Help!! Grief installing a second OS

[Mubbers]

I'm trying to install win 95b as a second OS on my new XP home machine.

I'm using partition magic 7.0 to create the primary drive and have so far had zero luck. I'm also using a startup disk from bootdisk.com [via this site]. The software does not seem to directly be the problem as the errors I get appear to relate to hardware.

When I try and install win 95b from the CD it hangs up detecting hardware. On the second attempt [in safe mode] it installs but when it tries to start it hangs up and refers to an 'IOS' error.

I'm completely lost!

Helppppppppppppppppp...................

 

[gearjammer1980]

Hey man, just a couple days ago I went through the very same thing! Except that I wanted the second OS to be Windows 2000 Pro. I tried Partition Magic Pro 7 and it would not help me out. Well, after a few hours researching I found that the older OS has to be installed first. After Win9x is installed and going, settings all set and all that stuff, you put in XP cd and tell it to "New Install" and put it in another partition and it will give you the option of booting either one at startup. For instance, I have a 20GB drive; first partition is 2GB for Win2k @ FAT32, second partition is 10GB for XP @ NTFS, and third is 8GB for data on the FAT32 system. Hope you're not confused by now and that this helps some. I know it's a painstaking task, but in the end it is worth it when everything is working well.

 

[Chernobyl]

This is by far the easiest way to have 2 OS's on the same machine. Sure it involves changing the boot drive in the CMOS, but you get NONE of the hassles.

1) you need 2 hard drives (unless you are ok with changing your active partition and you know how to make a second partition FAT32 and as a primary )

2) In your CMOS, change the boot drive to the second hard disk drive.

3) Boot using that drive or from a floppy/CD and install to drive C:

To change OS, simply change the boot drive in yer CMOS.


If you are unsure of what you are doing, unplug the drive with your current OS while you install, that way you cant accidentally install onto it. Once they are both plugged back in, changing the boot drive in the CMOS switches between the OS's

Let me know if you like this, I have used this method, oooh ever since I've been able to change boot drives in the CMOS.

 

[Lonman]

...refers to an 'IOS' error.

Here's an article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q138899

It looks like this particular error can be generated by a few things... hopefully the article will help you pin down a solution. Good luck.

 

[Mubbers]

I replaced HDD with Win 95 HDD from my old computer and got the same vague IOS error on boot up. So it's nothing to do with XP.

In the end I did get slightly further in that the computer eventually booted up in 'safe mode' - although by this stage it was in severe danger of being chucked out of the window!

Because it was in safe mode I wasn't even able to detect new hardware or load new drivers (from the internet).

Q: And why am I going to all this trouble?

A: My 4 year old daughter want's to play a game called Babyz (like Dogz but you look after Babies instead!).

NNNNNGGGGG.

 

[Lonman]

The game won't run in compatibility mode for you? If it installs ok, right click on it's icon> properties> 'compatibility' tab.

 

[Bytes Back]

Heres a daft idea

Have you tried underclocking your machine and then trying again ?

Back in the dark ages (amd k62) people changing processors found that if they went above 300mhz windows 95 wouldn't boot about 1 time in three. 350mhz 2 failed out of three and 400+ = never.

AMD released a patch to cure this, but the patch runs from windows and so you must underclock to install window, install the patch, and then put the clock to normal

Thing is, if you have a pentium then all this doesn't apply

 

[allan]

When installing multiple operating systems, you always need to install the earliest (oldest) OS first.

 

[Mubbers]

I tried running the game in compatibility mode when I got it - no joy.

I'm not buying into the idea about having to install Win 95 first...

...I ran the computer using a single Win 95 hard drive from my old computer. The new HDD with XP on was sitting next to me on the desk! So unless XP stands for Xtra sensory Perception I don't think it had anything to do with the problem.

I'm getting hold of Win 98 and will see how I get on with that. In that insatnce if I have to wipe XP will it be restoreable from the rescue disk as the computer did not come with the full version...?

As for under clocking I have a pentium so I soubt the AMD patch would work.

Thank's for trying guys - but it looks like I'm gonna have to live with the pain of not being able to play 'Babyz', fortunately RTCW runs fine!

RT

 

[Lonman]

I'm getting hold of Win 98 and will see how I get on with that. In that insatnce if I have to wipe XP will it be restoreable from the rescue disk as the computer did not come with the full version...?

Yeah, you shouldn't have a problem there as far as restoring XP... to be safe, read your documentation and be familiar with the operation. I believe all you'd need to do is boot to the restoration cd, just read your manual to make sure.