Dual booting Win98se

[LarryC]

Can you put two copies of an OS on two different hard disks on 1 system.
Scenairio: I have a 6 gig HD divided into three partitions CDE on the operating HD at the moment. I just installed a second 80G HD on which I want to do a clean install of windows and make a logical partition to hold data.
Partition Magic will let me create the two partitions (primary and logical) on the 80G but will not install win98 except to the 6G HD.
I intended to clean install windows, install all CD programs then copy the rest of the contents to the new HD, any helpgul suggestions, thanks.

[GaryRouth]

You can't put two copies of Win98 in a system without the help of a third party bootloader, like System Commander, or XOSL . . . there are others, too.

I wouldn't use Partition Magic on the new drive: if you download the newer Win98 fdisk, it will be able to partition the full 80gb OK. I posted that link in your previous thread, but for the sake of speediness, here it is again: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;263044

The reason I don't use Partition Magic unless I need it: it uses a different MBR - and can complicate things later on. Wonderful program: I use it all the time, but I'd use plain old fdisk for this case.

Remove your 6gb drive from the system, then use the newer Win98se fdisk to create whatever partitions you'd like on the 80gb. Format & install Win98. Then slave the 6gb on. Copy over whatever Windows data you wish to save. Then reboot to a Linux boot floppy & make sure it can see Linux on the 6gb drive. Then use the Linux hard disk tools to extend the current Linux partition to fill the entire 6gb drive, deleting the older Windows. Then modify Lilo to see Windows on the 80gb. Then you can put the 6gb Linux as a Master (if you have a Master IDE port available) and make it the 1st boot option in the bios. Ideally, both the 6gb and the 80gb can be Master on their IDE ports (one on the Primary and one on the Secondary - put the CDroms as Slaves).

I think there are (as usual) several downloadable Linux partitioning tools for most major distributions.

Best of luck, and Happy Holidays
. . . Gary