Re: Partition HD in XP and Win 98

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From: Sharul (Sharul_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 11/25/04 

Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 08:05:02 -0800

Hi,

Thanks for the advice and information.

"R. C. White" wrote:

> Hi, Sharul.
>
> The others have told you how to partition and format, but remember three
> basic rules:
>
> 1. MS-DOS and Win9x/ME cannot read, write, boot from or even SEE a volume
> formatted as NTFS.
>
> 2. Always install the newest Windows version LAST.
>
> 3. No matter how many volumes (primary partitions and logical drives) you
> have, the boot process must always start in the "system partition", which is
> the first primary partition on the first physical drive - almost always
> Drive C:.
>
> Combining rules 1 and 3 means that Drive C: must be formatted FAT (16 or
> 32). Also, the volume where Win98 will be installed must also be FAT. And
> any applications or data to be accessed from Win98 must be on FAT volumes.
> Since Win98 can't even SEE an NTFS volume, drive letters for FAT volumes
> following an NTFS volume will not be the same in Win98 and WinXP unless you
> specifically assign letters using Device Manager (in Win98) and Disk
> Management (in WinXP). So long as you plan to continue using Win98 on this
> computer, you might want to format all volumes on it as FAT; when you retire
> Win98, you can convert them all to NTFS for its greater security features.
>
> So, partition your drive in the sizes you prefer, using FDISK. (You could
> boot from the WinXP CD-ROM and let it partition the drive, then abort the
> setup, but it's probably easier to use FDISK.) Then format Drive C: as
> FAT32, using Format.com from the DOS boot disk. If you plan to install
> Win98 on D: or any volume other than C:, format that volume as FAT32, also.
>
> Then boot from the Win98 CD-ROM and install Win98 as usual, choosing the
> volume you prefer. Then boot from the WinXP CD-ROM and install WinXP into a
> different partition. WinXP Setup will detect the existing Win98 and will
> automatically create the dual-boot system. It will overwrite the boot
> sector on C: with the NT-style sector, after saving the DOS-style sector in
> a new file, C:\bootsect.dos; copy WinXP's system files (C:\NTLDR and
> C:\NTDETECT.COM); and create C:\Boot.ini. Then it will install WinXP into
> the volume you have selected. If you choose to install Win98 on C: and
> WinXP on D:, your "boot folders" will be C:\Windows for Win98 and D:\Windows
> for WinXP.
>
> You will need to install each of your applications twice if you want to run
> them from both OSes so that the app's Setup process can add the proper
> entries to each OS's Registry. Win98 and WinXP can share executables and
> data, but they can't share Registries.
>
> We see many posts here from users who have installed WinXP first, formatting
> drive C: as NTFS, and now want to add Win9x/ME. Because they have not
> observed the 3 basic rules, they must start over by reformatting C:. :>(
>
> Sizes of the volumes must be determined by you, based on your own
> organization preferences. The Win98 boot volume must be at least a GB or
> so; the WinXP boot volume should be at least 5 GB, and 10 GB is a safer
> minimum because many applications - and WinXP itself - will put some stuff
> there even if you try hard to keep as much as you can in other volumes. You
> may or may not want to keep applications in a separate volume and data in
> still another; that is up to you and the sizes will depend on your own
> needs.
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc@corridor.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP
>
> "Sharul" <Sharul@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:D11A74E5-AF65-4F18-9891-AF161C662B60@microsoft.com...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have two PCs that are running in different OS ie 98 and another in XP.
> >
> > Need to know the steps to partition the hard disks operating in both
> > systems
> > without using any third party software please. Am prepared to lose all
> > data
> > as I would like to reformat the systems as well. Also, how do L allocate
> > the
> > sizes of the drives e.g. 40 GB for C: and another 40 GB for D:
> >
> > Thanks for the advice and help.
>
>

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