Triple Booting

[Alaster]

I need to triple boot three operating systems in VMware Server.

The OS are:  98SE, NT 4.0, and 2000 Pro.

My question is:  What is the correct order of installation?

Several sources told me that it was non-windows and older versions of windows first, followed by newer versions of windows.  Following this, it would be NT, 98SE, then 2k.  I tried this, but it did not work.

[Dias de verano]

98se is based on ms-dos and therefore "older" technology than NT, so needs to go first.

https://www.ms2.cn/technet/archive/ntwrkstn/tips/ncccrtdu.mspx#EIE

[Alaster]

I'm having some major issues with this.

1)  I install 98SE first
--I run FDISK and create a 10GB partition, format it using FAT32
--Run 98 setup and everything goes fine

2)  I install NT
--This is where my problem is.  I get a continuous setup loop.  It goes so far, then restarts my computer.  Gets to the same spot, restarts my computer.  Gets to the same spot, restarts my computer.

How do I fix the NT setup loop?

[Dias de verano]

It goes so far/Gets to the same spot/Gets to the same spot, restarts my computer.

Er, maybe you could tell us where "so far" and "the same spot" actually are?

What install media are you using?

This is a VMWare virtual machine you are installing to? And that's what gets restarted each time?

[dahlarbear]

1.  My recollection is there is a restriction on how large the "system" partition can be when installing NT 4.0 from the distribution media.  (Or is it the partition where the operating system is installed to?).  I believe this is either 2 GB or 4 GB.  Probably 2 GByte because I believe you want to format it FAT16.

You loaded Windows 98 SE first onto your primary partition, a 10 GByte partition formated FAT32.  This "active" primary partition is now the "system" volume, your "C:" Drive.

A couple of mistakes here.  Your system volume is too large.  It is also formatted in a file system NT 4.0 can't read (only reads FAT16 or NTFS).  Suggest you start over.

2.  Recommendation.  Suggest the following:

     a.  Create Primary Partition, 2 GBytes maximum formatted FAT16 to be your system volume, the c: drive.
     b.  Create Extended Partition to almost use rest of hard drive (leave couple MegaBytes free)
     c.   Within Extended partition create 10 GByte logical drive formatted FAT32 to hold Windows 98 SE in d: drive.
     d.  Do "custom" installation of Windows 98 SE to install operating system to "D:\Windows" directory.  The system files needed to boot Windows 98 SE (about four files; msdos.sys, config.sys, command.com, ) will automatically install to the C: drive.
     e.  Create another logical volume within extended partition for Windows NT4.0 installation (Format as FAT16 or NTFS; your choice, but Windows 98 SE can read FAT16, not NTFS).  Install Windows NT4.0.  Like Windows 98 SE, its system boot files will also automatically install to C: drive.
     f.  Create another logical volume within extended partition for Windows 2000 Pro (Format as FAT16, FAT32, or NTFS).  Install Windows 2000 Pro to this volume.  Its system boot files will also automatically install to system volume c:.

Note:  If you want a "common" data volume, it should be formatted in a file system  all three systems can read (i.e. FAT16).  Might want to place it after c: volume (as d: volume?) so all operating systems can read it and reference all preceding volumes with same letters.  If your operating system doesn't recognize a file system (FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, or whatever), it won't assign drive letter to it.

3. So...

     Primary Partition (Active)
     C:        System_Vol    2 GByte maximum (FAT16)
     Extended Partition
     D:        Data_Vol        2   GByte (FAT16)
     E:        Win98_SE      10  GByte (FAT32)
     F:        WinNT_40       ??  GByte (FAT16 or NTFS;  probably NTFS?)
     G:        Win2000_Pro ??  GByte (FAT16, FAT32, or NTFS; probably NTFS?)

[Alaster]

98SE and NT 4.0 installed fine, but I keep getting an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE stop error code.

[dahlarbear]

98SE and NT 4.0 installed fine, but I keep getting an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE stop error code.

When?  When you boot Windows 98 SE?  When you boot Windows NT 4.0?  When you boot Windows 2000 Pro?

Do any of the operating systems successfully boot?

For background information can you tell us how your "simulated" hard disks are laid out?  Disk drive number, primary partition(s), extended partition with logical voumes?  What is in each volume, formatted with what file system, and what is the size of the volume?

It might be helpful if you post the exact message text and numbers from your stop error code screen.  We can do google searches on "exact" substrings to look for cause and solution.

My virtual machine experience is limited.  My Windows NT 4.0 knowledge is limited.  I just know from research for a classmate that his Windows NT 4.0 installation failure was because his partition/volume was larger than his version of NT 4.0 could handle.  Sounds like this was the case for you also.  I believe later service packs of NT 4.0 supported larger installation partitions.  There is also a patch that could be applied during installation for this (but never tried it).