Can I set up dual boot this way

[GTT]

OK heres what I want to do.

Add a second hard drive to my system and on that drive install Win xp
as a clean install.
Will then have say C: with win 98se (this also partitioned with a d:
section} and a new drive E with xp.

Heres what I hope can be done after that is done.

Boot to whichever drive I want and use that without interference from
the other os, not sure I would get any problems anyway.

Be able to see the other drive and access data if using 98se or winxp,
I realize programs on each system will only run with the os on the
drive they are set up on.

Have all my hardware work regardless of which system was booted, I
have an ATI AIW card and I assume new drivers would need to be loaded
on the new drive, same for the integrated motherboard sound card.
Hopefully plug and play would get these items and set them up
seperately

Have a seperate registry for each system on each hard drive so if I
wanted to take the hard drive out and instal it in a new computer it
would simply work the same as if I did that now with my present drive.

 

[John Rampling]

Sounds good to me. Perhaps use a boot manager to switch between the two OSs.
However, note that if you format your new HD (the one with Win XP i.e. your
'E' drive) with the NTFS file system as recommended then Win 98 will not be
able to see the files on it. In fact it will not even see the 'E' drive at
all and will call your CD ROM 'E' instead. Worth remembering if you intend
to access all your files from Win 98.

John

OK heres what I want to do.

Add a second hard drive to my system and on that drive install Win xp
as a clean install.
Will then have say C: with win 98se (this also partitioned with a d:
section} and a new drive E with xp.

etc

 

[GTT]

So John How is the best way to load XP.

Would I start the computer with 98se and then allow the xp cd to auto
load or what?


I'm thinking that if I was to request a clean install versus an
upgrade it might overwrite my 98se. How do I make sure xp gets loaded
on the E drive.

I would actually prefer to use NTFS and thought that I would still be
able to read the data files. I had read somewhere that if one computer
on a network had NTFS and another Fat 32 then you could still see and
deal with data files between the 2 computers. Was this wrong?

What Boot manager can someone recommend I was thinking of getting
Partition Magic. I think it will allow operation of different os.

 

[Sharon F]

So John How is the best way to load XP.

Would I start the computer with 98se and then allow the xp cd to auto
load or what?

I'm thinking that if I was to request a clean install versus an
upgrade it might overwrite my 98se. How do I make sure xp gets loaded
on the E drive.

I would start with Win98se already installed. You can start XP setup from
within Win98. When asked if you want to upgrade or perform a clean install,
choose clean install. Later in setup, you will be asked where to install XP
- select your E: drive.

The XP boot manager will be installed during this process. After XP is
installed and when you boot the system, you'll get a menu asking which
Windows you want to load: 98 or XP.

I would actually prefer to use NTFS and thought that I would still be
able to read the data files. I had read somewhere that if one computer
on a network had NTFS and another Fat 32 then you could still see and
deal with data files between the 2 computers. Was this wrong?

Over a network, a Win98 system can connect to an XP system and read files
stored on an NTFS drive. On a local machine, both operating systems
installed on a single computer, Win98 will not be able to do this.

What Boot manager can someone recommend I was thinking of getting
Partition Magic. I think it will allow operation of different os.

You could use a third party boot manager if you wanted to but it's not
necessary since XP will manage all of this on a dual boot system.

I noticed another flaw in your plans from your first post:

Have a seperate registry for each system on each hard drive so if I
wanted to take the hard drive out and instal it in a new computer it
would simply work the same as if I did that now with my present drive.

The separate registries you're looking for are going to occur- each stored
on the same partition as the respective Windows. With a few minor
workarounds, the Win98 drive could be transferred. But you won't be able to
take out an XP drive and simply drop it into another system. A few reasons:

If using the XP boot manager, all boot records (Win98 and XP) will be on C:
There will be no boot records on the E: drive

HAL (Hardware abstraction layer), hardware enumeration and other challenges
in configuration: Expect to run a repair install to work out these issues.

The first time that I replaced a motherboard on an XP system (all other
hardware the same including CPU), I allowed a first boot and the system
would not start. Had to resort to a clean install to sort that mess out.
Some folks have reported swapping boards with no problems but if you do run
into one, there's not much recourse unless you can go back to old hardware,
restore an image and try again.

When I moved the installation to new hardware (new cpu, new motherboard and
other various new hardware), I didn't allow a first boot and instead ran a
repair install immediately. Reapplied updates. All worked out fine.

Some references for you:
How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315341

NOTE: The above article applies to retail CD or a generic OEM CD. If your
Windows came preinstalled and your recovery media has been customized by
the manufacturer, check your system manual for restore/repair options and
for directions.

