I have XP installed on a 40 Gig HDD. Just bought an 80 Gig HDD. Can I partition the 80 Gig HDD into two 40 Gig partitions, copy my present XP HDD to one partition of the new HDD and install and run Windows98 on the second partition.

IF this can be done then I could wipe my present 40 Gig HDD and use it for DATA from both of the 80 Gig HDD partitions. Make sense?? Feasible???

I don't think you can just "copy" XP to a completely different partition and have it work. You might be able to "Ghost" it, using Norton's "Ghost" or a similar program for imaging hard drives. But XP would probably still have to be reactivated.

I think Windows 98 would be better on the first partition. That's usually how I hear people do it - install Windows 98 first, then install Windows XP and let XP set up your dual boot for you.

Is there any reason why you don't want to install Win 98 on the first partition of the new drive and use the rest of the drive for data? That way you wouldn't have to disturb your XP at all.

Copying everything over actually does work, but you have to make sure the partition is a bootable partition with the respective O/S. I know most hard drive these days have software that'll do this part automatically for you, if you have a retail hard drive, check the software.

It is recommended you install Windows 98 first, then Windows XP, but the dual boot works either way. At least this way, Windows XP will be the first in the dual boot screen. =)

Once you made sure all is good with both O/S, you most definitely can use your old drive for DATA for both O/S. I have it like that on my 2nd PC and works fine. =) Hope that helps a little.

Jenny100......

No problem as to which partition to put which OS. I assume I'd have to go into the BIOS and tell it which to boot to, depending on which I want to boot up.

It's going to take some work to find out how to have XP set it up, I imagine. I prefer to "copy" XP over to the new HDD because I just installed it and all my other stuff on the 40Gig HDD that I want to use for Data.

rain2......
I believe I understand, once I get the HDD to having two partitions, about the "bootable" part but not sure what will do that for each partition. Won't I need to use a "boot disk" for each OS to do that?

If I install 98 first (on the first partition) wouldn't it tend to be the first to boot....but, then, wouldn't it depend on what I set in the BIOS?

The "DATA" disk is the only part I'm really clear about, I guess, except for one question. Can you partition it without making it a "bootable" disk?

BillyBob - I was thinking of doing something similar. Make sure all your drivers are compatible with both OS.

tuesday next

Evening,
I'll just watch, how you guys do it.
My two older boys reformat at will.
They are very heavy gamers. The oldest, works for Ingram Micro. They keep telling me to reformat, partition and add a gig of memory and the same, to upgrade the graphics card, to mucho MB's.
I am happy with this system, as is.
They will pop on Boomers and give a hand.
Best of wishes, until then.

Hi BillyBob
I've done this on my computer. you must have 98 installed first as it only accepts the C:\ drive for itself and with XP it doesn't matter. Transfer all your data files to CD-R's and then format your 40 gig. Install 98 on that and then install XP on the 80 gig. XP will recognize 98 and set up the dual boot for you. You can also partition the 80 gig at this point. I used partitions of 20,30,and 30 (the 20 partition for XP and the minimal apps and drivers I install on there. I then install all my apps to one of the 30 gig partitions and use the other one for games and data dump. This way woeks best. and your system will hum. XP does all the work in setting up the dual boot and partitions.

Good luck,
Bill

TuesdayNext....

Wondered for a second what you meant. Just dawned on me. Good thought.

Rckasea....

I thought my biggest problem was formatting the 80 gig HDD into two partitions....untill I looked at some of the info that came with it.

I'll hold off a little while to see if one of your "boys" pops on. Meanwhile, do they know about Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Tools (disk that comes with their HDDs)?

Here's an article on the subject of dual booting Win 98/ME with Win 2000, which may be of interest.
http://www.duxcw.com/digest/Howto/software/windows/dual/

The article is several pages. Click Next at the bottom of the page to get the next page. I don't know how different it is from dual booting with XP, but some things may be similar.

BillyBob if you do what I suggested you'll be trouble free. I've done this and my sytem runs as smooth as a bell. XP does everything for you.

I don't think I have enough "zip" to do all this. I just reinstalled XP on a 40 Gig HDD along with all the other stuff I used to have with it.

Maybe (you tell me) I can make two partitions on the 80 Gig HDD and and put Win98 on one of the partitions and use the other for DATA. If the 80 Gig HDD goes out I wouldn't mind losing and having to reinstall Win98 near as much as I hate to have to go back and install XP on the 80 Gig HDD.

In case I've made this too confusing I'll try to simplify..........for all of us.

40 Gig = XP
80 Gig = Win98/first partition & Data/second partition

Does this make sense? Is it feasible?

As I said to really get it right and the easiest way is to save your data stuff you want to keep, format the 40 gig, then install Win98 then on the new drive install XP (98 must be installed first and then a clean install of XP). XP will find the 98 drive and setup the dual boot and at that point you can also do the partitions of the 80 gig (XP does it all for you (all you have to do is tell it the sizes for each. the reason you have to format the 40 is that XP is now your C:\ drive and Win 98 will only install as C:\ while with XP it doesn't matter (in my system XP is my F:\ drive. Hope this helps and makes sense BB.

