How to create a multiple-boot system with MS-DOS, Windows 95 or Windows 98, and Windows XP

You will be less likely to encounter problems installing a multiple-boot system with MS-DOS, Windows 95 or Windows 98, and Windows XP if you install these operating systems in the following order: MS-DOS, Windows 95 or Windows 98, and then Windows XP.

If you have Windows XP installed on a volume formatted as FAT, and you have another free volume formatted as FAT or FAT32, you can install Windows 98 to the free volume without reformatting your hard drive.

After ensuring that your hard drive is formatted with the correct file system, do one of the following:

• If you want a multiple-boot system with MS-DOS, Windows 95 or Windows 98, and Windows XP, install MS-DOS, then Windows 95 or Windows 98, and then Windows XP.
• If you want a dual-boot system with only Windows 95 or Windows 98, install Windows 95 or Windows 98, and then install Windows XP.

Important

Before creating a multiple-boot configuration with Windows XP and another operating system, such as MS-DOS, Windows 95, or Windows 98, review the following precautions:

• Each operating system must be installed on a separate volume. Microsoft does not support installing multiple operating systems on the same volume.
• If you have only one volume on your computer, you must reformat and repartition your hard drive to contain multiple volumes before you begin creating a multiple-boot configuration, unless you are simply installing another copy of Windows XP.
• You cannot install both Windows 95 and Windows 98 in a multiple-boot configuration. Windows 98 is intended as an upgrade to Windows 95 and will try to use the same boot file.
• You must install Windows XP only after installing MS-DOS, Windows 95, or Windows 98 to prevent MS-DOS or Windows 95 from overwriting the Windows XP boot sector and the Windows XP startup files.
• Do not install Windows XP on a compressed drive that was not compressed using the NTFS compression utility.
• You must use a different computer name for each operating system if the computer is on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP secure domain.