boot partition setup

[daisy clover]

I'm going to be setting up 2 dual boot pc's with Win98se and WinXP. After going back and reading many, many and many more of the dual boot posts before starting my own up, this seems to be the way to go.

It's for isolating the boot files. If you should later need for format Win98, for instance, you won't hose your boot files and will be able to use the other OS without jumping through hoops. If you format C: (Win98) on a dual-boot system, you lose both OSes - temporarily - and cannot boot either.

My question is (Sorry if this seems like a "if your doing setups you ought to know how to do this") how do I 'isolate' the boot files to this separate partition? Do I put them there, like making a boot disk, and which ones? Or is it something I would do as I'm installing the OS's directing it to that partition. Current/future drive setups below.

System #1 - Will be 13.6G + 30G. Currently just the 13.6G running Win98se. Need to keep W98se for scanner and possibly a few games.
System #2 - Will be 40G. Currently using a 4G + 1.5G running Win98se. Will probably need the Win98se for games. This is the computer my kids use and they like/use some old stuff.

[BipolarBill]

The best way to isolate the boot files is to create a small 10MB FAT or FAT32 boot partition as C. The boot files are placed on C by default. Install Win98 first to D or E (2nd partition) and WinXP anywhere else. Just make sure that you don't put XP before the Win98 partition on any one drive. Win98 should be first so that changing XP's file system to NTFS won't mess up Win98.

[daisy clover]

so what you're saying is that when I run Fdisk for the first time this is the partition I'm going to make active?

[BipolarBill]

Yes. Just be sure to not use the full disk and type in whatever the minimum allowed is. Most corporate PCs are set up this way.

[daisy clover]

Thanks, as soon as you answered the last post, everything clicked, I knew I was overlooking something (boot partition = active partition--duh) and had to make it harder than it was.

[BipolarBill]

Just to add to your confusion, MS calls the partition with the OS the boot partition. They call the tiny C partition the system partition. Go figure. Now you know why I use the terms that I do.

[daisy clover]

Yes, it was the terminology that had me thrown. Between boot partitions, os partitions, fat 32 and ntfs, not once was active mentioned and that's what I was thinking in terms of but not thinking that through (OS=active=boot). Your answers in http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthre...hreadid=103361
are what I have been working towards doing, but wasn't processing all the terms at the same time. Thanks.

I think I'm going to go with (on the 13.6G) a 16mb(fat) boot for C:; Make D: 3G (fat 32) Win98se; and E: 5g for WinXP(ntfs). That leaves 4/5g on the small drive (fat32) and the entire 30g to play with (or start over on) for either os. {I'll worry about the kids system after I get mine running again.}

Thanks again for the help!!!

[BipolarBill]

My pleasure. Looks like a good setup.

[daisy clover]

One more question, if I were to:

drive #1 - C:/(fat)16mb-boot partion
D:/(fat32)3G-install Win98se
E:/(fat32)balance of drive-programs win98se

drive #2 - ?:/(fat) 16mb- empty
?:/(ntfs) 5G- install WinXP
?:/(ntfs/fat32)-balance of drive-programs Win XP

Would I be able to (if I find later that I really don't need W98 anymore) edit and move or copy the boot files from C:/ on drive #1 to the 16mb empty ? partition on drive #2 (make it active) and totally remove drive#1?

[BipolarBill]

Not really. In a one-drive system, only the first drive needs the boot partition. The second drive can be partitioned any way you please.

Later, if you would like to remove Win98, you could use Disk Management in Win2K/XP to remove all but the tiny C: partition and then create one large partition for storage. Moving C: to a newly created small active partition on the second drive will require Partition Magic or similar, a little editing of the BOOT.INI file and repairing WinXP. I've done this before and it ain't easy.

[x51out]

I've smoked my data numerous times just trying to move stuff around with PM7. Great program, handle with caution. The dialog you two have had has been enlightening and thanx for it . Example:"Just to add to your confusion, MS calls the partition with the OS the boot partition. They call the tiny C partition the system partition. Go figure. Now you know why I use the terms that I do." Man, what an eye-opener, and it's hitting me like a ton of bricks.

[BipolarBill]

Yup...we ought to start a "Bizarro" thread reporting all the boneheaded moves by these tech companies. I would bet that it would be a real hoot.

[daisy clover]

Yes, Thank You BipolarBill, as x51out said, this has been enlightening.
If I don't ask I won't know, and I prefer to know my options before I start (measure twice, cut once)! I'm careful with the hardware I choose, but it's usually the software that trips things up. I really don't mind experimenting with different setups to see what will happen but my dh and kids get tired of waiting.
Also, thank you for (your time) in answering the "if your doing setups you ought to know how to do this" questions so I could make the connection that I did, only in my terms.

Yes, a "Bizarro"/ boneheaded thread would be a hoot, and probably very enlightening. Since now I can have active partitions, boot partitions, system partitions, primary partitions, OS partitions, extended partitions, fat partitions, fat 32 partitions, ntfs partitions all on one drive, call them C, D, & E... AND know which is which. It's no wonder PM7 or similiar have become must have programs.

Thanks Again, I appreciate the knowledge gained and will be back for more (really need to get to those controller cards next).

[BipolarBill]

It's nice to know that my efforts (and experiences) are of use to someone. I hope that others can profit from my own bone-headed mistakes.

Anytime, baby!