Bill

Bill

Sorry, still a little unsure. Is this what you're telling me?........

1. Save the data to a CD R/RW Disk
2. Reformat the 40 Gig HDD
3. Install W98 on the 80 Gig
4. Install XP on the 80 Gig and it will let me partition it with 98 in one partition and XP in the other(?)
5. Make the 98/XP (80 Gig HDD) my Master
6. Make the 40 Gig HDD the Slave (and data drive)

This sound right?

No, install 98 on the 40 gig first and XP on the 80 gig after then partition the 80 gig. Make the 40 gig the master and the 80 the slave (way I have mine set up. 98 on 30 gig master, XP on 80 gig slave (on 3 partitions 20,30,30). 20 gig for XP, 30 gig for apps and 30 gig for games and data dump.

Sure hate to have to reinstall XP again. Guess I'll have to hold off a little while till I get enough "gumpsion" to tackle all that again. Will hang onto the instructions! Appreciate the help.

How about another question.........about CPUs and their ratings/performance?

I have an AMD Athlon 2 Gig CPU in my Win98 machine. System Info shows it at 1.7 Gig

I have a new AMD Semtron 2.3 Gig CPU in my XP machine. System Info shows it at 1.6 Gig

To me, this means the "faster" CPU is running slower than the other. What am I not understanding?

AMD uses an oddball naming convention when it comes to processors. The only Sempron (so far as I am aware) that runs at 1.6 GHz is the 2400+... Is this the model you have?

The fastest is the Sempron 2800+ which clocks in at 2 GHz.

BillyBob I don't know what you did the last time you formatted but it's totally simplistic. Just save your data files then click your "Start button then "run" and type cmd. When you get a Dos prompt (C:\) type:
format C:/q
This will format the whole drive in the blink of an eye. Then install 98 on there.
Then on the new drive install XP, be sure to select FAT32 format or XP won't be able to see the 98 drive and vice versa. What's the problem there? it takes maybe 1/2 hour and you don't even have to stand by other than putting in the product key and the regional settings. It will then notice 98 and set up your dual boot. At this point you can partition the 80 gig XP drive and then use the partition space for data dump apps and games. As I stated before I set up mine 20 gig for the XP OS partition with minimal programs installed there, 30 gig for installed apps and 30 gig for games and data dump. It's really totally simple. I format my entire system about every 5-6 months and general system maintenance and it literally purrs. In fact I just did it this past weekend and had everything set up Sunday (ofcourse I didn't hve to do the partitioning stuff as I only formatted the 98 drive and the XP partition of the 80 gig.

If XP is on an NTFS partition, Windows 98 will not see it.

I have a friend who was trying to set up a dual boot with two Win 98 partitions. I told her it wouldn't work. I didn't think she'd be able to install her Win 98 to D:, but she did. The thing was, she didn't get the choice of which to boot to. After she installed Win 98 to D:, the computer would only boot from D: and not from C:.

If you get Partition Magic, it should allow you to keep your current XP installation, if that's what you want to do. Partition Magic was recently "acquired" by Norton and is up to version 8.0. There are demo versions available.

That's because an AMD at 1.6 GHz is so much faster than a Pentium at 1.6 GHz. You can't compare the two processors GHz for GHz.

No, I have the Semtron 2300+ which show running at 1.6 GHz

The question is.....why is my 2.3 Gig CPU running at a lower rate than my 2.0 Gig AMD Athlon which is shown running at 1.7 GHz??

Doesn't sound right to me.

Because it's not a 2.3 GHz processor. AMD's naming conventions don't follow the Intel format. The numbers following the processor model have nothing to do with the clock frequency .

A sempron 2300 is rated at 1.583 GHz.

I don't find the ratings on the AMD site - but I did find another source - you'll find the rated clock speeds at the bottom of the page.

AMD Sempron

Use to be the case - but, not anymore. HyperThreading changed the whole mix.

BillyBob email me and I'll lead you through it if you want to go my route without having to buy Partition Magic. As I stated the way I told you is the easiest and more fool proof, letting XP do all the work. You won't have the problem Jenny stated if you set XP up as Fat32 on the reinstall.

Bill

2300+ does not mean the processor is running at 2.3 GHz. You can't gauge speed by directly comparing the GHz of the newer Athlon processors to those on the older processors. Their effective speed is faster than their clock speed. That's why AMD came up with their "+" system of denoting processor speed instead of reporting the GHz. A 2300+ AMD processor will run at the same speed as an older 2.3 GHz AMD processor (if they made them that fast) even though it's clocked at only 1.6 GHz.

For comparison, a 3200+ AMD Barton processor runs at 2.2 GHz.

It's still the case. You have to compare a 3.2 GHz Pentium with an AMD 3200+, not with a 3.2 GHz AMD (which doesn't exist, but if it did, it would be way faster than the Pentium).