dual-booting: why does the older OS have to be installed first?

Bellator · Dec 23, 2006, 10:19 PM

I would like to dual boot Windows 98 SE and Windows XP. I already have Windows XP installed. I read up a little about dual booting and everything, including M$'s site, says that the older OS needs to be installed first. Why is this?

What would happen if I left XP installed, created a new partition, booted from CD and installed 98 SE on the new partition? Why wouldn't this work?

Thanks

**temeteus82** · Dec 23, 2006, 10:28 PM

It's simple. Older OS don't know how to boot newer os...

Bellator · Dec 23, 2006, 10:51 PM

can't you manually edit the boot.ini so it would work? (not that i have the faintest idea what to put in there)

coldfrontt · Dec 23, 2006, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellator

I would like to dual boot Windows 98 SE and Windows XP. I already have Windows XP installed. I read up a little about dual booting and everything, including M$'s site, says that the older OS needs to be installed first. Why is this?

What would happen if I left XP installed, created a new partition, booted from CD and installed 98 SE on the new partition? Why wouldn't this work?

Thanks

because XP's boot manager will not recognize 98 if it is installed later. Your motherboards bios will only look for the primary partion for boot-up information. If you did 98, then xp, xp will recognize there is a separate bootable partion during installation and set itself up to allow multiple os's. 98 won't do that with newer os's.

Dec 23, 2006, 10:19 PM	#1
Bellator DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 166 Rep Power: 0	dual-booting: why does the older OS have to be installed first? I would like to dual boot Windows 98 SE and Windows XP. I already have Windows XP installed. I read up a little about dual booting and everything, including M$'s site, says that the older OS needs to be installed first. Why is this? What would happen if I left XP installed, created a new partition, booted from CD and installed 98 SE on the new partition? Why wouldn't this work? Thanks

Dec 23, 2006, 10:51 PM	Thread Starter #3
Bellator DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 166 Rep Power: 0	can't you manually edit the boot.ini so it would work? (not that i have the faintest idea what to put in there)