's setup. Just don't touch the original drive with WIN98. You can then install XP on the new drive, probably the first partition which would have the D: designation.

You'll probably want to format the partitions FAT32 instead of NTFS if you want to be able to see the XP partition from WIN98. If this isn't a necessity, then you can make the XP partition NTFS, as XP will see the FAT32 partitions OK. You may want to make your WIN98 Backup partition FAT32, but when in XP you'll be able to totally copy your C: partition to it either way as a backup.

We'll have to have one of our Linux gurus direct you in setting that up.

For Ranchhand and Jimholly, they're quite correct about the Windows stuff (98 and XP)

You can, as they both said, install the older first, i.e. 98, then XP either from inside 98 or from a bootable CD.

You can also make 2 partitions, FAT32, from 98 installation, then, install 98 then XP.

Leave this now.

Now, you have 98 and XP installed, capeech?

About Linux, IT MUST BE INSTALLED FROM ITS BOOTABLE CD. ALL linux versions (or in linux language, DISTROs== DISTRIBUTIONS) are made to be bootable, so, you should have linux burnt on either a DVD or several CDs (frankly and accurately, there's a method for installing linux from hard drives from the CD-images, but i've never tried it, SO, CURRENTLY, FORGET IT).

If you begin linux installation, YOU SHOULD HAVE READ A TUTORIAL FIRST, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ST. FWD like windows. For instance, you should make two partitions for linux, one for the system itself and another smaller one for the virtual memory (in linux, the virtual memory is placed on a partition that has a size of 2X of your RAM, or slightly bigger).

So, i suggest you read a tutorial first for linux installation.

To be able to triple boot between Linux and WindowS (both 98 & XP), you'll have to install the bootloader the comes with linux (either grub or lilo => these are two bootloaders that show you a screen exactly after booting to select which OS you want to launch)...

Frankly, i haven't tried to install linux on the same HDD that has windows on it, because, if it comes to your mind to remove linux, (and it is installed on the same windows HDD, if i were you, i might have problems with booting again into either XP or 98, cause i'm not a professional )

Ahhhh, I was going to forget. Some linux distros (versions) can see by default Windows partitions, some other, don't!
To guarantee that you can LATER make linux see them, make them FAT32 and not NTFS.

In linux, FAT32 is called, VFAT, i.e. i think they're just different names (i hope i'm not wrong as that what i've read). The default filesystem for linux is called ext3. Windows won't be able to see linux partitions, unless you install a certain software that can view them through it and NOT IN THE WINDOWS EXPLORER !

Anyway, i think you have one of two options:
1. Either read a linux installation tutor which WILL DEFINETLY have inside it a way to install linux with Windows,,, or,
2. Install and launch this swiss-army-knife program. Although i haven't tried it, but ACRONIS is a really tough software developer: inside this link



Pardonez moi 4 the long reply

sorry for forgetting:
I guess you have 2 HDDs.
To switch which HDD you want to boot its systems, use the already-existing function key that enables you to select the device you want to boot from.

It might be F11 or F2.

You press that key exactly after starting your PC on by maybe 5 or 10 seconds before it begins loading any system.

It will show you a menu from which you will select you want to boot from floppies, HDDs or other Optical drives.

Check your motherboard manual to know which function key will do that job.

HELP!!!!

I cannot figure this out for the life of me.

Western Digital Hard Drive, 320gig, Cable Selected Primary=Windows XP=HDD-0
Western Digital Hard Drive, 320gig, Cable Selected Secondary=Windows Vista=HDD-1

BIOS Boot Order=HDD-0 and then HDD-1, then CD ROM

I cannot figure out how to get the "prompt" to select my operating system.

If I right click my computer under either Operating System then click Advanced and then Settings under Startup/Recovery it only gives me the option to select the current Operating System.

I"ve tried holding down the F2 button or the F11 button but neither worked.

So far I'm only able to switch by going into the BIOS each time that I want to do this.

My only option left is to edit the Boot.ini file but I'm not sure how to write it

Can anyone think of anything else in regards to:

2 Hard Drives
2 Different Operating Systems

and getting that prompt each time the computer reboots?

Please,

Thanks

Hello Itolman,

Could you please start a new thread on this? Resurrecting an old thread and posting another new question on it can cause confusion.

thanks, this thread is closed.

ranchhand/mod