# Dual Booting... Win 98 - Win XP ?



## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone out there could explain (in simple terms), how do I prepare my computer, and install Win XP for Dual Booting? I've heard that this can be done. 

At the moment I am running Win 98 on an IBM Clone - Intel PII 434 MHz (overclocked) - with 512 mbs PC133 SDRAM - 15 gig HDD. Do I need to partition the drive, and put XP on the other half? I would really like to try XP, but do not wanna loose the stability of my Win98 and all the programs and games.., is my computer fast enough for Win XP, I've heard that it's very memory hungry? (Thanks in advance to anyone that offers help).


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

I had reformatted and partitioned my hard drive then installed Win ME on C , Win 2000 on D and Win XP on E and works fine.
You shouldn't have any problems with XP, I only have 256M RAM and 128M before and was running XP.
At one time I had it running on a 200M processor with 80M RAM and it was not that bad.
You may need something like Partition Magic to partition your HDD without losing anything.


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## jbjoker (Feb 8, 2003)

I've got a question too! How would you be able to choose what os you want to start up with. Is there a screen than appears?


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

When your booting up, after the POST, you get a screen that lists the two O/S's and you select the OS you want to boot to.
Win NT, Win 2000 and Win XP adds this screen when you install them on a partition that already has an operating system..


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)

I think Win2000 comes with a boot manager which allows you to choose which OS you want to boot to, so I would assume XP comes with it too. There are freeware alternatives to download too, but I don't use them so I can't really recommend any!

Edit: D'oh! Beaten to it!


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

I tried one of the free boot manager programs and didn't like it.
NT, 2000 and XP's boot manager works fine for me.
I have ME, 2000 and XP and boot to any one I want fine.

Edit: You gotta type faster, haha


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)




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## prospect (Jun 13, 2002)

I have a question too. Why would ya use 2 OS? Then where do ya put all the other programs?
I have a 20 gig HD, what would I do, just cut it in half?

Prospect


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

I have a 40G partitioned in 5-8G increments.
Win ME on C
Win 2000 on D
Win XP on E
Music on F
Files on G
I installed office 2000 and some other programs on H and run it from ME, 2000 or XP, that way I didn't need to install the entire programs 3 times, just the basic files each os needed.


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## prospect (Jun 13, 2002)

But why would ya do that del? I don't understand why someone would need 3 OS   Then to split up all your files, just sounds like a big headache to me.

Prospect


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

Main reason is I do tech support for a living and the more o/s's the better. 
You ever try to tell someone how to drive a car over the phone if you never drove you yourself and are trying to explain it from pictures.. haha
If you run into a problem you never had before, you can boot the the right os and try to similate it yourself to try to find the fix.
I could use NT, 95, 98 and MAC if I reformat again.

I just install Office like on a network, same with a lot of other software and save a lot of disk space.


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## prospect (Jun 13, 2002)

OH! That makes all kinds of sense. And I appreciate the time you give here to help guys like me. Espically my dumb questions
I always wondered howyou guys did that.
So I guess there's no reason for me to do that. Unless I have nothing better to do for the next week. LOL
Thanks del

Prospect


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

Ya, you can do it from screen shots, but it is much much easier if you have the O/S's on a computer that you can actually move around with..
Have a great day Prospect


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Hi again....

I just thought that since I started this thread, I get back to you's on the topic. Okay, I've found myself with a copy of Partition Magic, now remember I only have 15 gigs to play with. I'm at present using Win98 on C:, my D: is my cd burner, and the next my cdrom, will these two be bumped up as my partitions will follow after drive C: ? 
Now I saw that one of you guys partitioned multipul times, should I partition into 3 groups of 5 gigs... one being Win98 original, Win XP next, then lastly 5 gig's for programs ? Do all programs work on both OS's, or can I only run one's for XP, on XP and vice- versa ?


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)

For the last question, it's the latter. If something has been coded for one OS it can't be used on another. Obviously, I'm grouping up OS's, because something coded for Win95 works just as well for 98 and ME too (because they are so similar anyway), and XP's Application Compatibility can emulate certain things so that the prgram can run successfully.

I can't answer the first though, considering that I haven't partitioned a disk before.


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Thanks, Corrosive !!!

Could I ask, how did you get an icon beside your name, can I use anything, what pixel size do I need, can you tell me??

Wogster.


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

You can partition your c drive into 3, they will become c, d, and e, your burner will become f and cdrom g.
If you install a program (like MS Office) that is compatible with 98 and xp, you can install it on e and run it from either 98 or xp. Whatever os you are booted into will have the programs listed and have a shortcut icon on the desktop. For Office, you have to boot the the other OS and run the install again but select e drive again and it will just install enough files on that os to allow it to work with the bulk of the files on e.
Other programs like Photoshop, you can just create a shortcut icon on the 2nd os and point it to the executable on the e drive.


