preparing for dual boot - fdisk

[rh71]

Following the Dual Boot guide from tweak3d.net http://www.tweak3d.net/articles/hotwodualboot/print.shtml . We would like to do a C:FAT16, D:FAT32, and E:NTFS(installing NT4 in E: )

My question is, how do I do this setup in FDISK? There's only a FAT16 and FAT32 option... what do I use as a "placeholder" for E partition. They say to do the NT4.0 installation within Win98 (D: ). Feel free to explain with "logical" and "extended".

Thank you.

[oxOGradiusOxo]

You're probably going to need something to explain the "logical - extended" concept, but what I can help you on is the FAT issue. Once your have your partitions defined and have rebooted, you need to FORMAT each partion with the FAT you want to use.

[rh71]

Can you explain what you mean by format with the FAT I want to use? I was simply going to format C: /s, format D: /s, format E:

Are there any switches I should be aware of in terms of FAT? Thanks.

[oxOGradiusOxo]

From what I have used and understand, you'll need to use different Format commands with each different FAT you'll want to use.

Windows 95 - has a format.com command that will format in FAT16
Windows 95b,98,98se - has a format.com command that will format FAT32
Windows NT,2k - has a format.com command that will format NTFS

Use a Format X: (x=drive letter) /s and you should be fine.
I hope this helps a little. Maybe someone will be able to come up with a more detailed explanation.

[alan]

why not format them all as'perse and use partition magig5?
alan http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[ktwebb]

You can make them all FAT16 and convert later on but that would limit you to 2GB partitions, so that may not be a good choice for you. Really depends what OS(s) you want to run on your system as far as the easiest way to do it. What Operating System(s) are you planning on running? NT4 and 2K have conversion utilities in the setup and you can do the partitioning there as well. Partition magic would also make it easy, but it can be done just as easy for free.


[This message has been edited by ktwebb (edited 02-27-2000).]

[rh71]

C:FAT16 for sharing of programs right?
D:FAT32 for WIN98SE
E:NTFS/FAT16? for WIN NT4.0

My question originally is how do I go about setting it up with FDISK? I do have PartitionMagic 4. But I'd have to fdisk and format before I can even install that program. I would like to wipe out what I currently have anyway... which is just WIN98SE on 3 partitions.

**So do you guys think C: and E: should be FAT16, then D: as FAT32?**

The NT4 installation within an installed D:WIN98SE would create E:NTFS right? But that brings us back the problem of E: being only 2MB partition due to FAT16. Unless the installation of NT4 will change that on its own.

[This message has been edited by rh71 (edited 02-27-2000).]

[deep_sky]

the nice thing about partition magic is that you can make a boot disk that contains a dos version of partition magic, allowing you to do anything you can normally do in partition magic. it came in handy when i went to install win2k yesterday. so i would advise you to install it on one of your partitions and then make that boot disk that with partition magic. I have two hard drives so my situation is different, but i would not want to start from scratch as it is time consuming and a pain in the a** as well.
if i were you, i would do the following:

-install pm and make that boot disk.

- boot off of the floppy and look at the directory structure of the floppy and then run the dos pm(partition magic) program.
-resize your partitions to what you want and format the e:\ partition to ntfs...the regular win98 fdisk does not even see ntfs partitions so you cannot use that unless you want to just do fat32 and then using ntsetup to format e: to ntfs, which is fine by me. i dont want 98 to see 2k, so i put 2k on an ntfs partition. once you have that set up you can should be able to install nt 4.

the nice thing about win2k is that you do not need a third-party software app that handles a multi-boot system, such as System Commander. i installed win2k through win98, and win2k automatically made my box dual boot. i am not sure that nt 4 does this, so you might have to look into that, or someone here more knowledgeable might be able to help you.

but install pm and get that boot diskette. it is very handy.

edit~
oh yeah...i am not sure than nt reads fat16 partitions. i would make everything fat32 except for the partition that nt4 is going to reside on....OS's are like tyrants, they have to have complete control or they refuse to work. had that happen to me yesterday.... you dont want to reinstall everything so i would use pm, so you do not have to....



[This message has been edited by deep_sky (edited 02-27-2000).]

[ktwebb]

C:FAT16 for sharing of programs right?
D:FAT32 for WIN98SE
E:NTFS/FAT16? for WIN NT4.0

If you don't want to use partition magic, here is a way to do it. FDISk, click no to enable large disk support, make a 2 gig partition, or whatever size you want, quit FDISK and format. Load FDISK again, this time choosing Yes about Large disk support. Make the extended partition any size you want, quit, and format that drive. 1st will be FAT16, second will be FAT32. NT4 is going to want your primary partition as its boot partition anyway, so install NT there and after reboot, use Disk administrator, and the NTFS conversion command line utility to make your unpartitioned space NTFS. Pretty easy.