loading Windows to D disk

[sipapu]

Have Windows 98 SE loaded on my C drive, no problems. Would like to load a second copy to my D drive but do have a problem. Every time I try to open up the Windows CD it only want to go to the C drive, with no provisions for me to change the drive letter. Can this somehow be done?

[Steve]

Hi sipapu,

Which program did you use to partition your hard drive and how many partitions do you have?

[sipapu]

Steve: It isn't a partition but a completely separate hard drive. Some programs I have require a Window installation to work in conjunction. My task is to get a BARE minimum Windows installed on the second hard drive.

[Budfred]

I think you can install on the D: drive if you disconnect the C: drive. This might make the partition it installs into active, so you would need to use fdisk after you reconnect the C: drive to remove the active partition on the D: drive. I am not sure about this, so you may want to wait for more ideas before proceeding...

[Steve]

OK. But that second HDD is going to have to be partitioned and formated before you can install an OS. Have you done this?

[Paul Komski]

Basically, W9X OSes dont like co-existing on the "same hardware setup" and need some tweaking to allow this. Also since the normal boot processes can only point to one of them, a dual boot option at startup of W9x/W9x can't be achieved using windows' oses alone. Installing the second version, while the first version is still active, will rewrite the mbr and you wont be able to boot into the original version.

Using 3rd-party software utility boot-managers, such as boot magic, is one solution. Pysically removing the first physical HDD (or of disabling it in the bios) is one way of getting the os onto both pyhsical drives without corrupting the boot processes. You can then run the bios setup at startup time and decide which drive you wish to enable.

You could also install both versions onto both HDDs (done singly as C) and then hide one of the partitions using a partition manager such as Partition Magic prior to booting. In essence this is a long-winded manual way of doing what a boot manager would do easily for you.

Another approach is to use additional hardware (http://www.romtecusa.com/trios/product/product.htm) to get the desired result.

It all depends on what you are happiest and comfortable about and what you can afford to spend.

;)