Installing win98 (winXP already installed)....

[Kazekage Gaara]

Hi there guys,

I need to install windows 98 on my comp. I already have windows XP Pro installed on my comp, which is too precious for me to screw up. Is it possible to install windows 98 and make my PC dual boot WITHOUT messing up windows xp??? Here are my PC specs...

Pentium 4 2.4 ghz HT
256 DDR400
865 GBF mobo (original intel)
80 GB HDD.

Any help in this regards will be greatly appreciated.

Thanx in Advance. Desperately waiting for a reply

[linkinkampf19]

Hate to say it Ravipha, but I had to go through this same mess... Basically you will have to format and reinstall Windows 98, then install Win XP Pro. It's just that Windows in genral is fussy like that. The only other possibly is to find a copy of Microsoft Virtual PC, which will allow you to install a copy of Win98 within a virtual shell, effectively making is possible to run two OSes. Though they will not be dual bott... and files wil not be accessible outside the Win98 environment; anything you need to use in there wil have to be copied in via a CD or USB or floppy device.

[Myst]

How about making a partition using the free disc space? (with a program like partition magic) I don't remember if winXP will allow or even give you the chance to install win98 on it tough, cause I remember formatting, install 98 then xp to have two OS as well on separate partition.

It was a pain indeed. So decided to stick with XP only and use DOSbox to play old stuff instead of having a win98 to run them

[Kazekage Gaara]

Am in so much trouble right now dude. All I want is MS Word in a totally different windows environment than the current one....

Also, one of my L33T Linux friends said you can have TWO WINDOWS XP PROs on your comp. My current comp HDD is like this...

39 GB C: current windows xp
34 GB parition
5 GB linux partition (Xandros 3.1, which I don't require no more)

Also, on start up, the bootloader is in control of linux and I have to choose "Windows XP" everytime on startup.

He told me to use the WinXP Pro installation cd and install a NEW Windows XP Pro in that 5 gb parition. He said you wil be able to format that 5 gb parition in NTFS from the that installation CD itself and then install the new WinXP Pro and MS word in that 5 gb and he also said that the bootloader will be automatically fixed by the new installation and will be replaced by a new bootloader which will help you choose which Winxp you wanna use.

Now I want to know whether that is AT ALL POSSIBLE ??? Please help me, its very important and VERY URGENT.

Thanx in Advance...

[mj_1107]

how about this....back up all important files u need, image the c: and put it on ur d: (norton ghost), disconnect d: and put it somewhere away from comp temporly, format c:,put win 98se on c:and when thats done, put the d: back, i think the only prob would be is for u to edit ur boot.ini file before u do this to record the changes ur about to do and get rid of e:linux cuz win xp isnt worth it on a 5 gb partition or if u want to use the virtual pc method...much faster and easier

[Kazekage Gaara]

how about this....back up all important files u need, image the c: and put it on ur d: (norton ghost), disconnect d: and put it somewhere away from comp temporly, format c:,put win 98se on c:and when thats done, put the d: back, i think the only prob would be is for u to edit ur boot.ini file before u do this to record the changes ur about to do and get rid of e:linux cuz win xp isnt worth it on a 5 gb partition or if u want to use the virtual pc method...much faster and easier

I think you got confused. Those 3 are not HDDs. Those are my current partitions of an 80 GB HDD. Also about that 5 gb XP, I think even if I run out of space on that 5 gb partition, I can always install programs on partition.

So is it at all possible having 2 WinXP Pros on a single comp ? If yes, will the new WinXP installation fix the boot loader ?

[polobunny]

If you read the first post, you know that he has a 80Gb HDD, not 2-3 HDD's.

Technically the easiest way would be to install windows 98 on another hard drive (in master), replug your main drive in master and put the other in slave and edit the boot ini manually to add a entry to your windows 98 installation. You only need about a 1Gb drive to install windows 98, and those are rather cheap if not free.

Use a floppy for file transfers and that's about it.

Edit: And hum, why do you want windows 98? XP is perfectly fine, and can run on a 2.5Gb drive fine.
Edit 2: Also, why do you want to "fix" the boot loader? I guess your boot loader is Grub atm, if it is it's rather easy to "uninstall".

[Kazekage Gaara]

Polobunny, I just sent you a PM. Please take a look at it and help me out. And by the way, your above post. You make it sound so simple...lol Am so DEAD SCARED at the moment. I don't wanna end up screwing my current winxp.

[mj_1107]

nvm disregard

[polobunny]

That Virtual Machine is a good idea, but it's mucho expensive.

[mj_1107]

check ur pm polo