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Dual-booting and the boot partition
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Posted by: AngstMerchant
I am trying to create a scheme of logical partitions on a single physical drive that will allow a dual-boot with Win98 and Win2K but that will default on-boot to Win2K. My problem is as follows:
To my knowledge, FDisk will not allow the user to create an extended (non-boot) partition until a primary (boot) partition is created. FDisk assigns the first available drive letter to that drive. Result: FDisk will only allow the user to create a boot partition assigned to the first available disk letter.
To my knowledge, Win98 does not allow the user to select a destination drive. It simply finds the first available fixed drive and installs the OS there. Result: Win98 always installs on the first drive available.
To my knowledge, the only way to install Win98 and Win2K on the same machine is to install Win98 and then start the Win98 OS and install Win2K from within Win98. The issue here is Win2K (I believe) allows for selection of a destination drive. I need to be able to install Win2K first to prevent installation on the incorrect drive. However, it appears to be a non-possibility. Result: I must install Win98 before I install Win2K.
So the ultimate result here is I am forced to put Win98 on the boot partition. My goal is to have Win2K on my boot partition. How can I do this??
Posted by: Outlaw
It's been a while since I last installed Win98, but I'm pretty sure that it lets you select a drive at the start of the installation. It defaults to "C:\Windows" but you can choose "other" and select another drive and dir too.
Edit: Haha, actually, I'm not "pretty sure", I'm really sure, this is how I installed it on this pc. 
Edit2: You might have to go into Fdisk and activate the partition you want to install Win98 on, since you will probably have the primary partition labeled as active right now (if you already created the partitions).
Posted by: AngstMerchant
Please tell me more about how to install Win98 to a non-default drive. I'm not seeing the option at any step.
Posted by: Outlaw
I just started the installation, here's what it looked like:
First it told me to press enter to start installing, then scandisk came up (after whining endlessly that there was already an OS installed  ), then the install screen came up saying it would take 30-60 mins and I should click continue to go on. Then I came to a screen that said I should choose the place I wanted to install it to, and I could choose between the default dir and somewhere else, I chose to install it somewhere else and it asked me where it should install it then, that's where I aborted the installation.
You are using second edition, right?
Posted by: Gunslinger
It really would be easier to just install 98 first, then install 2k, then go back through fdisk and set the 2k drive as the active partition.
Yes?
Edit: Though, I don't think it's going to just 'default' to anything, regardless of how you do it. It's going to ask you on boot which OS you would like to boot to.
Edit Edit: Amy and I are discussing this in OTS. We'll get this fixed up.
Posted by: AngstMerchant
After some poking around in FDisk, I came to that same conclusion: alter the active partition after install. I asked if this was possible before in another thread somewhere but I either asked the question wrong or got responses from knuckleheads because I didn't find my answer.
Anyway, new problem: in an attempt to fix this myself, I was going to install Win2K and then install Win98. Nothing doing. After installing Win2K, any attempt to do anything in Win98 setup resulted in a crude error message denoting unsufficient memory and then being unceremoniously dumped to a black screen telling me to reboot. (This error message was incorrect: I have 750+ MB and Janna advises that it is a problem with the CD drivers or some such.) So, I need to get Win2K off my HDD so I can setup my partitions correctly, install Win98, install Win2K and then set the correct active partition.
Win2K install CD prevents me from achieving access to a prompt. I can get to a prompt with the Win98 install CD but anytime I try to do any delete actions that require even gathering information on the existing Win2K partition, it locks up because it smells NTFS and can't deal. So, . . . . .
I need something that will nuke my HDD, stem to stern. If I can get everything off my HDD and reformat, I can rebuild this bastard the way it should have been 5 hours ago. The funny part is, if I had known about the FDisk option to reassign the active partition, I could have done all of this in 20 minutes.
And, I have to thank Janna for his earnest efforts to assist me in this crisis. FYI, Janna, that 2-disk utility you sent me wouldn't boot on my machine, even after I formatted the floppies several times and replaced the on-board command.com with a valid one from Shal's Win98 box.
So, if anyone out there knows of a command or utility that will allow me to brutally erase all the data on a HDD, please let me know!!
Posted by: Outlaw
Win2k setup allows you to create and delete partitions, just start the setup, delete all partitions, exit setup, and you're done 
Posted by: AngstMerchant
I forgot about the partition management aspect of the Win2K setup--thanks a million, Outlaw!! I'm just so much of a prompt-o-phile that I just kinda block stuff like that out. I guess I figure I'm too bad ass and old school to need sissy GUI stuff like that. Look where it got me. . .
More good news: during the Win98 First Edition install, I discovered that there is a way, albeit non-intuitive, to assign the OS to other drives. So, I should be on the road to having my system tweaked to perfection. . . .for now. 
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