I have been running Windows XP fine on my PC. I decided to install Windows 98 to run a game that I couldnt run. I put a second drive in, but 98 only seems to install on the first physical drive. I made a separate partition on drive 1, and installed it. I could boot into 98 now, but not XP. I tried to fix this with the XP cd's repair option, but now all I get when I start up is a message saying that NTLDR is missing. Please help!
can't boot pc. help!!!
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magicdanw
Previous versions to Windows XP should always be installed first. Though there are ways to install win 98 after XP, it's a hassle.
MSKB explains it here.
Previous versions to Windows XP should always be installed first. Though there are ways to install win 98 after XP, it's a hassle.
MSKB explains it here.
I now realize this, but how to I get my computer to boot up again? Also, at one point I did manage to get 98 running on the other disk, but then removed it. This was a while ago, so I don't remember how I did it, but maybe there is some way to install 98 after XP?
Note: I just read that I could take the boot files from another computer and use them to boot off a floppy. I did this and got into DOS, but here's the thing: I can't find my main partition. I see the second partition (which for some reason got the 98 installation logs) and the second drive (which got windows 98, even though it's only supposed to install on the second hard drive.) Hopefully this will help.
Note: I just read that I could take the boot files from another computer and use them to boot off a floppy. I did this and got into DOS, but here's the thing: I can't find my main partition. I see the second partition (which for some reason got the 98 installation logs) and the second drive (which got windows 98, even though it's only supposed to install on the second hard drive.) Hopefully this will help.
magicdanw,
The second part of your post confuses me. However, since you could boot into win 98, I would suggest you do a Repair Install of XP. That should put the boot.ini file on win 98 installation, which ought to be on C: partition.
How to install Win 98 after Win XP:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm
The second part of your post confuses me. However, since you could boot into win 98, I would suggest you do a Repair Install of XP. That should put the boot.ini file on win 98 installation, which ought to be on C: partition.
How to install Win 98 after Win XP:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm
I think you misunderstood me. Several months ago, I installed 98 as a second OS, and then removed it. Now I've tried to get it back. At first I could only boot into 98, but then I tried to do the fix mbr option on the Windows XP CD. This caused me to get the message on boot-up. At this point I can:
1. boot up with the Windows XP and 98 CDs (not into the OS's though, just to the setup menus)
2. boot into DOS with a boot floppy I made with another XP machine's boot files. However, in this DOS, none of the drive letters correspond to that of my XP partition, although I have seen this partition in the XP CD's repair mode.
I recently converted to NTFS, which I read somwhere will copy the boot info to another part of the drive, and can be used as a backup if the original is damaged. Do you know of any tools to do this in DOS?
(Sorry if this is confusing. Post replies for clarification of anything. And thanks again for your help!)
1. boot up with the Windows XP and 98 CDs (not into the OS's though, just to the setup menus)
2. boot into DOS with a boot floppy I made with another XP machine's boot files. However, in this DOS, none of the drive letters correspond to that of my XP partition, although I have seen this partition in the XP CD's repair mode.
I recently converted to NTFS, which I read somwhere will copy the boot info to another part of the drive, and can be used as a backup if the original is damaged. Do you know of any tools to do this in DOS?
(Sorry if this is confusing. Post replies for clarification of anything. And thanks again for your help!)
Boot with the XP CD and do a fixboot at the Recovery Consol. If that doesn't work, do a repair install.
Unless you have critical data you want to save, if I were in that situation I'd boot with XP CD, delete all partitions, create two partitions, install win 98 on first (C: ) and then XP on second (D: ). Use the other HDD as slave.
But do wait for more advice before doing that.
Unless you have critical data you want to save, if I were in that situation I'd boot with XP CD, delete all partitions, create two partitions, install win 98 on first (C: ) and then XP on second (D: ). Use the other HDD as slave.
But do wait for more advice before doing that.
I've tried both the fixboot and fixmbr commands, and still the same messages. Is there any way to re-install XP without erasing programs and data? Or do you know of any other commands to fix or restore the boot files?
NEvermind. Thanks a lot for your help, I just found a program called MBRWizard that solved the problem. My Windows XP MBR is fine, just that partition was set to be unactive for booting when I installed 98. I used the util to change this, and it boot fine. Thanks.
Glad you fixed it!
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