Metropol

Hello

I have recently partioned my drive to install multiple operating systems to test something, so I'm not bothered if something fails. I am trying to install Windows 98 but it keeps complaining that it wants to format my C drive, the one I am using right now, though I want to install it on to a dtive H, one of the partitions.

How can I tell Windows 98 that I want to install it onto a drive other than C?

Many thanks

quick answer - don't bother doing it that way.

use Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 - it's now a free download:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtua ... s/sp1.mspx

you can install virtual copies of as many operating systems as you want for testing (you don't need to partition your drive - everything is contained within a couple of files), and if you've got the space you keep backups of all your different installs so you can set up Windows just as you want it, do your testing and then when you're done you can resort back to the 'virgin' image you created - you don't need to keep reinstalling your test windows setup everytime you break it then.

trust me, don't go down the partition route, it is more trouble than it's worth to get working correctly, just do a virtual machine and when you're finished playing you haven't broken your main install of windows.

Thanks mate. I wasn't too sure about Virtual PC before but I'll give it a go.

I was asking my uncle about doing what I was trying to do, though he said it isn't recommended because of all the Dos and NT based teccy-stuff, and that drivers would "die". Why would this happen if they are technically different drives?

one of the things i've seen on a pc where somebody have tried to do a dual boot on is that the windows folder for the other operating system was on drive d:, but the program files folder was on drive c: this had the side effect of completely destroying both installations of windows when he tried to repair the other (hence why i was asked to try and sort it out). i can't remember which version if windows this was with - maybe windows 98 and windows 2000.


if done properly dual boots can work well, and there are a few 3rd party boot loaders and products which can make the management of multiple oses easier, but like i said earler, if all you want to do is test things on windows 98 (or any other operating system) just use virtual pc. there is zero risk of trashing your computer as the virtual machines are completely seperate and unless you have a really specific technical reason as to why you need to dual boot, just stay away from it - i've not seen a dual boot pc used in a business environment for 8 years.

Reeves wrote:How can I tell Windows 98 that I want to install it onto a drive other than C?

Simple answer - you don't. One major drawback with 98 is that it wants to be the only operating system on the drive and with that attitude comes the inevitable decision that it wants Drive C and bugger anything else that's already there.

Virtual PC would be the way to go, as stated. Plus you can do what you want with this and damage nothing too

Just been trying Windows 98 on Virtual PC and it's working fantastic. Thanks, guys. However, I've got hold of Windows 95 (or Windows 95b to be exact) and it doesn't want to load at startup for some reason (using the whole boot to cd procedure).

Why is this?

from memory, windows 95b was only ever distributed to oems - it is possible that the disk you're using has some sort of protection on it to prevent it from being used on a different type of computer - it's difficult to know without the full error message it's producing.

if not, try creating an ms-dos start up disk with cd-rom drivers on - you can (iirc) create one of these with windows 98 - (i think the option is in add/remove programs in the control panel, it's been ages since i used w98) and boot with that.

just out of interest, why to you want to access these old operating systems?

Dr Lobster* wrote:just out of interest, why to you want to access these old operating systems?

For curiousity and to test old software I have.

By the way, I've made the startup disk but how do I get the CD Drivers on?

copy the file mscdex.exe from the c:\windows\command folder from your windows 9x installation.

http://www.gorillaenterprises.co.uk/upl ... kcdrom.sys

download the above file and copy it to the root directory of the floppy disk.

add this line to the config.sys file in the root of drive a:

device=a:\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001

add this file to the autoexec.bat in the root of drive a:

a:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001

then, your cd-rom drive should be mounted on the next available drive letter (it might be c: or d:, depending on if the drive is partitioned) run the setup utility from the windows cdrom.

Reeves wrote:Just been trying Windows 98 on Virtual PC and it's working fantastic. Thanks, guys. However, I've got hold of Windows 95 (or Windows 95b to be exact) and it doesn't want to load at startup for some reason (using the whole boot to cd procedure).

Why is this?

Virtual PC uses your actual computer processor to run, and uses its own motherboard.

Windows 95 fell over completely when processor clock speeds started exceeding 350Mhz in mid 1998 and wouldn't boot. A patch was available, but only for AMDs.

EDIT: Actually, this has nothing to do with your posted problem, but its something to bear in mind.

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