Steps to install Windows 95 and 98 in two different partitions of the same disk and have boot selector menu? \ VOGONS

Steps to install Windows 95 and 98 in two different partitions of the same disk and have boot selector menu?

Topic actions

First post, by psaez

Posted on 2024-06-20, 10:47

psaez Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 213
Joined: 2024-03-28, 20:51

I created three partitions of my disk. C for windows 95, D for windows 98 and E for data. I have the windows CD installation folders stored on data partition, so I'm installing the OS launching the installers locally without using CD.

First I installed 95 on C correctly, but then, when I tryed to install windows 98 on D, the problems started. First of all, 98 install detected windows 95 and used my previous user name from 95 on the other partition. Then, it seems that it copyed some required install data on C, breaking windows 95 install. After that, when installation ended, as C is visible for 98, it installed temp files and content by default on C, and of course no boot menu was offered.

So I need to solve these main issues:

1. How can I make the windows 95 partition ( C: ) invisible for windows 98 and even for windows 98 installation process? I think that will solve almost everything, because it will not install boot or install required files on windows 95 partition anymore, and later, when installed, it will not put there by default some temp content or files.

2. Which steps I need to do to have a simple boot selection menu that offers 95 or 98?

Thank you

Reply 1 of 5, by wbahnassi

Posted on 2024-06-20, 10:58

wbahnassi Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 769
Joined: 2020-06-03, 00:45

I think you'll need a dedicated boot manager to achieve that. Win98 installer can take the upgrade route if it detected an existing Windows rather than the Clean installation route.

Either way, it will write its boot stuff to C, destroying Win95's boot files. The only way to avoid that is by hiding the C drive partition and activating a different partition to be your new C drive. In the end, this will not offer you a Windows boot menu, and you'll need to toggle between partitions for each OS.

A boot manager should be able to handle all of that for you.

Turbo XT 12MHz, 8-bit VGA, Dual 360K drives
Intel 386 DX-33, Speedstar 24X, SB 1.5, 1x CD
Intel 486 DX2-66, CL5428 VLB, SBPro 2, 2x CD
Intel Pentium 90, Matrox Millenium 2, SB16, 4x CD
HP Z400, Xeon 3.46GHz, YMF-744, Voodoo3, RTX2080Ti

Reply 2 of 5, by quwy

Posted on 2024-06-20, 11:09

quwy Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 23
Joined: 2024-04-20, 01:48

1. Yes. Just hide partition via Partition Magic (for DOS).
2. Win9x does not have any loader with boot menu function. But you can to use loader from Windows NT or even foreign GRUB.

Reply 3 of 5, by psaez

Posted on 2024-06-20, 11:23

psaez Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 213
Joined: 2024-03-28, 20:51

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-06-20, 10:58:

I think you'll need a dedicated boot manager to achieve that. Win98 installer can take the upgrade route if it detected an existing Windows rather than the Clean installation route.

Either way, it will write its boot stuff to C, destroying Win95's boot files. The only way to avoid that is by hiding the C drive partition and activating a different partition to be your new C drive. In the end, this will not offer you a Windows boot menu, and you'll need to toggle between partitions for each OS.

A boot manager should be able to handle all of that for you.

quwy wrote on 2024-06-20, 11:09:

1. Yes. Just hide partition via Partition Magic (for DOS).
2. Win9x does not have any loader with boot menu function. But you can to use loader from Windows NT or even foreign GRUB.

Hi guys, maybe do you have a step y step guide for achieving that? I never used a dedicated boot manager. Don't know how to hide the 95 C before 98 install and how and where should I install that dedicated boot manager.

Reply 4 of 5, by quwy

Posted on 2024-06-20, 12:27

quwy Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 23
Joined: 2024-04-20, 01:48

To hide just run Partition Magic for DOS from any bootable media, select needed partition, then open menu Operations->Advanced->Hide Partition. Don't forget to apply changes before quit.

The simplest way to install NT loader is start NT/2K setup and interrupt it after first reboot. Next delete temporary folders (but not files like NTLDR) from C:\, delete all NT records from BOOT.INI and add here second OS (system from the current active partition will added automatically).

Reply 5 of 5, by psaez

Posted on 2024-06-23, 16:46

psaez Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 213
Joined: 2024-03-28, 20:51

quwy wrote on 2024-06-20, 12:27:

To hide just run Partition Magic for DOS from any bootable media, select needed partition, then open menu Operations->Advanced->Hide Partition. Don't forget to apply changes before quit.

The simplest way to install NT loader is start NT/2K setup and interrupt it after first reboot. Next delete temporary folders (but not files like NTLDR) from C:\, delete all NT records from BOOT.INI and add here second OS (system from the current active partition will added automatically).

any safe place to get partition magic for dos? is it possible to have in on the hard disk, in my data partition and execute it after restarting into msdos mode under windows 95?

once I did that with windows 2000 will it recognice windows 95 and 98? I think i need a little more help with this

EDIT: I'm trying partition magic 4 and it says partition table error #105 found and dont let me do anything. I'm using a SSD with a IDE to SATA adapter so maybe that is the issue. Also partitions where created as mbr disk under widnows 10. Also the disk is 256 gb, maybe those are the issues. Anything different from partition magic that can work? Maybe is possible to hide the disk using fdisk?

Go to top of page Go to top of page

Back to General Old Hardware