And from MVP Michael Stevens:
Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

Another point: Part of XP's activation schema is to track the hardware its
installed on. When you drop that drive into another system, you're going to
trigger WPA (would be very surprised if you didn't). This is not a big
problem, just re-activate. You may have to call instead of doing it online.
Try online first.

 

[GTT]

Thanks Sharon
You said
"But you won't be able to take out an XP drive and simply drop it into
another system. A few reasons: If using the XP boot manager, all boot
records (Win98 and XP) will be on C: There will be no boot records on
the E: drive"

So can the boot be on E:? What if in the future I just want to delete
all reference to 98se on C and make the computer just XP and remove
the C drive would I still have to do a repair.

Would a better way to go be to set up a ew partion on the main drive
and install XP system there with all the programs on the new drive?
Could I then just reinstall XP on the E drive in the future if I
wanted to abandon 98?

 

[Sharon F]

Thanks Sharon
You said
"But you won't be able to take out an XP drive and simply drop it into
another system. A few reasons: If using the XP boot manager, all boot
records (Win98 and XP) will be on C: There will be no boot records on
the E: drive"

So can the boot be on E:? What if in the future I just want to delete
all reference to 98se on C and make the computer just XP and remove
the C drive would I still have to do a repair.

Using just Windows -- boot records are placed on the first partition of the
first drive. Using options in setup, you can install the operating system
on the same partition or to another partition (on the same drive or a
separate drive). This applies to systems with a single version of Windows
and dual boot setups.

-OR-

Using a third party boot manager or boot options in BIOS (not as
convenient), you can manage to create boot records on the individual
partitions holding each operating system and keep them there. There is
still the issue of repair installing when /if you move an operating system
to other hardware but those can be dealt with.

More frills and options with third party boot managers but, depending on
your goals, these are not always necessary.

Would a better way to go be to set up a ew partion on the main drive
and install XP system there with all the programs on the new drive?
Could I then just reinstall XP on the E drive in the future if I
wanted to abandon 98?

I don't know if "better" is the right description but this would be an
alternative plan for setting up the system. XP would still be on a
different partition so the overall management of multiple operating systems
is the same.

Basically, you need to read up on the XP boot manager and third party boot
managers a bit and make your decisions for how you're going to install
everything from there.

Also, if you state clearly just what it is that you want to do with a dual
boot system -- folks could make suggestions. Are you wanting to get your
feet wet with XP before committing transforming the entire system to XP? Or
do you need to maintain both operating systems due to programs that will
not run under XP? Or something else?

I migrated my desktop to XP early in the game and ran dual boot (XP on E:,
Win ME on C using the XP boot manager. Once drivers and software updates
were released that supported hardware and programs critical to my
productivity, I went 100% XP. When I was ready to make the changeover, I
edited the boot files to reflect a single operating system. Tested the boot
and then removed the older Windows. Michael Steven's from the earlier
reference regarding moving an XP installation, has an article about
removing a dual boot at his site too.

 

[GTT]

Thanks again Sharon

You hit the nail on the head here

"Are you wanting to get your feet wet with XP before committing
transforming the entire system to XP? Or do you need to maintain both
operating systems due to programs that will not run under XP?"

I have many programs that I have collected over the years and some I
use but infrequently, many would be impossible to replace. I probably
have only a handle of install disks and these are the basic programs
such as Office. My goal is to get a comfy feeling that I won't lose
anything important by doing the switch. I am beginning to think that I
should just create a new partition and forget a new drive as I have
28g space on the D: section.

 

[Sharon F]

"Are you wanting to get your feet wet with XP before committing
transforming the entire system to XP? Or do you need to maintain both
operating systems due to programs that will not run under XP?"

I have many programs that I have collected over the years and some I
use but infrequently, many would be impossible to replace. I probably
have only a handle of install disks and these are the basic programs
such as Office. My goal is to get a comfy feeling that I won't lose
anything important by doing the switch. I am beginning to think that I
should just create a new partition and forget a new drive as I have
28g space on the D: section.

Running a separate partition of XP (on the same drive or different) will
give you the insight to XP that you want. Remember that you can always drop
in another drive later if space becomes a problem. I've seen some folks
recommend 5 GB for an XP partition. Due to the size needed for temporary
caching of some operations (installation of updates and software, cd
burning, etc.), I prefer at least 10 and am most comfortable with 15. (My
system images of my XP drive - a mature setup with many additions -
typically fall in the 6GB area.) If you do run into any programs that won't
migrate to XP, you're covered with the Win98 setup that you retained.

Later if you decide to go 100% XP, you have several options available:
removing Win98 and keeping the XP setup; upgrading Win98 and removing the
XP setup; clean install - reinstall everything (this will be tricky if you
don't have all of the install CDs for your programs).

