Installing Win2k C: dualbooting with Win9X

[griobhta]

Hello there, Might sound a stupid question but how in god's name do you get windows2K to install itself as 'c:'. When I try to install it as dual boot with winME it keeps installing itlsef on the H: drive or I: drive with the winMe partition still seen as c:

I am sure the first time I installed it it used c: as its default drive. How do I get it to see its own partition as c: if you know what I mean.

[JimG]

Ok, first question: Are you using 2 separate HDs for the OSes (i.e., one OS per HD)? Or is this one really large HD with lots of partitions on it?
I'm not sure you can install Win2k on the C:
I thought I read somewhere that a Win9x OS must be installed on the C: (primary partition). Win2k doesn't mind where it goes. My Win2k install resides on the I: drive (that's my second HD), and Win98 is on the C: (my first HD).
Also, Win2k needs to be installed last, because of the boot loader. If you install Win2k first, you can't install WinME.
Hope this helps. Good luck.

[griobhta]

Hey Jim. Yes its one of those IBM 30 Gig drives. I know that win9X needs to be installed as c: but I used to have NT running and I managed to have that installed so that it saw its partition as c:. I just like have all the os's running as if they are the only os on the machine.

My problem with having win2k as I: is that I don't trust a all program to default properly to I: and therefore leave my WinMe partition cluttered with stuff from the win2K installation.

[JimG]

Ok, I see what you're trying to do. I just reinstalled all my apps on the Win2k partition. I honestly don't know of a way to do it with Win2k. Maybe a third party boot manager program like BootMagic (part of PowerQuest's products). There's a free one called XOSL, but I don't remember the URL for it. Maybe someone else here can tell you a way to do it without using other software.
Sorry I can't be of more help on this problem.

[pcdad]

Hi all...

I've read many, many places that Win9x must be on C: but I don't quite get why.

I have Win98 on E: and Win2K on C: It's been this way since I installed them and it's been running fine for several months.

[griobhta]

Hey pcdad, Win9X must be on c: because as it is based on dos it must be on the first visable primary partition. What a boot manager does is to set the Win9X partition to be the first visable one or at least the active one so that it gets the first drive letter. When you say that your win98 is on e: that must be the letter the partition gets when you boot win2k but if you boot win98 I am sure that the partition is C:

This sounded so much simpler in my head than it looks on the screen.

What i want is for both win2k and win9X to think of their boot partitions as C: when they are booting up. I have boot magic so maybe I'll try that. Want to be able to wipe each os if necessary and not have to worry about the other getting currupted.