win98/2000 pro dual boot Question

[Subzer0]

can you use 2000pro in ntfs as a dual boot setup with win98se?
also i tried 2000pro on a friends pc and alot of the drivers wouldnt work like direct x 7/8 for 2000 and i couldnt get his winfast drivers to work either....?

[Jon]

Win98 cannot be installed on any NTFS formatted hard drive.

99.9% of all Win98 drivers will NOT work on Win2K and vice versa. This includes DirectX and many other Windows snap-ins. You will need to download the DirectX version for both Win98 and Win2K alike.

These two OSs are nothing at all alike other than the similar Windows interface, therefore they need their own drivers, etc. in order to access hardware the way their respective kernels will allow.

You will need to create a separate partition on your hard drive (if you still want to use NTFS) for each OS. Install Win98 on one and Win2K on the other. I do not dual boot myself and am unsure how it works, but I do not believe Win98 can read NTFS when it is on the same system. However, My Win98/ME PCs have been able to access Win2K formatted NTFS v5.0 formatted drives over a network ever since Win2K came out. Someone else may need to answer that one for you.

Hope this clears the way for you a bit. Feel free to drop back in with anymore questions you may have.

[ken257]

Yes you can but you will need to install w98 first in it's own partition. The reason for this is if you install W2K first it will put it's boot manager in the mbr which is no good. Here is what I do. Run FDISK and wipe the drive. Make a W98 partition, format, and install 98. Next start a W2K install and during the install you can partition and format the remainder of the drive in either NTFS or FAT32. Just remember that 98 will not be able to read the NTFS partition but W2K will read the 98 Partition just fine.
When you boot you will be presented with a menu to select what OS to run.

[Subzer0]

thanks for the info guys, very usefull.
about the drivers i used ,i was installing win 2k drivers and also the direct x were also 2k,i dunno why they wouldnt work ,when i tried to install the agp [winfast] drivers the disk wouldnt find the 2k drivers at all either through add remove progs.... or just by auto run .. anyway maybe thats an issue with NTFS.
thanks again dudes and let me know if there is anything about the drivers in ntfs..........................

[Patch]

Originally posted by ken257
Yes you can but you will need to install w98 first in it's own partition. The reason for this is if you install W2K first it will put it's boot manager in the mbr which is no good. Here is what I do. Run FDISK and wipe the drive. Make a W98 partition, format, and install 98. Next start a W2K install and during the install you can partition and format the remainder of the drive in either NTFS or FAT32. Just remember that 98 will not be able to read the NTFS partition but W2K will read the 98 Partition just fine.
When you boot you will be presented with a menu to select what OS to run.


Ok, say that I have 98se up and running (which I do) and want to DB win 2k pro, which I do.... can I reduce partition size once the 98 partition has been installed full-drive? I would like to try 2k pro, but after teh ME fiasco (It was killing me I tell ya!!!!) I want to keep my stable (well stable for MS) 98se up for games whilst (is that english?!?) trying 2k... am I asking too much? I just don't wanna lose too much crunchin time.... :> Jim

[M@€$†®Ö™]

Perhaps just using a FAT32 for both on the same partition :) Instead of NTFS ? win2k can read FAT32 no problem just install 98se first then Win2k and thats it.

Maestro

[Subzer0]

ok ,is fat 32 still good as many ppl advise to use ntfs but im into games and im not sure how games are in ntfs partitioned 2k?

[Patch]

Originally posted by Maestro
Perhaps just using a FAT32 for both on the same partition :) Instead of NTFS ? win2k can read FAT32 no problem just install 98se first then Win2k and thats it.

Maestro

Heheh oops.... didn't think about that LOL but, what do I do to install W2k seperately? It wants to "overwrite" 98se (eerrkk! not gonna happen!) Jim

[Pinky]

Originally posted by alisport
ok ,is fat 32 still good as many ppl advise to use ntfs but im into games and im not sure how games are in ntfs partitioned 2k?

I only use FAT32. If someone wants into my PC, NTFS won't stop them... and standard invasions from the internet/IP aren't going to get far with windows 2000 anyway, so I just don't bother with NTFS.

I also find file management and sharing to be easier for me with both OS running on FAT.

Yes, sometimes there are issues that come up with software and NTFS, yet another strike against it.

[Subzer0]

great info guys! thanks alot for that, iwill [hehehe] take your advice and go for the fat32 , i just gotta figure out this partition magic. a friend got me version 5 on a floppy but i dont know how to get it to work,i also got v6.0 pro but there are too many options for a 1st time partitioner so is there an easier way and lastly i pickup my 2nd HDD tommorrow to do a RAID 0 setup ,so will it cause any probs dual booting in raid?
i dont see why just a thought [ im tired and in a lapse of brain deadness ] thanks