[jollyr]

Think I'll wait a little longer for more input before I try anything.

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Look good to me Dave.

Murray

[Murray S.]

Look good to me Dave.

Murray

[The Skeptic]

I am interested in this topic because of it's broader implications. It says that with every double installation you have the boot file created in the first installations and you can have serious problems removing it, leaving the others. For some reason I find it somewhat difficult to accept. Couldn't jollyr try the following?:

1: While the two disks are in place copy boot file from the root directory c: and paste it to root directory d:
2: Edit the pasted file to exclude win 98 like suggested by dsenette in a previous post.
3: disconnect disk c.
4: jumper d as master or cable select.
5: connect d to the end connector of the flat cable, where c was connected.
6: Boot (hopefully this will work)
7: connect the disk which was c (with the win98) as slave and format it.

[dsenette]

I am interested in this topic because of it's broader implications. It says that with every double installation you have the boot file created in the first installations and you can have serious problems removing it, leaving the others. For some reason I find it somewhat difficult to accept. Couldn't jollyr try the following?:

1: While the two disks are in place copy boot file from the root directory c: and paste it to root directory d:
2: Edit the pasted file to exclude win 98 like suggested by dsenette in a previous post.
3: disconnect disk c.
4: jumper d as master or cable select.
5: connect d to the end connector of the flat cable, where c was connected.
6: Boot (hopefully this will work)
7: connect the disk which was c (with the win98) as slave and format it.

you know...i was originally under the same assumption...but the more i think of it...the more i realise that the boot.ini file isn't hte only thing that lets a drive boot...it does actually have to have a boot sector (MBR) to be able to boot

[jollyr]

So, if I follow correctly, wouldn't the procedure you described in this post: http://www.geekstogo...74#entry1054474
, create a MBR on my XP drive?

JR

[The Skeptic]

I do some reading about the subject and there is nothing that I can contribute at this stage. I just suggest that a backup of all important data will be performed. This is always a good practice when dealing with the operating system, much more so when dealing with MBRs and other boot and partition related topics.

[jollyr]

One of my lingering concerns is that if following the procedure listed in this post: http://www.geekstogo...74#entry1054474 ;
is not succesful, the changes made to the XP drive may prevent a successful boot-up after reinstalling the Win98 drive as primary (i.e. restoring original HD configuration)

Then after all this I will still have to blow-up my PC and and do a clean install.

I wish I had the time to do all of this but unless the probability that the suggested procedure will work is virtually a sure thing, I would be very reluctant to proceed.

JR

[dsenette]

not being in front of your computer...i can't ever give you a bullet proof guarantee that nothing will go wrong...it's the nature of the business

i can however give you a very strong assurance that even if the above steps do not let you boot directly into XP...they should not cause the 98 disk to boot once you return all the hardware to it's original settings (i.e. jumpers, bios settings and cable placement)....

[jollyr]

not being in front of your computer...i can't ever give you a bullet proof guarantee that nothing will go wrong...it's the nature of the business

i can however give you a very strong assurance that even if the above steps do not let you boot directly into XP...they should not cause the 98 disk to boot once you return all the hardware to it's original settings (i.e. jumpers, bios settings and cable placement)....

I completely understand and am OK with the elements of uncertainty regarding the suggested procedure, but just to clarify your second statement: Do you mean that in all likelyhood the PC should boot successfully after restoring the hardware? (Ref. underlined text in quote, above)

Thank you.

JR

[dsenette]

as long as the 98 disk is completely out of the computer when y ou do the above steps (not required...but it's a heck of a lot safer when you've just gon one drive in teh machine) then nothing can h appen to that drive...no settings on that drive will be changed etc...

[jollyr]

...and the changes to the XP disk should not affect the boot process once the hardware config. is restored?

[dsenette]

right....once the 98 disk is set back to the master drive (with the jumpers and the cable placement and bios settings) then your system will look for the boot info on it not the XP drive once it's back in there

[jollyr]

OK. Am willing to try this, given I should be able to restore the PC to it's pre-experiment state. (I understand there are no iron-clad guarantees)

Just one question, will I still be able to change back the BIOS settings should the PC become un-bootable after the experiment? (i.e. will hitting F8 during or immediately after POST still get me into BIOS settings)

[dsenette]

Just one question, will I still be able to change back the BIOS settings should the PC become un-bootable after the experiment? (i.e. will hitting F8 during or immediately after POST still get me into BIOS settings)

yup...you could take both drives out of the computer and still get to the BIOS....the BIOS is controlled by the motherboard not the hard drives

[jollyr]

I appreciate your continued patience, sir! Need to be cautious and thorough here.

May take a week or so to get to it but I will try this experiment soon. Perhaps something significant will be discovered?

In the mean time and just in case, should any other information be posted here, I'll check this post periodically before I start.

Will post my results upon completion of the experiment.

Best regards,
JR