WinME & XP Dual Boot

[Antallica]

Does anyone know if it's possible to put WinME on my machine and have XP on a second partiton without having to format and install ME and then XP?. I have XP Home already loaded on.

 

[Qumahlin]

If you install ME onto a completely separate parition you can then use the windows xp recovery options to create a new boot file and such so that you can choose which os when you turn the computer on, or you could edit the boot.ini yourself

i'm just curious why you would want ME though? ME imho is complete crap, 98SE is 10 times better then ME

but it is possible, it also makes it easier if you have a program like partition magic or such cause then you can have it be the boot loader and when you install the os it will give you the option of dual boot

 

[Mister Zee]

First, you have to defrag your whole computer to prepare for a partitionning. Once the defrag is done, perform a scandisk (automaticaly fix errors checked), and then get yourself a copy of Partition Magic 6 or earlier (I won't tell you where to get that though).

Resize your main partition and create a new one in the free space that it created. Make it a logical partition, with FAT 32 system on it (if you make it primary, you won't see the other drive from within Windows ME).

Once you've done that, rebooted and all the partitioning is done, you will need to make sure your BIOS can boot with a CD.

Do that and boot with Windows XP cd, that will start the setup. During the installation (the blue screens) you will be asked where you want to install XP, make sure you select the partition you created for XP, and continue with the installation.

Unless I missed something, you should then have 2 choices when you boot. Windows XP on top, and Windows ME under. If you don't see it, no biggie.. You will have to boot with which ever boots, then go on the main drive, and edit the boot.ini file, look how it's done for the line of XP, and copy it, by changing the description of menu entry and changing the number of the mounted volume (where you see 2 on the XP line, put 1, since ME is on the first partition).

If all this sounds too complicated and you think I'm speaking chinese, maybe it's best if someone with more experience does it for you or assists you while you do it. Just make sure you don't mess it up. I know the best way to learn is to try and re-try again, but I'm sure you don't want to reformat the whole thing =P So be careful.

 

[cbloss]

Originally posted by Mister Zee
and then get yourself a copy of Partition Magic 6 or earlier (I won't tell you where to get that though).

What is wrong with Partition Magic 7? You can get it at http://www.powerquest.com

 

[Mister Zee]

Err, I meant anything from 6 and above, not earlier.. sorry. As per where to get it, yeah.. I'm sure he can figure out where to buy it.. but you know that's not what I was talking about *cough* *cough*.

 

[dabomb]

when i turn my computer on it asks me which operating system i want to boot up with it asks me for Windows 2000 or Windows XP how do i get rid of 2000 from there so when i turn the computer on it just boots up automatically without me having to select

 

[dabomb]

anyone? please

 

[G-Money]

Why do you want ME ????

 

[dabomb]

i dont want ME i just want to know how to take it off the bootup screen

 

[G-Money]

Originally posted by Antallica
Does anyone know if it's possible to put WinME on my machine and have XP on a second partiton without having to format and install ME and then XP?. I have XP Home already loaded on.

From the first post it just sounds like you WANT "ME" on your system.

Taking it off would be different.

I would think you would need to format and kill the partition that the other OS is on. Then install XP.

 

[Antallica]

ME Sucks

Yes everyone is correct, ME is the crappiest OS Microsoft has ever made, I was just wondering if it was possible at all to have ME (or Win98SE) installed without nuking my HD and reistalling from scratch. Cheers anyway

 

[dabomb]

so can anyone help me out now the other guys sorted please

 

[dabomb]

helloooooo? anyone?

 

[Zedric]

OK, OK, chill man!

Check your C:\. There's a file (hidden) called Boot.ini. Open it in Notepad. The OS's you have (or the computer thinks you have) are located under [operating systems].

On mine it's:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

 

[Lukas]

OR

right-click on my computer -> take properties. Then go to the page called 'start up and recovery', adn there somewhere should you have a possibility to adjust the period that windows waits for you to select the OS to start. Just set it to 0 and there you go...

You won't have to wipe out you partition info in the boot.ini, so you can easily go back if you still want to start Win ME.

I would recommend deleting that $h*t from your HD. WinME that is...