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How to Completely Install Win9x/ME to an Alternate Hard Drive

To install Win9x/ME completely to a hard drive other than HD0, use one of the following methods. Both methods assume BootIt BM is installed on the system.

Method 1

  1. Using BootIt BM, create and format a primary partition on the hard drive on which you will be installing Windows.

  2. Using BootIt BM, set the primary partition you created in Step 1 as active.

  3. Shut down the computer and disconnect your current primary hard drive (i.e. HD0).

  4. Install the hard drive you will be installing Windows on as HD0. This may require entering the BIOS and changing the boot order so this drive is the booting drive.

  5. Boot to the Windows installation media and begin the installation. Ensure that the desired target partition has the drive letter C:.

  6. Proceed with the installation of Windows.

  7. Once the installation is complete, shut down the computer and return the drive to its original position as a secondary drive. Reconnect the primary hard drive (the original HD0). If necessary, enter the BIOS and restore the original boot order (the original HD0 should be the booting drive).

  8. Using BootIt BM, create a boot menu item for the new Windows installation. Enable the Swap option for the boot item. Note: On some systems it will be necessary to enable the Fix Swap option (in BootIt BM settings) in order for swapping to work.

Method 2

Note: Using this method requires that the BootIt BM booting options Swap and Next BIOS Device (if used) work correctly on the system.

These steps assume you want to install Win9x/ME to the second hard drive (HD1).

  1. Make sure you have a Win9x/ME CD-ROM installation boot diskette (included with the OEM version) or a bootable CD.

  2. Using the Work with Partitions dialog, create and format the partition on HD1.

  3. Using Boot Edit, create and save a boot item for it:

    • HD will be 1.

    • Boot partition should be the one you created in Step 2.

    • If you want other primary partitions visible on HD0, then check the Swap check box under Boot Details; otherwise, check the Swap check box under One Time Options.

    • If booting from the CD-ROM using the Next BIOS Device feature of BootIt BM, put a check in the Next BIOS Device check box under One Time Option. (Your BIOS boot order must have the CD-ROM after the C: drive for this to work. If you're going to boot directly from the CD-ROM and the BIOS boot order has the CD-ROM before C: then you don't need to enable this option.)

    • If the Swap check box under One Time Option was checked, then the MBR Details for HD0 will need to either have all primary partitions hidden or have one (visible) extended partition in it. (If you used the Swap checkbox under Boot Details then you don't need to hide/remove the primary partitions, but it's probably a good idea to do so during setup anyway.)

    • The MBR Details for HD1 will have the partition you created in Step 2.

  4. Boot with the item created in Step 3. If you are booting from the CD-ROM using the Next BIOS Device option, then setup should start from the CD-ROM (skip to Step 6). Otherwise, you should get a message that no operating system exists on the partition.

  5. Insert your Win9x CD-ROM installation boot diskette and/or CD-ROM (you can do the floppy install if you have to) and press Enter.

  6. Begin the Win9x installation to the C: drive.

  7. Click Finish to reboot the computer.

  8. You can now just keep booting the new Win9x/ME boot item to continue with the setup. If you use the Swap option under One Time Option then just make sure you don't add any visible primary FAT partitions to hard drive 0 or that drive becomes C:.

Note: If you enabled the Swap option under Boot Details then you can check the system properties/performance tab to see if Win9x is using real mode drivers for drive access. If it is, it won't hurt anything, it's just being brought to your attention.

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