Partitioning question

[Ivan]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

While I love my W98SE, there are times when I want to use a program which
required Windows XP

So, I'm considering using a Dual Boot system.
I have heard that I have to partition my HD in order to do this.

I have two HD's (C: 20 GB - 18 GB spare) (D: 40 GB - 38 GB spare).
My machine is a P III - 800 megahertz, with 384 Megabytes Installed Memory.

1. Could I install one OS - say 98SE - on the one drive and XP on the other
drive, thereby saving myself the trouble of partitioning a drive?

2. I halfway expect the answer to be "no". If so, what is a good (not
necessarily too expensive) program to do the partitioning?

3. Will I loose all the data on the drive to be partitioned?

Any questions I have not thought of ? (good advice is welcome)

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

"Ivan" <ivantheterrible@screwski-youski.ru> wrote in message
news:gti041dfr4vkfuu7lkpq8t7l424r53g8po@4ax.com...
> While I love my W98SE, there are times when I want to use a program
which
> required Windows XP
>
> So, I'm considering using a Dual Boot system.
> I have heard that I have to partition my HD in order to do this.
>
> I have two HD's (C: 20 GB - 18 GB spare) (D: 40 GB - 38 GB spare).
> My machine is a P III - 800 megahertz, with 384 Megabytes Installed
Memory.

First, you should make sure your system's hardware is supported by
Windows XP. See:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/upgrading/default.mspx

> 1. Could I install one OS - say 98SE - on the one drive and XP on
the other
> drive, thereby saving myself the trouble of partitioning a drive?

You already have Win98 installed on the 20GB drive, right? You *could*
shrink the partition on that drive to 8GB (8192 MB) and then create
another partition on the remaining space to install Windows XP. That
would be my personal favorite. Or you could shrink the Win98 partition,
create an Extended parition with one or more Volumes in which to store
personal data. Move whatever is on the 40GB partition into the new
Extended Volume, then wipe the 40GB and install Windows XP. Or, you
could leave the partitioning alone and move what's on D:\ to C:\, then
install Windows XP to D:\.

I would shrink the Win98 partition to no more than 8GB, anyway, for
better performance.


> 2. I halfway expect the answer to be "no". If so, what is a good
(not
> necessarily too expensive) program to do the partitioning?

BootIt NG, from www.bootitng.com will do the work you need, without
losing data. WHen you decide on exactly what how you want your
partitions arranged, I can give you specific instructions. There is no
need to purchase BootIt NG for these few chores, but if you want to have
more independence between the two OS systems, a permanent installation
of BootIt also serves as a boot manager, a way to keep eitehr side from
seeing the other. With this system, you'd want to be sure youstored all
personal files anywhere but on the OS partitions.

> 3. Will I loose all the data on the drive to be partitioned?

If you do it right, ther should be no problem. But *any* such procedure
involves risk, and I'd be considering one or more methods of bacup to
insure against disaster.

> Any questions I have not thought of ? (good advice is welcome)

Not particularly, though if you want more detailed discussion of the
possibilities, you should let us know how you arrange your files, and
especially, what's on the current D:\ drive? Also, knowing just what it
is you have planned for the XP system to do, and what you generally use
your system to do, would also help when formulating advice.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Ivan <ivantheterrible@screwski-youski.ru> wrote:

>While I love my W98SE, there are times when I want to use a program which
>required Windows XP
>
>So, I'm considering using a Dual Boot system.
>I have heard that I have to partition my HD in order to do this.
>
>I have two HD's (C: 20 GB - 18 GB spare) (D: 40 GB - 38 GB spare).
>My machine is a P III - 800 megahertz, with 384 Megabytes Installed Memory.
>
>1. Could I install one OS - say 98SE - on the one drive and XP on the other
>drive, thereby saving myself the trouble of partitioning a drive?

Yes. but Remember each drive will have to have at least one partition
on it ("drive letters" are assigned to partitions, not drives). So
putting each OS on a separate drive means putting them on separate
partitions.

>2. I halfway expect the answer to be "no". If so, what is a good (not
>necessarily too expensive) program to do the partitioning?

Partition Magic (www.symantec.com/partitionmagic) gets lots of good
reviews,

>3. Will I loose all the data on the drive to be partitioned?

If you destroy a partition, of course anything stored on it is gone.
Partition Magic and other such third-party utilities can resize,
divide, and combine existing partitions without losing data.

>Any questions I have not thought of ? (good advice is welcome)

You didn't say, but since you're posting in a Win98 newsgroup I assume
that you're running Win98 or Win98SE currently. If you buy a WinXP
upgrade CD, you will be given several options when you run it. One of
those options will be to simply upgrade your existing OS, another will
be to install WinXP in a multi-boot configuration. If you do that
you'll be able to choose which OS to run each time you boot your
machine. Bear in mind that applications you want to use in both OSs
(especially apps like MS Office that make *lots* of registry entries)
will have to be installed separately in each OS.

