RadarContact

I'm currently in the process of updating (..?) my system to Win2k. My present system is a Win98 with 2 physical HD's. I also have a new, spare HD on which I'd like to install Win2k.

What I'd like to do is keep my "old" Win98 bood HD as secondary bood drive, install Win2k onto the new, third drive (as D: ) and then be able to choose via the BIOS-settings (boot sequence) wether I want to boot from C or D.

Possible? Any big bomb I'd be setting off by this?
(yes, I know it's a stupid thing to try, but I have a few things running with Win98 that I'd like to keep for a while...)

ORAC

Win98 has to be installed on your C drive and the active partition, so keep your present C drive as it is. Win2k can be installed on any drive. You can't install them both on the active partition because they both try and install files in the same place and screw each other up. Win2k install will locate the Win98 partition and will write its own boot loader. This boot loader will allow you to switch operating systems during boot up via a "Boot Loader" screen.

You can't change drive letters in Win98 for hard drives (at least not without changing the registry). So if you install your new drive it will come up as a new drive letter. Win98 won't see the new drive till it's FDISKed/formatted. You can do that in Win98 in FAT32, or wait till you install Win2k and let it do it in NTFS (see below).

Boot into Windows 98 and insert the W2K CD. If the setup screen does not appear automatically, go to Start/Run and type X : \setup where X : is the letter of your CD-ROM drive. Click OK to start W2K setup.

A window will pop up, asking you if you want to upgrade your current version of Windows. Since you want to set up a dual-boot configuration and preserve your existing Windows 98 installation, it is important that you answer No. Now you'll see the actual setup screen. Click on Install Windows 2000 to begin.

You will go through a screen or two and be prompted to accept the license agreement, etc. Make sure that you click the Advanced Option button when it gives you that selection. Make SURE that you check the box that allows you to chose the installation partition during setup. This will allow you to install Win2k on you're new drive via the later text based portion of setup. Win2k will proceed to check your computer, copy files, and reboot your machine. You will notice the dual boot screen you will see every time you boot your computer up. It won’t show for long, but you will be able to see it.

The next few steps of the setup are dull, but don’t worry, it's correct. You will need to hit enter to start the actual setup process. This next step is fairly important, you will need to choose the partition that Win2k will install to. MAKE SURE that it is NOT the C or drive, but the drive letter of the new hard drive.

The next screen will ask you to chose the file system and format the partition or drive. The best thing to do is to format the new drive in NTFS, Win98 can't read it and can't break it. It does mean you won't be able to access anything on that drive when you boot in Win98. If you format it in FAT32 you will be able to access all drives and data from Win98. Win2k will now format the drive.

The rest of the install process is GUI based and will just detect your hardware and install drivers (hopefully) for it. Just follow the onscreen instructions.

RadarContact

Thanks a lot for that. I had been thinking along similar lines, but your backup is certainly reassuring!

RadarContact

Well, I did it. What can I say......I'm absolutely...- flabberghasted!


Well, it took me three initial hours to convince the installer to recognize my new HD (on a RAID controller and therefore not easily visible for Setup), but afterwards....

You know, the first thing that worked was - internet access..., and I'm connected via a LAN behind a DSL router with a firewall. Explain this...

Well, with internet access and MS update readily available, the rest was/is a piece of cake...