multi boot thinks 98se is win2k

  • Thread starter Thread starter Quaestor
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Q

Quaestor

I have run win2k & win98se before with this system, multibooting just
fine. After reinstalling w2k, I found that win98se would no longer
boot, with the complaint that ntoskrnl could not be found (a w2k
problem). Reinstalling w98 did not help. No matter how I try to deal
with it, trying to boot w98 from the multi-boot menu runs into the
problem that it thinks I'm trying to boot w2k.

Here is the boot.ini, which according to all I've read (and that's a
lot) should be working:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=7
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XXCLONE: (Cloned Volume)
[d:0,p:1] \WINDOWS" /fastdetect /NOSERIALMICE
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WIN98="--WIN98SE--". /fastdetect
/NOSERIALMICE /maxmem=512

w2k is on C: in the active partition, w98 is on E:, which is the second
HD (the DVD defaults to D:). I have 2 gigs ram, but I have the
necessary limits set in the w98 system.ini file. w2k works just fine.

How can I make it stop believing I want w2k?
 
Were you booting Windows 98 with this exact setup before you reinstalled
Windows 2000? The active system partition should be on the Windows 98
disk, you should be booting from rdisk(1)partition(1), that is where the
files boot.ini, ntldr, NTDETECT.COM and BOOTSECT.DOS should be. Windows
98 doesn't boot from an ARC path, it needs its own boot sector. When
installing Windows 2000 a special file named BOOTSECT.DOS is created to
replace the Windows 98 boot sector. When selecting to boot Windows 98
ntldr reads BOOTSECT.DOS and it "mimics" the Windows 98 boot sector to
allow it to boot. The boot.ini file would look something like this:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=7
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XXCLONE: (Cloned Volume)
[d:0,p:1] \WINDOWS" /fastdetect /NOSERIALMICE
C:\="Windows 98"

Also, you seem to be indicating that Windows 2000 is booting with the
boot.ini file that you supplied but that is somewhat suspicious, by
default Windows 2000 installs to folder WINNT and the boot.ini file
should point to that folder. Did you rename the folder when you
reinstalled? Or did you install Windows 98 and then upgrade it to
Windows 2000? You don't need to install Windows 98 to intall Windows
2000 from an upgrade cd.

Some how this got changed and you are not booting from the same drive as
you were before you reinstalled Windows. Look on the Windows 98 disk
for the system boot files, perhaps all you need to do is go in the BIOS
and set the Windows 98 disk to be the boot device.

John
 
Quaestor said:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WIN98="--WIN98SE--". /fastdetect
/NOSERIALMICE /maxmem=512
Click to expand...


Such a line is used to boot a Windows NT/2000/XP installation, not a
DOS/Win9x/ME installation. It should be like something like this:

C:\BOOTSECT.DOS="--WIN98SE--"
 
Actually John john is partially correct. The w2k install didn't always make
a bootsect file if the c: partition remained as before the w2k install.

The entry c:\="windows98" simply tells 98 to use the existing msdos.sys,
io.sys and command.com
 
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