What happens....

[leichaolan]

I've done as someone here suggsted to help fix my ntfs problem. (trying to dual boot win 98 from a second HD when your first is entirely ntfs) Basically, I unhooked the first and installed windows. Everything works fine with 98, but what happens if I connect my primary HD and my secondary HD at the same time? Just curious.

[andyswork@beci.net]

My system gives me the option of which system to boot to. I have both on differant hard drives. I changed from NTFS to FAT 32, I think it works better for what I do. Plug in the other hard drive and go.

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One day I will be a pro, Thanks Andy

[This message has been edited by andyswork@beci.net (edited 11-19-2001).]

[iisbob]

More than likely win98 won't even recognize the second drive since as i posted before that it doesn't recognize the NTFS file system. So you'll not even see another drive in the GUI-you'd have to blow away the NTFS partiton and fdisk/format in FAT for win9X to recognize it.


This is my suggestion-a little bit painful, but better in the long run-fdisk/format both-install Win98 on the primary, then once you have it configured, do a fresh install of XP/2000 on the slave, this will initialze the dual boot setup from XP/2000.




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iisbob
"Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It's not fair that some men should be happier than others."
-- Oscar Wilde

[leichaolan]

Thanks again iisbob, but I'd really like XP to be on the primary. I don't mind win98se not being able to see the primary, as long as it boots up, and as long as the computer doesn't blow up because there is two HD's with OS's on them both labeled as c:\.

[bassman]

Therein lyes the problem (or lack of problem).
If you put XP on first, it will be on C:, 98 will then theoreticly be on D.
You will get an Option screen during startup for which OS you want to boot. This screen will time out and automaticly pick the default OS, if you donot select the other.
When you DualBoot, you do not have both running at the same time.
Having different file systems is fine, you just won't be able to access one system from the other. With XP, you have legacy OS support, which is supposed to mean you can use older programs that were designed for 95 & 98. I wonder, if it is setup as NTFS, would it read FAT32 files?

{EDIT}Read thru your post a little better and have this to say,"The BIOS selects which drive is C: during post.This is done due to your jumper/channel settings. The only thing you set that is fixed is if the Partition is active. If you setup 98 on the secondary HDD, but it was in the Primary/Master position, then it is automaticly marked as active. You will need to remove that setting for this to work. Can't have 2 active partitions.

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Please let us know if what we suggest helps. This helps us help you better.

[This message has been edited by bassman (edited 11-20-2001).]