Triple Boot Questions - boot.ini editing

[Echo Kilo]

I have my HD partitioned with 3 primary partitions.

It looks like this:

Partition 1 - Win 98
Partition 2 - Win 2000
Partition 3 - Win XP

When I installed each OS, I hid the other partitions during install. This way, I can boot each one if I hide the others. Now I have unhid them and edited the boot.ini of Windows XP to succesfully load XP and 2000.

However, I cannot seem to get it to load Windows 98.

Here's how it looks:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Win 98" /fastdetect

Is there something special I have to do to boot Windows 98. As I said, I can hide XP and Windows 98 will boot fine.

 

[Samm]

I assume that the entry for XP under [operating systems] is meant to read ..disk(0)... not disk(1) if all your OS's are on the same drive.

Heres a copy of my boot.ini file, I also triple boot win98/2000/XP. Only difference is, I have win98 & 2000 on one hard drive & XP in the primary partition of the second hard drive.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Server" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

 

[psman]

hey hey hey were did you find this:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Win 98" /fastdetect
THIS IS WRONG
we cant boot 98 like this
C:\="Microsoft Windows"
C:\ is a vareable depending on the partition with 98
Im a boot Pro if u need any help pm me

 

[psman]

by the way why would u need 98, 2000,XP
98,2000 are almost the same get ride of one of them dude

 

[Samm]

by the way why would u need 98, 2000,XP
98,2000 are almost the same get ride of one of them dude

psman, in what way precisely, are 98 & 2000 pro the same?
The only real similarity between them is that both 98 & 2k are often a damn sight more reliable than XP.

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

You could go right into the Windows XP Recovery Console, then have the system detect and re-write the master boot record. Much basic...right :amazed: ?

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Oh...oh yeah....whats up with having XP and Win2k on a dual boot :freak: ???

I find that Win2k is a tad speedier. For example, I can't play High Definition Movies in Windows XP very well. It's all choppy. But when I play it in Win2k even multi tasking, it runs smoothly with no problem.

Also, if for some reason my Windows XP Partition goes koo koo, I can use Win2k temporarily, or even to diagnose the problem.

 

[Samm]

Right on, Alvin C

Windows 2000 is generally far more stable & secure than XP, it's been around longer & had most of it's bugs ironed out.

 

[Echo Kilo]

So what command that runs the tool in XP that will redetect my installed OS's and....

how should I have my partitions during this? All partitions active? All bootable?

 

[Samm]

To use the recovery console, you basically need to run the XP install CD & select R for recovery in the setup screen.

Once in recovery console, type: bootcfg /rebuild
this will scan your drives & automatically creates a boot.ini file.

Alternatively, you can create it manually from recovery console by typing : map
this will show you disk & partition info which should help you re-create boot.ini. Doesn't create the file for you though, so have to write down the info & alter boot.ini outside of recovery console.

Whatever method you use, backup the file first obviously.