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Thanks Del, I'm sure learning alot of great things on TSG, I find everyone here so helpful... I guess that's why it works out so well, it's a major souce of knowledge just waiting to be had. I'm planning on slowly building a new CPU starting with a case, I'm sure as I start to build it and need help along the way, I know I'll have many friends here to help me. It will be a slow process since I don't have lots of spare money to work with, but finding the right case, power supply, Mainboard, and componants to put in it. I don't think i could afford new graphics or sound card, so it will in the long run replace the one my wife and I use now.


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

Just start with a good case and at least 300w power supply, 350w better. Then go from there and drop by and ask questions whenever you are online.
Have a great night,
Del


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

I will keep in mind 350 watts when I go shopping, should I get one pre-installed in the case, or are they easy to adapt to any type of case? and the case... should I get one that's P4 ready, even if I only end up getting a P3, then some years later I won't need to upgrade the case again... 

I should also ask you, what does it mean, intergrated or non-intergrated, and does it pertain to the mainboard? Actually someone asked me this question and I could not answer them as to what it meant.

Wogster.


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## brindle (Jun 14, 2002)

I have a 40 gig seagate as my c drive running 98se and would like to try xp........will xp automatically set up its own partition and a menu for the two os?


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Hi, I don't think Win XP will set up a partition for you, you would have to obtain a program like I did called "Partition Magic" to do it for you. I think since your wondering about a partition, that you too want to install Win XP in the same way that i'm gonna were it will not touch what OS you already use...

I'm sure one of the other (XP Experienced) senior members here will be able to tell you in greater detail, since I'm still about to try this for myself.


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## brindle (Jun 14, 2002)

I have been leary of installing it cause I don't want to lose 98se. I can partition c myself but am lost after that. Hope you get many more responces to this post, many I assuse are interested..thanks for your reply.
brett


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Hi Brindle,
I've partitiioned my old HDD (a smaler 8 gig), but never the one I'm presently using, I too am capable of that. I have a 15 gig now, I wish it was bigger but it's all my MB can handle. I was told that I should split it up into 3 equal drives...

C 5 gigs for Win98 (Not loosing any existing files).

D 5 gigs for Win XP Pro (a new full install).

E 5 gigs for files only (which the 2 can share)
Programs and stuff.

Your cd-rom, dvd-rom, burner or whatever will carey it drive letter after these.... E:, F:, G:, etc...etc. Just make sure you have backed up all your existing files (recovery disk), before proceeding. I will probley do all mine during the March break, I'll have more time there as.

I too was scared to upgrade my Win98, in fear of messing up what is already a stable OS for me too. I would suppose once you have partitoned number 3, you should transfer your original files from number 1 to drive E: and excecuting them from the new OS after boot-up. Hope this will help you too.

Wogster.


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

XP will not partition your HDD. After you have it partitioned, you run the XP c.d. and Choose advanced, then you will see where it will allow you to tell it what drive to install on. You select D if you have one o/s running on C.
If will install on D and when you boot up, you'll get a menu showing windows or Win xp to boot to.


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## brindle (Jun 14, 2002)

well that couldn't be easier, thanks Del


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)

To Wogster:

Do you mean the camera icon? If you uploaded a photo to your profile, clicking on it will bring up a pic of the user. That's me aged about 5 or 6...


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

A friend offered to lend me his Win XP, so that I could try it, without buying it... It's Win XP Pro, will I run into any trouble if I use his rather then going out and buying my own copy? I don't really know anything about XP, so that's why I'd rather try it first and see... what do you think I should do?


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

I would buy my own copy of it, if it pans out to be a good OS like my Win98. 

I also here (in here), that there's more then one version of Win98, how do I upgrade to the other version, and is it better in anyway?


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

I had Win98, when ME came out, I tried it and it didn't impress me at first.
I have run ME for 3 years and maybe, just maybe, had 2 system crashes.
Now I have ME, 2000 Pro and XP on a triple boot, still use ME more then any.


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## Wogster (Jan 16, 2003)

Thats very Bizzare my friend... it was completely the opposite for me. When ME first came on the market, I ran out and bought a copy thinking it would be far better than 98, I installed it and had nothing but problems for two weeks... I finaly got fed up with it and passed it over to my Dad at his house, he also ran it for a while and had troubles with programs not running propperly. Yet I have a friend at work the love it (like you), and stills runs it and Win XP. So I'm not knocking ME, but it never worked for me.


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## Del (Aug 31, 2001)

Seems to depend on what hardware and other software you are running..


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