xp/win 98 se partitioning question....

Do I have to reformat my drive if I am running XP on a single partition, and want to dual boot xp/and 98? Can i just use partition magic to create a new partition and format it or do i definately have to format the whole thing and start from scratch?

 

Generally, the oldest OS should be on the earliest partition. I have tried with the latest first but not succeeded.

In previous posts on this topic I have had just one person who disagrees with me.

You can try with Partition Magic first to see who is right but do backup your valuable data first as there is no going back if PM makes a mess of it.

 

I feel the answer is yes. There is a way to do it without formating but it can get real messy. You need to use Partition magic to create a partition before your Win XP partition install Win 98 to this partition. After Win 98 is installed reinstall Win XP using the repair option be sure to let Partition Magic repair the drive letters after the reboot or Win XP will be all messed up and need to be reinstalled anyway.

Here are some links that may help.

How to multi-boot Windows XP
Microsoft Expert Zone Multi-booting made easy
MSKB How to multi-boot Windows XP


Microsoft's instructions on how to use Fdisk and Format