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gferrell

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Booting to WinXP

I have a dual boot system with Win98 and Win2k.  I am adding WinXP.  What I would like to do is install winXP in its own bootable partition using a boot manager to access it and my other two operating systems.  I've tried several times to install to extended or primary partitions, but it just adds itself to the boot.ini and boots from the FAT16 partition, then to whatever op sys I select.  That is okay for now, but I would eventually like to get rid of win98 and win2k, but that will be difficult if I am booting from my win98 partition. My question is: Is there a way I can install the way I described using a 3rdparty boot manager, if not, how do I make it the primary boot partition after it is installed?
Avatar of Patricia Siu-Lai Ho
Patricia Siu-Lai Ho
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gferrell, I hope that I do understand your question like this: -

You may go to the root of your C drive, there is a system hidden file boot.ini
If you cannot find it, under Command Prompt of Windows 2000,
At the root of C drive,
C:\>attrib -h -r -s *.*        <hit enter>
You can find it now.

Use text editor or notepad to open it.
You may find there are several lines of dual boots for your [operating systems].
Path1=Description of the Operating System 1, the most recent installed
Path2=Description of the Operating System 2
Path3=Description of the Operating System 3, previously installed

Replace the path after the equal sign of "Default=" by changing it to the path of your preferred operating
system.  
e.g.
Default=Path 1
Change it exactly by replacing the Path 1 to Path 3 as stated in the [operating systems] without the
words of "=Description of the Operating System 3".

Okay and Save the boot.ini.

Restart computer.

I assume that your Windows XP is in the path of PATH3, here, for an example.

Let me know how you made it out.

Patricia / pslh
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gferrell

ASKER

Hi Patricia,

I am currently booting using the boot.ini from my win98(C:) partition.  The WinXP installation detects this partition, and keeps it the primary.  I would like to know how I can boot from my WinXP partition. I would like to eventually have XP the only operating system. I can install a third party boot manager to access my win98/win2k partitions.

I have another system that I've installed WinXP on fresh, and can see what files are in the root(ntldr, NTdetect, etc.), but simply copying those files and making the partition primary may not be enough. Is there a command, or perhaps do I have to do a setup or setup repare once the other partitions are gone?

Another problem is XP takes the first available drive letter, in this case "I:". I would rather it shift the other letters down and take c:, but the disk manager will not change the drive letter.  

It seems like I will have to temprarily move the other partitions to another drive so that WinXP will have the drive to itself durring install, then move the other partitions back. That would be a bit of work:)
gferrell,

I think you'll need to make an unpartitioned space as Primay Bootable partition.  
Then install WinXP in this partition.

Since you've changed the master boot record to have 2 primary partition, have you fix the master boot record?

You may use Win98 bootable floppy to boot into command mode.
At the C prompt, type "Fdisk /mbr" without quotation.

See if that helps.

Patricia  
I went ahead and moved the other patitions to another drive then removed the drive.  Then installed XP by itself and added the other partitions back after.  This worked, but wasn't the the easy solution I was looking for.  
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Mindphaser

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