How do you create a dual boot system?

[steveakaflash]

I have partition magic,and want to try win2000 without deleting my 98se. I already have a 2 gig partiton made in ntfs for the win2000 install. How do you guys choose to startup different operating systems from the same hd?
Thanks!
Steve

[steveakaflash]

What i mean is, how do you choose between the 2 operating systems at bootup?
Steve

[felix726]

I'm not sure about Win2k but Linux has a boot manager program (LILO) that lets you shoose between booting to Linux or Win9x. I'm sure Win2k also dome with a similar utility.
-felix

[Andy_L]

I know NT does boot manager, haven't tried win 2k

[jeana]

There's a nice little freeware program out there called "Partition Manager" which does great multiple boots, and can also partition your drive. It's written by a guy called Ranish.

However, you should be able to do this from Windows as well, using the Windows menu option. If the following suggestions don't help you, come back here and we'll help you write some simple config.sys and autoexec.bat files that will do your dual boot for you.

I'd be surprised if this hasn't been discussed elsewhere in the forum (perhaps in the OS forum?) so do a search.

Actually, I just did the search for you.
check out http://www.sysopt.com/forum/Forum9/HTML/000279.html
Also, just do a general search in all the sysopt forums for "dual boot". The answer is out there.

[steveakaflash]

Thanks!!

[Apostle 83]

The windows menu option... what is that?

[jeana]

About the Windows menu option...
Okay, I've shuffled through so many OS's in the past few year that they are all getting mixed up in my mind (and it's also 1:20 AM EST)... But I was able to dual boot DOS/Win3.1, then Win3.1/Win95, and finally Win98/Linux by adding the "MENU" DOS command to my config.sys and autoexec.bat files thus:

My current Config.sys file:
[menu]
menuitem=Linux, Boot to Linux
menuitem=Win98, Boot to Windows
menucolor=15,1
menudefault=Linux, 30

[linux]
shell=c:\loadlin.exe c:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hda4 ro

[win98]
FILES=60

My Current Autoexec.bat file:
goto %config%

:win98
@ECHO OFF
PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;%path%

These cause a dandy menu to pop up at boot time, giving me 30 seconds to choose an OS.
It's quite possible that a variation on this scheme would still work with Win98/2000...
(although since I wrote my last note, I'm thinking that Win98's boot program might not be able to handle the ntfs partition, so this might not be a good option). However, it probably wouldn't be the simplest solution... the Clean Install method suggested by SoopaStar in the other thread looks more reliable.

[PerryBoy]

Doesnt Partition Magic comes with a Boot Manager?

I'm also using Ranish' Partition Manager and I like it a lot. I was able to make a 3 OS system ( Win98, NT and Linux ). And it's free!

[Apostle 83]

Perryboy,
Is it warez? Or is it legit free? Cause if its legit and its free, you'd have lots of people lovin on ya if you posted a link...

[wyvrn]

A search on yahoo with the following "partition manager" (with quotes) finds this link:
http://www.users.intercom.com/~ranish/part/

and here: http://www.listsoft.ru/eng/programs/pr881.htm


Have a nice day!!


[This message has been edited by wyvrn (edited 02-11-2000).]

[PerryBoy]

Ranish Partition Manager is a shareware program. If you like the program you should be kind and pay Ranish I think $20. But it doesnt expire. I think the above link is good.

heres the complete link:

Ranish Partition Manager (http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10096-100-914828.html?tag=st.dl.10001_103_1.lst.titledetail)

[This message has been edited by PerryBoy (edited 02-11-2000).]

[seti]

There's an option when installing 2k that lets you keep your old OS. Then when you start up a menu comes up alowing you to pick. It kicks into the defult OS (which you can change, forget how right now) after a little while if you leave it alone (the time you can also change in the same options area).

Atleast that's how it worked for me.

[This message has been edited by seti (edited 02-11-2000).]