Dualboot question (slightly OT)

[JTurner]

Wow! Great link Rob.
I've bookmarked it for future use...maybe Chris should add it to the links page.

[hapz]

Sciascia,

I have been using multiboot PCs for years. Currently I am running 98SE, ME, 2000, and XP-RC2, all from the same HD. You do NOT need a second HD for your operating systems. In addition I have a RAID0 array with 2 logical partitions, one FAT32 for 98 and ME, and one NTFS for 2000 and XP. Unfortunately Matrox forces us to use such a setup, otherwise I would gladly drop 98 and ME.
On my 3rd HD I have another 98SE version. I had Linux on there as well, at least 3 different versions over the years, but I gave up again....

The key to all of this: PartitionMagic and BootMagic, which come together in one software package. They give you the flexibility to create every combination possible. You can change partition sizes and the number of partitions, almost on the fly.

Some OS require that they are in a primary partition (98, ME), some can be put in a logical partition (XP, Linux). I have 98, ME and 2000 in the first 3 primary partitions on my first HD, and XP in a logical partition on the same drive. The key to this is that only one primary patition on a HD is visible at a time. So, if the ME partition is active, the partitions containing 98 and 2000 are hidden, i.e. not visible to ME. I installed XP when 2000 was active, so I boot XP via 2000 with its own boot manger.

[Bubba Feelgood]

hapz:

Have you ever used DriveImage or Ghost to back up your drives with multiple FAT's? If so, have you ever restored from image and how does it handle the restore of multiple FATs? How did you do it (if you did it)? Just curious.

[hapz]

Bubba, I have not used (yet) a drive image program for backup. I only backup my data partitions because they are unreplaceable. If an OS crashes and cannot be repaired I simply start from scratch. Clean installs also take care of some problems that creep into these system over time despite careful handling.

[Dr Mordrid]

You can also format FAT32 using a Win98SE DOS boot disk. The command would read;

FORMAT X /vriveName

with X being the drives letter.

I'd use FAT32 for the OS partition and NTFS for the video drive. That way if there is a problem booting into Win2K you will still have file access from a DOS boot disk in order to do repairs or copy data files to a safe location.

Dr. Mordrid

[Sciascia]

Doc

Will Win98Se read and write to the NTFS video drive? Tha is my main concern right now, if I can't use Win98 to capture to my video drive then it is useless to me since that is the only advantage of keeping Win98 around right now. I am just not sure about the Marvel G400 drivers for win2000 capturing...too many conflicting stories.

Thanks

[Dr Mordrid]

Putting it short & sweet; only with some help.

There are FAT32 for NTFS drivers available from Winternals (about $40-50 if I recall). They do require copying some files from the Win2K installation into a folder in the Win98SE installation so the Winternals software can use them.

Upside:

The NTFS support is transparent and AVI_IO will work with it.

Once the files are captured they can be edited in Win2K using a soft MJPeg codec to take advantage of NTFS's large file size capability. The file size limits will then be set by the capabilities of the editor used and the software MJPeg codec used. If they are OpenDML and DirectShow compatable then you're in business.

Downside:

There also will bet he same 2 gig capture limit as in FAT32 since they are working from within Win98SE and using the Matrox MJPeg codec. If you capture using YUY2 and an MJPeg softcodec you should be able to capture up to 4 gig files from within Win98SE.

Also, the drive's speed will only be about 85% of that available from Win2K because of the drivers overhead. If you're just using MJPeg and some of the fast new drives (or a RAID array) this shouldn't matter.

Dr. Mordrid

[beppi]

Ghost

Hi all,
I use ghost allways, great program, perfect to restore, had only 1 time a problem. NTOSkrnl32 was missing. Since then I keep that file on another harddrive, just in case it want boot. I have a "template OS" for 98se, 2000 with everything I really want and then whenever my computer act-up to much I just ghost the harddrive ~8mins and I am done. Except now there is a problem, Ghost and PQMagic can't see the new NTFS from XP anymore and therefore want record any drives that are NTFS XP from DOS.
Except again, now, I keep my drives in FAT32 and one Drive NTFS for to store the movies, ghost is working perfect for all other drives. I can recommend it.
Good Luck!!

[Sciascia]

Ok I need the NTOSkrnl32 file. God I can't believe that I just posted that it was working great and now it won't even boot. I don;t see this file and I looked allover the install disc for it and found NTOSKRNL.exe, not sure if it is the right one. I think I screwed up when i changed the pagefile system to D: (FASTTRAK 100). Mybe not, but I need to figure out what I did wrong. I think that it is still FAT32, since I can read it as a secondary drive. I should be able just to paste it in there and then throw it back in as the boot drive.

[beppi]

That's the one "NTOSKRNL.exe" goes in XP in "Windows\system32" folder, or in 2ooo in "winnt\system32".
If you still have problems, check the drives with PQMagic if they are still Fat32, then use PQMagic, split a 2gig piece, install win2K on that one. Then use PQMagic again to unhide the drives that you have the stuff on.
DO NOT SET ANY OTHER DRIVEPARTITION ACTIVE, EXCEPT THE ONE YOU JUST INSTALLED WIN2K NEW.
Sorry for shouting but to many people screw that part up. If XP is in XPNTFS do not unhide this one if possible. If you must unhide, move all files you like to keep from there to another Drive and kil this XP-Drive. Install XP new but without converting to NTFS. Keep it in Fat32.
Good Luck

[Sciascia]

beppi

I looked in there and it is in the WINNT\system32 folder and it still doesn't want to boot. It think that it may be trying to access the RAID card during boot. it seemed to work before, but I changed the pagefile to the RAID drive. When I installed 2000 I didn't install the drivers until after I installed the OS, not during as it asks for them. I am going to try to copy the NTOSkrnl.exe to my RAID and see if it does anything. i am running FAT32 for all drives and the 2000 OS drvie shows as such

Thanks