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Multiboot

Cookbook to install Dos, Windows 98, Windows 2000 Professional and Linux on unique computer :

  1. Partitioning IDE drive
  2. Install Dos 6.2x
  3. Install Windows 98se
  4. Install Windows 2000 Professional
  5. Installer Linux with SuSE 7.0 distribution
  6. Setting multiboot with LILO
  7. Saving boot sectors

Introduction

This page describes how to install and make cohabit several Windows versions and Linux.

The boot setup described here has been carried out in November 2000 onto my Dell Computer Dimension 4100 thus most influencing features are hard drive type which is IDE, its large size of 30GB (>8GB so more than 1024 cylinders) and Dell A05 BIOS. Operating system releases installed here are :

I choose LILO as my boot loader because it's free and popular, my setup provides one boot screen with 4 selections : the 2 Windows and 2 Linux kernels.

1. Partitioning IDE drive

My computer is fitted with one 30GB IDE drive (Quantum Fireball Plus LM30.0). I suggest to separate data from application software and to place system partitions at the beginning of the disk. System partitions must be placed under the first 1024 cylinders to ensure LILO working well (as from December 2000, a LILO release managing partitions beyond cylinder 1024 is available from SuSE 7.0 updates).

Create system partitions below cylinder 1024:

Create non-system partitions for the rest of the dish:

For example, here's detail of my partitions.

2. Install Dos 6.2x

Boot with DOS setup disk and select to install DOS in folder C:\DOS62. Finish installation as usual.

Your computer now boots Dos 6.2x (it's time to save the boot sector as suggested in point 7).

3. Install Windows 98se

Make Windows 98 installation onto E: (drive letter may not change from now). Make partition E: bootable copying all files from root C:\ to root E:\ (from Windows displaying system and hidden files) then type command sys c: e: from DOS window (ignore message impossible to copy command.com).

Now your computer boots Windows 98, and Dos 6.2x if you press F8 at startup. It's time to save the boot sector as described in point 7.

In case of problem, or before installing, you may read the page Install Windows 98se onto Dell Dimension 4100.

4. Install Windows 2000 Professional

For Dell Dimension 4100, boot with Windows 2000 Restore CD (check BIOS settings to boot on CD drive before Hard drive HD-IDE) and install Windows 2000 onto D: (the drive letter may not change from now).

Your computer now boots regarding your choice Windows 2000 or Windows 98 thanks to NTLDR (NT Loader) and Dos 6.2x if you press F8 at startup after Windows 98 choice.

It's again time to save the boot sector as suggested.

5. Install Linux with SuSE 7.0 distribution

Boot with SuSE 7.0 CD n°1 and proceed to installation with YaST2. SuSE partitioning works fin,e with Dell Dimension 4100 fitted with 30GB IDE hard drive : create and format /boot, /, swap and /home. Choose to install LILO into /boot. For packages if your computer is fitted with NVIDIA GeForce AGP adapter you should read my tips and tricks page.

Your computer now boots Linux (by default) and on windows choice, LILO launches NTLDR with same capabilities Offered in previous point.

6. Setting multiboot with LILO

You can make your own welcoem banner by editing /boot/message.

You can modify /etc/lilo.conf to start all Windows systems directly from LILO :

win2k Windows 2000 Professionnel
win98 Windows 98
linux Linux
suse Linux SuSE default kernel

You can see my own file lilo.conf, the setup is enabled with command /sbin/lilo (su mode), the boot images are:

/dev/hda1 Windows 2000 Professionnel
/dev/hda6 Windows 98
/dev/hda2 Linux (all kernels /boot)
/dev/hda2 Linux SuSE default kernel

Modify c:\boot.ini (easy from Windows setup panel - System - Advanced - Startup and recovery...) to avoid selection screen from NTLDR because you don't need it any more to start Windows 98.

To boot MS-Dos :

the simplest is to start Windows 98 and then choose Restart in DOS mode (useful for DOS only utilitie like Partition Magic).

7. Saving boot sectors

Following some partitions handling (move with Partition Magic for example), a system partition may loose its boot sector. I had to cope with this case after moving my Windows 98 partition, it wasn't bootable any longer from LILO.

I use Jean-Claude Bellamy solution: he offers a small DOS utility, saveboot.bat, which saves boot sector in a file and another utility, restboot.bat, which restores boot sector from the previous file.

To save partition C: boot sector : C:\ saveboot bootsect.w98

It seems that this tool works only with C: thus I proceed to save right after DOS installation into bootsect.620 file and I archive all files in root (C:\) to root620.zip file. I repeat saving after Windows 98 installation into bootsect.w98 and rootw98.zip then after Windows 2000 into bootsect.w2k and rootw2k.zip.

For more details, see Jean-Claude Bellamy's page (in French) and my Windows 98se boot recovery process.

Bibliography

From Bever : Multiboot MS-DOS 6.22 - Windows98 - Windows NT Server 4.0 (or Windows 2000) - Linux (- FreeBSD 3.3 & BeOS 5 PE)

Microsoft's world multiboot from Bellamy (in French) : Le multi-boot

From Microsoft Knowledge Base Q101787 : General Information on Starting Multiple Operating Systems

From Microsoft Knowledge Base Q157992 : How to Triple Boot to Windows NT, Windows 95/98, and MS-DOS

From Microsoft Knowledge Base Q170756 : Available Switch Options for Windows NT Boot.ini File

From Brouwer : Large Disk HOWTO

The forum : Multiboot Forum

SuSE Linux 7.0 French manual (shiped with distribution), Chapter 4 : Amorçage et gestionnaires d'amorçage (pages 127 to 164)

Appendices

A. My computer: dell_4100_en.htm
B. My LILO boot banner : message_en.htm (download Linux file from message.zip)
C. My partition table : partitions_en.htm
D. LILO configuration : lilo_conf_en.htm (download Linux file from lilo_conf.zip)
E. LILO update package lilo-21.6-9.src.rpm for boot partitions beyond cylinder 1024 (lba32 option in /etc/lilo.conf) from SuSE Linux 7.0

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Version of the document: 1.0EN
Created: December 11 - 2000
Updated: February 7 - 2001
Author: Leon