Making Multi-Operating-Systems work

[Wai_Wai]

Making Multi-Operating-Systems work

I'm a newbie to this sort of ideas.

I would like to setup 2 windows:

- Wins XP Pro (SP1)

- "Wins 98" or "Wins XP Pro (SP1)" again

Purpose of second operating system:

Common purpose:

- I use it to test software, drivers, updates and so on. So even if they crashes my system, I can simply reformat them and start over it again.

Wins 98:

- I might wish to install it because I can play old games

- but you know, Wins 98 is faulty. And the security issues worries me

Wins XP Pro (SP1):

- Just wonder if it's possible - to install the same operating system twice

- It is safer than Wins 98.

Questions:

- Just would like to know more why people set up more than 1 operating system(OS).

- is it possible to get this done:

- 2 OS share the same programs (so the program needed to be installed once)

- but at the same time, 2 OS can install their own programs

- the same questions (ie possibility of sharing some, and not sharing some) are asked for the following files:

... - system settings (eg mouse, keyboard, display)

... - internet settings

... - personal data (eg my documents, pictures etc.)

Thanks a lot.

[cyberthug]

Why i have two OSes namely, XP and 98 installed?

I sometimes use some really old school programs, which do not, or cause problems in XP, so have to resort to windows.

in my old machine, because XP was slightly unstable, and more prone to viruses etc.. i had win98 as a backup OS, just incase my XP couldn't be booted from.

Another reason was that i was programming something (in XP) that was going to be used on Win98 syystems mostly, so needed to test it on a 98.

If you are runnning XP, and want to see files from/of win98, you MUST have your XP drive formatted as FAT32 as win98 is only fat or fat32.

If XP is installed as NTFS, both will still run, but u won't be able to see one OS from the other.

My suggestion is to keep BOTH OS's in SEPERATE partitions. It just works better that way.

You asked if 98 and XP can share the same programs/settings/peronsal data. answer is NO. You need to install each operating system's programs in a diferent location.

Hope that covers most of ur queries.. anything else.. just post..

Although, you can obviously have personal data shared between teh two.. pictures, .doc's etc.. (as long as both are FAT32 formatted).

I also suggest that you installl windows 98 on the 1st partition, THEN install XP on the other partition. It's usually better in any/all cases, to install older prog's 1st, then newer ones, so that newer ones can use the old one's as it need to.

[Wai_Wai]

cyberthug:

Yes, exactly.

Although Wins XP provides a complatibility mode, I just ifnd it absolutely useless. Whenver I can't run some old programs/games in Wins XP and try this mode, it never works. Really suspect of its ability.

The best way again is to install the old Windows. It's a fact of life.

[Wai_Wai]

And I would like to ask how I can install applications on 2 OS.

If I install the same program in 2 equal OS (ie Win XP and Win XP <-- I get 2 Win XP!!), do I need to log in on first OS and install. Then log-in on 2nd OS, then install. True?

Or is there any faster way to do?

How about if installing the same program in 2 different OS (eg Win98 and WinXP)?

[mark]

Installing the two OS's on two partitions is fairly easy. You will just have to catch your computer before it loads one up and it is the other you want. It will give you a sellection and you have about 30 seconds to choose. The names of the two OS's will be the same if you use the same OS on the two partitions and you can change them in the boot.ini and you can also change the time that is given and the sequence that they may boot up.

I don't know about Win 98 and XP working together but if you are running two partitions with XP on each then you can run programs that are installed on one while you are using the other if they are stand-alone programs. If they are tied into XP somehow or are dependent on NET 1.1 and you have that installed on one partition and not the other then they probably won't work. And don't forget, you can install a program off one partition onto the other. Each OS will look at the other partition as just another partition, nothing more. The OS will see the programs on the other partition as programs that you installed there. It just won't have them listed in it's Programs File and registry or anywhere else it might put stuff. This is not completely accurate. It is just based on what I have experienced.

[lvlolvlo]

I had as many as 4 installed at one point 98, 2K, XP, and RedHat and now I just use VirtualPC *sigh* "hard-core" troubleshooting days are now gone.... now it's just corrupt dns, crap ad, virus containment......so monotnus..yes difficult at times, but nevertheless. i enjoy some tasks though so i guess at the end there's more good then bad..

oops went way off topic there...

but yeah back to your question

Install 9x first with whatever partition size, then install XP on the remaining partition or whatever part you want. If you want to install a 3rd like 2K then make sure you make a backup of the ntdlr and ntdetect then just replace it after install is done. make sure you install XP first then 2K. And if you want to install a 4th like RedHat or something then go right ahead and install it but just make sure you pay attention to the partitioning part.

to tell you the truth just hookup on a eval version of virtualpc and try it out, if you like it buy it or the cheaper version of it which i don't remember the name of. it'll save you a buncha headache. and hey there's an "undo disk" option which well let you "undo" your botch-ups.

good luck

[Wai_Wai]

I had as many as 4 installed at one point 98, 2K, XP, and RedHat and now I just use VirtualPC *sigh* "hard-core" troubleshooting days are now gone.... now it's just corrupt dns, crap ad, virus containment......so monotnus..yes difficult at times, but nevertheless. i enjoy some tasks though so i guess at the end there's more good then bad..

oops went way off topic there...

but yeah back to your question

Install 9x first with whatever partition size, then install XP on the remaining partition or whatever part you want. If you want to install a 3rd like 2K then make sure you make a backup of the ntdlr and ntdetect then just replace it after install is done. make sure you install XP first then 2K. And if you want to install a 4th like RedHat or something then go right ahead and install it but just make sure you pay attention to the partitioning part.

to tell you the truth just hookup on a eval version of virtualpc and try it out, if you like it buy it or the cheaper version of it which i don't remember the name of. it'll save you a buncha headache. and hey there's an "undo disk" option which well let you "undo" your botch-ups.

good luck

I would like to hear why you feel Virtual PC is superior to multi-OS in multi-partitions.

It seems virtual PC is interesting.

Like to know more