Although the upgrade option offers to save the previous operating system
(to uninstall XP), it wouldn't hurt to create an image of your Win98 system
if you happen to have an imaging program handy. This would give you an
extra safety net to protect those programs that you don't want to lose. If
something goes amiss, restore your Win98 image and no ground is lost.

There is also a "check compatibility" option on the XP CD. Using this
program makes no changes to the system and examines the setup for any
potential problems -hardware and software. While not 100% inclusive, the
report this tool generates is a valuable guideline for the prospect of
migrating to XP only.

FAT32 vs NTFS: You may want to leave everything as FAT32 until you are more
familiar with XP and until you know what is ultimately needed for those
wanted programs. If XP is going to stay installed and you decide that you
want the extra security (and some argue stability, I agree) of NTFS, there
is a conversion tool in XP that will change the file system over for you.

 

[GTT]

You mention the upgrade option. I wouldn't use this if I chose to set
up a new partion on my d; drive section for the XP system and use a
dual boot would I?

Is it better to have your program files set up on the xp systems
partion or on their own partition. I have noticed while using a
friends laptop with XP pro on it that when I am networked to my
computer I was unable to access the program files on the xp computer
even though we set up to share everything. I was able to access my
program files under 98 from the laptop. I wonder if when setting up a
computer with XP whether you are better to have at least 3 partions,
one for the system files, another for program files and another for
Documents and settings.

As I understand it if I was to allocate the approxiamately 30 g left
on my D to say 10 for the system partition and 15 for programs with
the balance for documents that software could change these partitions
if necessary in the future.

 

[Sharon F]

You mention the upgrade option. I wouldn't use this if I chose to set
up a new partion on my d; drive section for the XP system and use a
dual boot would I?

No, you wouldn't. "Upgrade" would be something to consider after you have a
better idea of how your hardware and programs are going to work with XP.

Is it better to have your program files set up on the xp systems
partion or on their own partition.

For local access, you could do either. When I ran dual boot, I had drive
devoted to applications. While in one version of Windows, I would install
the application. Then switch to the other operating system and install
again to the same folder. This worked in *most* cases but occasionally
there would be a program that needed to be installed on each Windows
partition (two installations instead of one shared).

Some folks prefer to always install programs on each Windows partition and
skip the shared app partition completely.

I have noticed while using a
friends laptop with XP pro on it that when I am networked to my
computer I was unable to access the program files on the xp computer
even though we set up to share everything.

Were you trying to run the programs? Are they programs that are designed to
run in a network (one installation accessed by multiple system)? Not all
programs support this kind of operation. Some will require portions of a
program to be installed locally and others will require complete local
copies.

If you were just trying to poke around in the Program Files folder and were
denied access, then that's a permissions problem. Either adjust the
permissions or install the program into a folder outside the Program Files
umbrella and define it as a network share on the XP machine.

I was able to access my
program files under 98 from the laptop.

Win98 does not have the same security functions and does not have
permissions.

I wonder if when setting up a
computer with XP whether you are better to have at least 3 partions,
one for the system files, another for program files and another for
Documents and settings.

Optional configuration but not necessary.

As I understand it if I was to allocate the approxiamately 30 g left
on my D to say 10 for the system partition and 15 for programs with
the balance for documents that software could change these partitions
if necessary in the future.

Yes, third party partitioning software could redistribute space if
necessary.

 

[GTT]

Sharon you have been a tremendous help. Thanks

I am going to think about all this and then within the next week,
after returning from a trip, open that xp box that I have had sitting
under my desk for almost a year now. Right now my thinking is to set
up one more partition and use this for all my word, excel, music and
photo galleries as this partition should be accessible easily to both
systems.

If I run into problems and post on here ATTN: Sharon do you read all
the posts?

 

[Sharon F]

Sharon you have been a tremendous help. Thanks

I am going to think about all this and then within the next week,
after returning from a trip, open that xp box that I have had sitting
under my desk for almost a year now. Right now my thinking is to set
up one more partition and use this for all my word, excel, music and
photo galleries as this partition should be accessible easily to both
systems.

If I run into problems and post on here ATTN: Sharon do you read all
the posts?

Glad to have helped. I read all of the posts in windowsxp.basics and
windowsxp.newusers. The other groups, I only read what I have time for.

While I'll be glad to help where I can, please don't exclude the other
people that frequent these groups. They may have a good idea that I may not
think about or write about. Whenever I've asked a question, I've collected
*all* answers that I received. Then take the best from each to work out a
plan.

Good luck with your project. Look forward to hearing how it all works out.