Also, bear in mind that any partition that you want to access from
Win98 must use the FAT32 file system. Any NTFS partition will be
invisible to your Win98 system.

Information about multibooting with WinXP here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/multiboot.mspx

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)
Slattery_T@bls.gov

 

[HAGGIS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

"Ivan" <ivantheterrible@screwski-youski.ru> wrote in message
news:gti041dfr4vkfuu7lkpq8t7l424r53g8po@4ax.com...
> While I love my W98SE, there are times when I want to use a program which
> required Windows XP
>
> So, I'm considering using a Dual Boot system.
> I have heard that I have to partition my HD in order to do this.
>
> I have two HD's (C: 20 GB - 18 GB spare) (D: 40 GB - 38 GB spare).
> My machine is a P III - 800 megahertz, with 384 Megabytes Installed
> Memory.
>
> 1. Could I install one OS - say 98SE - on the one drive and XP on the
> other
> drive, thereby saving myself the trouble of partitioning a drive?
>
> 2. I halfway expect the answer to be "no". If so, what is a good (not
> necessarily too expensive) program to do the partitioning?
>
> 3. Will I loose all the data on the drive to be partitioned?
>
> Any questions I have not thought of ? (good advice is welcome)
>
> Thanks!
>
>

the answer to #1 is yes ...when you install XP it will ask which drive you
wish to install to.

if you still wish to play with partitioning ...I believe bootit_ng has 30
trail and is recommended by a few people here.

 

[Ivan]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 11:56:38 -0500, Ivan <ivantheterrible@screwski-youski.ru>
wrote:

>While I love my W98SE, there are times when I want to use a program which
>required Windows XP
>
>So, I'm considering using a Dual Boot system.
>I have heard that I have to partition my HD in order to do this.
>
Thanks to Tim, Gary and Haggis for the replies.
I have glanced at them, but they require more attentive reading - after supper
or tomorrow.
I'll be back about this (I think - unless I find I'm too old for this stuff, and
give up).

Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Ivan wrote:

> Thanks to Tim, Gary and Haggis for the replies.
> I have glanced at them, but they require more attentive reading - after supper
> or tomorrow.
> I'll be back about this (I think - unless I find I'm too old for this stuff, and
> give up).
>
> Thanks again!

Hey, what's that?
We computer users NEVER grow too old for some "risky" adventures.
And we always learn, usually from horrendous mistakes.

So have fun.

Stanislaw
Slack user from Ulladulla.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

"Ivan" <ivantheterrible@screwski-youski.ru> wrote in message
news:gti041dfr4vkfuu7lkpq8t7l424r53g8po@4ax.com...
> While I love my W98SE, there are times when I want to use a program which
> required Windows XP
>
> So, I'm considering using a Dual Boot system.
> I have heard that I have to partition my HD in order to do this.
>
> I have two HD's (C: 20 GB - 18 GB spare) (D: 40 GB - 38 GB spare).
My reply here:
Is "spare", filespace, or unparttioned space? Sounds like normal filespace,
used and unused to me.
My reply ends.
> My machine is a P III - 800 megahertz, with 384 Megabytes Installed
Memory.
>
> 1. Could I install one OS - say 98SE - on the one drive and XP on the
other
> drive, thereby saving myself the trouble of partitioning a drive?
>
My reply here:
If XP could successfully install on your system considering your hardware
and the software applications you intend to use, you could, but there's a
better scheme of things.
My reply ends.
> 2. I halfway expect the answer to be "no". If so, what is a good (not
> necessarily too expensive) program to do the partitioning?
>
My reply here:
The former Partition Magic 2002 will do fine for FAT32, but not XP NTFS
partitions. The XP install boot CD will create an NTFS partition on the
unused (unpartitioned)area of the HD.
Expensive is a matter of perspective and priorities. Most 98 users are
"read: cheap" at spending $ on their PCs. I'm not one of those.
My reply ends.
> 3. Will I loose all the data on the drive to be partitioned?
>
My reply here:
If you strictly partition, yes. If you use a partitioning software capable
of moving, shrinking, or expanding a partition, probably not. I suggest NOT
combining partitions, if that option is available.
My reply ends.
> Any questions I have not thought of ? (good advice is welcome)
>
My reply here:
Leave the current physical hard drive scheme as is.
Use the first hard drive 20GB, for booting and using 98 and XP. Make the 98
partition FAT32 of 8GB or less. The remainder should be in XP NTFS format
for XP use. The second hard dirve 40GB should be a user data, system backup
drive. It should be FAT32. extemded partition with a one or more dos
logical drives. Buy an imaging program, such as True Image (acronis.com) to
backup your 98 and XP installations.
2nd paragraph:
If you're willing to spend money, try vcom.com for System Commander. It
will do all the partitioning, moving etc. And, its also a boot manager You
need to "hide" win98 from XP during XPs install if you use this for boot
manager. System Commander will guide you through this process. The visual
interface is similar to win98's.
My reply ends.
> Thanks!
>
>