I need to use some software to use multiple operating system in my computer. I have a 16 GB hard disk destined only to lodge the OS. Space enough, I think. My data is in another hard disk.
I’d like to have, i.e., two Windows 2000 and two Windows ME.
W2K 1 - for daily work and internet
W2K 2 - to work with video
WME - for games
WME - for testing and miscellaneous activities
That’s because I see when programs start to accumulate, any Windows starts to become gradually slow.
I’ve been told that Partition Magic is a fine tool for this purpose. Any other recomendation?
Another question: what if I want to have the same program in more than one OS? Do I have to put it in any separate Program Files folder or can I use one Program Files folders for all?
Partition Magic is good for this - you can use BootMagic (part of Partition Magic) to control which OS boots up.
I think the experts say put ME on first than add the others after, but i have only had experience with XP and ME. I managed to do it with XP as the original OS on C, then formatted a new partition IN FRONT of C - necessary to contain the boot files - and installed ME. You can do it all from Partition Magic (v7 and above I think)
As regards common files, you will have to have all the OSs formatted as FAT32 - you will not see NTFS formatted partitions with a FAT32 system (as ME is)
Whenever I have multiple operating systems on a computer I always put the programs for that OS in the same partition as that OS or I have a partition set up just for programs/data for that OS. Generally speaking you can’t install a program in one OS and have it run in another OS, so if you want the same program to work on two different OSes then you have to install it twice to two different locations. You could also do it with folders on the same partition, but basically you want to have some way of identifying which program goes with which OS just from the file system. Makes things a lot easier.
I have a C and D volume set I use for Windows NT Server; I use the same C but a different D for Windows 2000 Server (W2K is installed on and boots from D). In many cases I can access the applications that were installed on C under NT while I’m booted under W2K, despite the fact that the installer never wrote to the registry or put files and parameters in the working system’s partition. When this is not so, I can run the installer again and install to the exact same location. Since the registry and active system folders of the other operating system were not overwritten and are still as they were, and since the installation location is identical, the program now works under either OS.
I have done similar things with software installed under Windows95 – temporarily booting NT with the W95 volume designated as an E drive (third hard drive volume) and copying the appropriate folder out of Program Files (or Lotus or wherever they were installed to) and over to the NT C Drive volume and then dropping the E drive, usually I can just run it, putting a shortcut to the program in the Start menu & etc.
On a real PC, you could install programs on your W95/98 volume (FAT formatted) unless they were NT/2K-architecture-only programs or programs that refuse to run under NT/2K unless they are on NTFS volumes. Mostly you could just dig down into those volumes and reference them when you’re booted into W2K and they’ll launch and run.