Multi-Booting Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 95/98, and MS-DOS

ID: Q217210

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

SUMMARY

You can configure an Intel x86-based computer to multiple boot MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT, and Windows 2000. You should install these operating systems in the following order:

  1. MS-DOS


  2. Windows 95 or Windows 98


  3. Windows NT


  4. Windows 2000


Install each operating system according to its standard installation procedure. You can start Windows 95 or Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 from the boot loader screen.

NOTE: Each operating system (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and so on) should be installed on a separate logical drive. Installing multiple operating systems on single drive can cause problems.


MORE INFORMATION

You can configure your computer to start Windows 2000, Windows NT, and either Windows 95 or Windows 98. However, you cannot configure a computer to multiple boot Windows 95 and Windows 98. Both Windows 95 and Windows 98 use the same boot file. Therefore, multiple booting Windows 95 and Windows 98 at the same time is not supported.

Your installations are less prone to problems if you install Windows 95 or Windows 98 before you install Windows NT and Windows 2000. This order is recommended because sometimes Windows 95 or Windows 98 replaces a Windows 2000 or Windows NT boot sector with its own boot sector. Because a Windows 95 or Windows 98 boot sector identifies the partition as a FAT16 partition, Windows NT and Windows 2000 can no longer access NTFS volumes. To install Windows 95 or Windows 98 first, use the installation procedures provided with the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Companion CD-ROM.

If you want to multiple boot Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 95 or Windows 98, and MS-DOS, you should install MS-DOS first.

To Start MS-DOS from the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Startup Menu

  1. Select Windows 95 or Windows 98 from the boot loader screen.


  2. Press ENTER.


  3. To display the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Startup menu, press F8.


  4. To start MS-DOS, select "Previous version of MS-DOS."


To Start MS-DOS Directly

  1. Select Windows 95 or Windows 98 from the boot loader screen.


  2. Press ENTER.


  3. To start MS-DOS, press F4.


Another way to start the three operating systems is to configure your computer to dual-boot Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows 95 or Windows 98, and then start MS-DOS from an MS-DOS bootable floppy disk. If you dual-boot Windows 2000 and MS-DOS, or Windows NT and MS-DOS, you can install Windows 95 or Windows 98 by using the following procedure.

To Install Windows 95 or Windows 98 in a Windows 2000/MS-DOS or Windows NT/MS-DOS Dual-Boot Configuration

  1. Shut down Windows 2000 (or Windows NT) and click Restart The Computer in the Shut Down Windows dialog box.


  2. Select MS-DOS from the boot loader screen.


  3. Install Windows 95 or Windows 98 in a folder separate from the Windows 2000 (or Windows NT) %SystemRoot% folder.


After you successfully install Windows 95 or Windows 98 and restart the computer, the Windows 2000 boot loader screen appears, allowing you to choose between MS-DOS and Windows 2000 (or Windows NT). If you choose MS-DOS, Windows 95 or Windows 98 starts.

To Start MS-DOS from Windows 95 or Windows 98

  1. On the View menu in My Computer or Windows Explorer, click Options (or Folder Options).


  2. On the Options tab, click Show All Files, and then click OK to return to My Computer or Windows Explorer.


  3. In the list of files, double-click the Msdos.sys file to open it.


  4. On the File menu, click Properties.


  5. In the Attributes section on the General tab, click to clear the Read-Only and Hidden check boxes, and then click OK.


  6. Using a text editor (such as Notepad), add the following line to the [Options] section of the Msdos.sys file:
    BootMulti=1


  7. Save and then close the Msdos.sys file.


Upgrading Windows 95 or Windows 98

If you upgrade or reinstall Windows 95 or Windows 98, Setup deletes certain files that it finds in your MS-DOS folder and replaces them with the Windows 95 or Windows 98 version in the Windows 95 or Windows 98 folder and the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Command folder. The following files are deleted and replaced by Windows 95 or Windows 98 Setup:
Ansi.sys
Attrib.sys
Chkdsk.exe
Choice.com
Country.sys
Dblspace.bin
Dblspace.exe
Dblspace.sys
Debug.exe
Defrag.exe
Deltree.exe
Diskcopy.exe
Display.sys
Doskey.com
Drvspace.bin
Drvspace.exe
Edit.com
Edit.hlp
Ega.cpi
Emm386.exe
Fc.exe
Fdisk.exe
Find.exe
Format.com
Help.com
Keyb.com
Keyboard.sys
Label.exe
Mem.exe
Mode.com
More.com
Move.exe
Mscdex.exe
Msd.exe
Networks.txt
Nlsfunc.exe
Os2.txt
Ramdrive.sys
Readme.txt
Scandisk.exe
Scandisk.ini
Server.exe
Share.exe
Smartdrv.exe
Sort.exe
Start.exe
Subst.exe
Subst.exe
Sys.com
Xcopy.exe

Additional query words: win2000hotsetup kbfaqw98w2k

Keywords : kbenv
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: January 31, 2000
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