Tuesday, May 31, 2011

How do I create a boot screen for Windows XP (installed first) and 98?

I'm trying to make a boot screen so I can choose between Windows 98 SE and Windows XP Home Edition. The problem? Windows 98 SE doesn't contain a boot.ini (that I can see, even with hidden files shown), creating a boot.ini doesn't seem to do anything, and trying to run 98 via multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WIND?Windows 98 SE'; in boot.ini from XP just returns an error that ';hal.dll is either missing or corrupt'; (although it isn't -- it's just Windows 98 being confused because it's not the active partition). Changing that line to F:\=';Microsoft Windows 98 SE';, and trying to select it, only makes the computer reboot. Currently, the only way I can seem to change between 98 and XP is by switching the active partition via fdisk -- and in doing so, both operating systems run, but I must change the active partition via fdisk every time. Not that it's important or anything, but I used Partition Magic 8 to create the partition that Windows 98 is on now, and installed it by copying the contents of the Windows 98 install disk (E:\Win98\) to F:\Windows\Options\Cabs. It works great, I just have this snag. By the way, here are my drives and partitions:



Local Disk (C:) / partition(1) / Windows XP Home Edition

Recovery (D:) / partition(2) / Recovery

CD Drive (E:)

WIN98 (F:) / partition(3) / Windows 98 SE



This discussion matches my question almost exactly, but there was no resolve:

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/archive/index.php/t-192810.html



Any suggestions?How do I create a boot screen for Windows XP (installed first) and 98?
You can't create a boot selection screen if you installed XP first and then Win 98. It should be Win 98 first and then XP. Let XP create the dual boot configuration.



Remember, when Win 98 was released in the 90's, it didn't know yet that there's going to be a Win XP. Whereas when XP came out, it knew that there older versions of Windows so it has a way of recognizing it.



It goes the same for newer versions of Windows. If you want to have a multi-boot configuration, the order of installation should be from older version to newer version.How do I create a boot screen for Windows XP (installed first) and 98?
right click the my computer icon %26gt;properties %26gt;advance tab %26gt;Startup and recovery - settings.



In the pop up you can choose the OS, the boxes should be ticked to display OS for 30 seconds.



Now click Edit.

In there you have to put in the string for windows 98. I dont know how you can do this because you should have loaded 98 first then XP, and XP would have done it for you.



Note , each Operating system needs to be on its own partition. You cannot have both on the same partition.



to find out what to put into there you could do this



grab another hard drive and install it,

partition it with a CD file

load 98

load xp



look what is in that file and save it in a memory stick



change hdd

update that file.

reformat that other hdd and put it in as a slave for extra space.

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